Dear Friends and Colleagues,
It is my pleasure to share with you our second edition of AIA Idaho’s magazine, Idaho Architecture.
2021 was a busy and successful year for AIA Idaho, from a way-too-much-fun design awards gala to record involvement of our members and growth in our membership. Founded in 1951, the AIA Idaho chapter quietly celebrated its 70th anniversary as we were navigating the COVID–19 epidemic, remoting, working via Zoom, email, and phone calls. Finally, we meet again in person, and it is a whole new society we are in. The recent worldwide problems have raised many questions about how to move forward responsibly and safely toward a renewed normalcy and resiliency.
As we are all aware, Idaho is enjoying unprecedented growth and economic boom times. While the booming economy is undoubtedly a great thing, it does come with challenges. How do we balance the plentiful work with doing our best work? How do we find the staff to do the work? Most urgently in Idaho, how do we solve the affordable housing crisis? As most states across the country face similar issues, there are no simple answers to those questions, but I believe there is no substitute for sitting down with architects.
When I look at our directory and see familiar firms and individual’s names I see a highly qualified resource. Each member of our organization has a unique set of knowledge and professional skills that, when shared, can bring solutions that benefit the local communities and the whole state. Architects are a valuable resource for any institution, government, school, or business seeking change. Our 380 members design and manage projects, select products, contract vendors, and guide clients in various industries, including commercial, health care, residential, hospitality, education, and more. Architects are experts in talking to clients, finding out what is essential about their needs, and creating sophisticated solutions that win consensus.
This publication, our annual “Yearbook,” is a reminder of architects as a resource and a celebration of the accomplishments of our members. In this edition, you will see highlights from the recent Idaho Design Awards Conference, interviews with architects who served as our jurors, content written by our architects about issues they care about.
Lastly, I would like to congratulate the AIA Idaho Design Awards recipients. There is a lot of excellent design going on in our state, and our conference was a success because of the efforts of our dedicated volunteer members. Thank you for your time and energy!
Thank you for using our directory to connect with the architectural community in Idaho, and I hope you fully utilize this resource by contacting any of our members.
Sincerely,
Anna Foster
Executive Director
The American Institute of Architects – Idaho Chapter
