The AIA Metro Phoenix Chapter Meeting was held at Phoenix’s historic A.E. Building. Image courtesy of www.downtownvoices.org.
We have been having a great time meeting with local experts throughout the Southwest in preparation for Coverings 2014 in Las Vegas. On the heels of the “Learn About Turn About” event in Las Vegas earlier this month, this week, we sponsored the annual meeting of the Phoenix Metro Chapter of the American Institute of Architects at the historic A.E Building in downtown Phoenix.
AIA Phoenix Metro has had a presence in the Valley of the Sun for nearly 60 years and has grown to nearly 900 members from all over the region. Not only does Phoenix have a strong architectural history, but its architects are consistently pushing boundaries and thinking outside the box in their projects. We were thrilled to get the chance to hear about all of the remarkable initiatives that they are undertaking and get them excited about visiting Coverings 2014.

The Walkable City Panel Discussion took its topic from Jeff Speck’s book of the same name.
AIA recruited a distinguished panel to discuss the walkability of metropolitan Phoenix, inspired by Jeff Speck’s Walkable City. Speck said, “If your city is walkable – that is, safe, comfortable, interesting, and useful – everything else will fall into place.” The panel, which consisted of architects, city planners, and even the City of Phoenix Bicycle Coordinator, broke down the challenges facing the walkability of Phoenix including the hot weather, the current city layout, and access to resources like bike paths.
The 2014 Executive Board was also elected during the meeting, which is now made up of Jack DeBartolo, Mark Ryan, Christina Nobke, Matthew Salenger, and Russ Sanders.
Special thanks to Diana Smith for coordinating the event – and we’re looking forward to continuing to work with this inspiring group of people as we approach Coverings 2014, coming up April 29 – May 2 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.