Happy New Year!!

Welcome back everyone and Happy New Year. I hope that each of you enjoyed the past Holiday season with friends and family and you were able to get much needed rest from the rigours of your work. It is my hope that this 2007 year is as full of opportunity for each of us as 2006.

This 2007 year comes with new additions and opportunities for EPSOLA. A major addition for Associate members, as well as students, is the EPSOLA blog created at the end of 2006. This Blog is to be utilized by students and Associates alike to stay up-to-date on events and information concerning IDP, ARE, and mentorship, as well as other areas of interest to AIA-Associates and students.

Also, I will be the Associate Director for this 2007 year. This will give Associate members of AIA-South Louisiana direct access to the AIA Board of Directors and a voice on both the state and local board.

Later this month, I will be attending the first annual Regional Associate Director’s Meeting to discuss several issues that will directly impact our internship and the ARE study seminars. We will work out a rolling-seminar schedule for the surrounding states wo interns, regardless of location, will be able to attend a study session close to home at some point in time this year. If you have anything you wish for me to bring to the Board of Directors meeting, or the Associate Directors Meeting, please let me know. Email me epsola_1@yahoo.com or place your response on the blog.

Le Doux Memorial Seating Area

Our December meeting yeilded a decision to collect material prior to designing the seating area. We will discuss how this material search and collection has progressed to date and what we can do to get the best possible outcome for this memorial.

AIA GRANT 150

This next year we will be working with Geoff Gjertson’s Professional Practice class on the Construction Documents for the Granberry Unit Boy‘s and Girl’s Club Improvements.

AIAS/ULL INVOLVEMENT

Our partnership with AIAS and ULL School of Architecture is the first step to creating an continual and regenerative membership of Associates and interns in the coming years. We grow by our experiences and the students will benefit greatly from our input during their scholastic struggles. Also, our trials and tribulations after college can give them the opportunity to learn from us what to do and not to do after college.

Some of the things we will be doing is to sit in on reviews, give crits on ongoing projects, follow particular students and assist with understanding codes issues, mentor students with job/career planning, etc.

We will be working with AIAS on the HC Ramps for the Elderly project. We are hoping to get AmeriCorps involved to get more done this year than ever before. This is an excellent opportunity for architecture students to see and work outside of the classroom.

Our next meeting will be at Coyote Blues starting at 6:30 pm. If you can make it, please do so.

Let’s make 2007 a banner year. Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

Brent Frick
EPSOLA President