I am pleased to be serving as the Chair of the AIA Historic Resources Committee for 2025. On behalf of the HRC, we wish you a Happy New Year. As with all new beginnings, there is much hope and optimism for the year ahead.
Those of you who have attended our Taliesin Colloquia in the past will be interested to know that we are now operating on a new biennial schedule. On hiatus in 2025, the Colloquium will return next year and planning is already underway! The 2026 Taliesin Colloquium will, of course, be held at Frank Lloyd Wright's inspiring and intimate Taliesin West in February, 2026. Stay tuned for additional information on the program, agenda, early-bird registration, etc.
We are also very excited to announce several interesting and topical HRC events at AIA25 in Boston this coming June. HRC events will include a half-day workshop on Boston's Resilient Historic Building Guide and the Guide's applicability to larger, universal issues of resiliency. An exciting luncheon is planned to be held in the wonderful Guastavino Room in the Boston Public Library's iconic McKim Building and we're also sponsoring a walking tour that will showcase a successful historic resiliency project on the Boston waterfront. HRC will also be partnering with the Building Performance Knowledge Community to present a joint program on managing performance and resilience in building renovation projects. Stay tuned for more details from AIA in the coming months. AIA25 registration opens soon!
Lastly, there are fascinating conversations and work under way in our field regarding sustainability, resiliency and equity related to our historic resources. One of the themes we've discussed is the importance of collaborating across disciplines to get beyond "preaching to the choir." Public education is so critical to the success of our mission as historic architects and preservationists and needs to be expanded whenever possible. I invite each of you to broaden your network and get involved. Together, we are stronger!
Best wishes for a happy and prosperous 2025. Keep in touch.
R_B_
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Robert Burns, AIA
2025 Chair
Historic Resources Committee Advisory Group
Richmond, VA
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