Dear Members,
I hope that you are all doing well. I wanted to take this opportunity to write you a brief note on the upcoming Shanghai conference and the work of the International Strategic Task Force.
As you are aware the AIA International Region in partnership with the AIA Shanghai Chapter are finalizing the organization of a major three-day conference in Shanghai from November 14th-17th. This conference will focus on the developmental history of this world city as well as its future growth plans. Originally settled in 4,000 BC this city has gone multiple iterations including being a fishing village, a market town and today a leading global financial center. Today this city with a population of 24 million is known worldwide for its amazing skyline, and as a global financial, innovation and technology, and transportation hub.
We have assembled an amazing group of leading Chinese Architects that are forming the future of this world city. We look forward to learning from our colleagues in terms of design, sustainability, cutting edge technology along with the cultural nuances of designing in China. Our global architectural community that is working on virtually every continent should be keen to gaining this knowledge which is easily transportable to other geographies both at the macro and micro level. As someone who has never been to China, I am very excited to experience this amazing city, its neighborhoods and its architecture. As such I invite you all to take advantage of this unique opportunity to attend the AIA IR Shanghai Conference, I am certain that this will be a wonderful learning opportunity.
On a separate note, I am pleased to let you know that the AIA Global Strategic Task Force which I am chairing met on October 5th in Brussels to start the important work of developing our global strategy which will address a broad range on initiatives focusing on elevating the profession. The Task Force members comprising of every experienced group of architect, including Thomas Vonier, FAIA (Former AIA President and current UIA President), Elizabeth Chu Richter, FAIA (former AIA President and incoming International Practice Committee Chair), James Wright, FAIA (Immediate AIA IR Past President & current Director of UIA Professional Practice Committee), Sam Oboh, FAIA (Past President of Canada’s RAIC and IR Representative to the College of Fellows), Alison Laas, AIA (Immediate past Chair of the AIA International Practice Committee), Alton Chow, AIA (Immediate Past President of the AIA Shanghai Chapter) and John Padilla, AIA (Past Secretary of AIA National and current Vice President of Pan American Federation of Associations of Architects) met for a full day of work. I am pleased to say that our intense session bore many fruits, we now have key action items to develop over the next few months. Our task force is very excited at the prospect of developing an implantation method for many of these initiatives. I will keep you updated over the next few months. We also were delighted to have the opportunity of partially participating in AIA Continental Europe’s Conference in Brussels which reminded me of the great work being done by all of our international chapters. I truly encourage you to attend chapter conferences being organized by our chapters in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Canada.
Back Row from left to right: Sam Oboh FAIA, Thomas Vonier FAIA, Alton Chow AIA, John Padilla AIA, Alison Laas AIA, Dr. Tillman Prinz, Elizabeth Chu Richter FAIA, James Wright FAIA, Derek Walsham. Front Row: Paula Seidel, Thierry Paret, FAIA, Terri Stewart.
Again, I encourage to join us in Shanghai from November 14th – 17th, it will be an unforgettable event!
Sincerely,
Thierry Paret, FAIA
President
AIA International Region
Chair AIA International Strategic Task Force
