“Gosh, I’ve always wanted to write a book.”

Surely you’ve heard these words - either from yourself, a friend or family member. The question is, why don’t you? Followed by: Why do you want to? and, how do you go about it?

I recently learned that one of the primary searches for what AIA and FAIA mean is “aia certification.” We who are members of the American Institute of Architects, or its allied organizations, know this is not a thing. However…

Welcome to a redux of my second of many videos on tips and insight on writing for architects, architectural designers, AIA architects, AIA Fellowship, and all creative writing. This episode welcomes architects to the writing discipline with tried-and-true writing advice that can apply to all forms of communication. “Darlings” refers to those ideas and statements you’re so attached to, they get in the way of people engaging with your work.

I’m forever grateful for Emily Grandstaff-Rice, FAIA, and 2022 AIA President Elect/2023 President for giving me a personal lesson in video posting. Now that is some serious member support…

Biased Language Part 1: Certain words and phrases are inherently biased, often because of their origins. Many online resources are available to help you extricate biased and culturally outdated language from your vocabulary…

The education process for both a master’s degree in architecture and in fine arts for creative writing follow—this may surprise many architects—the same model: the professor, peer students, creative and technical investigations, creation, and critique. The cycle occurs repeatedly with the purpose of pushing the student’s mind, capabilities, creativity, and survival skills….

In 2014, two architectural book standards on writing were published: Writing Architecture by Carter Wiseman and The Architect’s Guide to Writing by Bill Schmalz, FAIA architect. As recently reminded by faculty at the Algonkian Writers Conference, 2014 is a long way away from the writing of today. Despite their age, both are great books on writing for architecture, with many useful guidelines. However, both are dense…

Writing tips and insight on writing for architects, architectural designers, AIA Fellowship, and all creative writing. Tip #2 takes on the often-used adage, "Murder Your Darlings," writing advice dating back to English writer Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, as a process to review your writing with a critical eye and remove the sentimental voice or emotionally charged words and phrases.

Very few design and architectural book standards provide instruction on using active language in writing about design work. No AIA resources exist on the topic either. Do you want to be a better writer? A better writer on architecture and design…

Writing tips and insight on writing for architects, architectural designers, AIA Fellowship, and all creative writing. Tip #2 takes on the often-used adage, "Murder Your Darlings," writing advice dating back to English writer Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, as a process to review your writing with a critical eye and remove the sentimental voice or emotionally charged words and phrases.

The writing in most architecture books is dense. Extremely dense. The International Building Code (IBC) that drives the construction of buildings presents an almost insurmountable level of density for readers…

Creativity is a Muscle: My experience as a creative writer offers you, dear reader, designer or architect, creative exercises on writing and architectural writing. These techniques can help to build your creative muscle…

Writing tips and insight on writing for architects, architectural designers, AIA Fellowship, and all creative writing. Tip #2 takes on the often-used adage, "Murder Your Darlings," writing advice dating back to English writer Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, as a process to review your writing with a critical eye and remove the sentimental voice or emotionally charged words and phrases.

Creativity is a Muscle: My experience as a creative writer offers you, dear reader, designer or architect, creative exercises on writing and architectural writing. These techniques can help to build your creative muscle…

Writing tips and insight on writing for architects, architectural designers, AIA Fellowship, and all creative writing. This inaugural episode begins the process to guide architects through the writing process. Rebecca believes you need to develop your concept and idea before you can finalize your first initial sentence…

The concept of getting an “F” on anything typically indicates you have failed to do the thing required, correct? However, an “F” takes on a different meaning in the sphere of the American Institute of Architects, the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), and the Construction Specifications Institute. For these organizations and many others, getting an “F”…

First, the AIA’s online submission forum opens June 28th with the submission deadline of October 6, 2022, so we’re at the five-month mark in preparing a submission…

Interviews, insight and practical tools for managing the design process from many of the great minds in today’s design and construction including Emily Grandstaff-RIce, Phil Bernstein, Thom Penney, and Allison Williams. #AIA #FAIA

Today’s podcast will go longer than previous episodes because the stages GO/NO GO, ORGANIZE and COLLECT are best looked at together.

We are at the point where a candidate has been nominated. They've heard from their peers about why they should pursue Fellowship, and they've gained an understanding of all that is involved in submitting. So, the big question is GO or NO GO?

An AIA Fellow (Emeritus) and former chair of an AIA State Chapter Fellows Committee talks about what it's like to get a potential nominee to square one and beyond in the AIA Fellowship submission process.