AIA Shanghai Elections 2020

Bin Cao, AIA

Regional Director & Greater China Place Practice Principal, HKS Architects (Dallas & Shanghai)

As an architect educated and trained in both China and USA, my 30 years professional experience from both China and USA has enriched my life in many different dimensions. This unique background and experience will make me a very valuable resource for AIA to bridge the two world most influential countries in our industry. After receiving my first M Arch degree in China 1989, I started my career as a faculty in Southeast University, the well-known 1st architecture school in China.

After 3 years teaching and practice, I went to graduate school again in the US to get my second M Arch in Urban Design. Then, I started my architect practice in Dallas from 1994. After 16 years practice in the US, I came back to Shanghai in 2010 and built the 1st RTKL China architecture studio. As a VP and Director of Hospitality of RTKL China, I have worked on dozens large-scale mixed-use projects all over China. Our projects very closely engage with Chinese urbanization. Last 9 years practice in China has helped to promote sustainability in the fast-changing industry. Now as the regional director of HKS greater China, I am leading the office to fully engage with the China market and promote HKS to be the most influential firm in our industry.

As one of the AIA Shanghai Chapter Founding members, I have been helping the whole process to build AIA Shanghai Chapter from ground. It will be a great honor if I can help leading this Chapter to keep growing and promote AIA 2030 goal in China market.

My Chinese education experience enable me to have very extend relationship connecting to government officials, Local design institute leaders and architecture education institutions. All these relationships will help AIA as a professional organization to positively influence the industry and society. My more than 23 years AIA membership also is one of the keys has shaped my values and principles. HKS has the culture and history to support AIA at different levels. Mr. Ron Skaggs, one of the former national AIA Chairman, he was HKS Chairman and president. Many our HKS coworkers are currently serving at many different local chapters. I would be very happy to contribute to AIA Shanghai.

Sincerely,

Bin Cao, AIA

Carlos Gomez, AIA international associate

Principal Architect, CRG Architects, Beijing

As everyone knows, in this present year 2019 we have established the bases for the extension of the chapter towards new horizons, expanding our activities in the capital of the country, Beijing, with the future intention of doing the same with other cities in China.

Being aware of the difficulties that this entails, the decision to present my candidacy for the vice presidency of the chapter is due to the intention of establishing and stabilizing that double relationship. The future involves establishing cooperation ties and not having a spirit of competition between the two cities. I sincerely believe that we all have much to gain and very little to lose.

The Shanghai-Beijing duality, the two most important cities in China, centers of political and economic power, makes it essential to have a clear and decisive position for the future of our community in China, polarizing the chapter, and making both a unique center of attraction of interests for the conglomerate of the Chinese architectural community, both foreign and local, since we must not forget either, being AIA one of the few associations of architects that operates outside of its natural borders, there are many other professionals of different nationalities that are attracted to our community and we must work to attract them and achieve their incorporation in any of the modalities that AIA offers today, or even in newly created modalities of membership.

This duality should be achieved by maintaining the current independence of both groups, for obvious physical reasons of their different location, but also for the obvious difference of public that inhabits them. Both teams must cooperate with greater dynamism among themselves, learning from each other in different fields, and giving an external image of unity, enriched by the local differences of each.

Of course, I will not only focus this candidacy on the efforts to unify the chapter in that duality of locations, but I do also strongly believe in the desire to improve efficiency in how the chapter is organized and structured today, trying to be more efficient and more attractive to the public, both for current members and potential members who are already attending our events but have not yet taken the final step to belong to our community permanently.

Throughout this year 2019, events have been the star of the organization of the chapter. We have had many and varied. We have a double team that is putting all its effort into improving each event with respect to the previous one. That is why we should not lower the bar of our level of demand and follow the path established in previous occasions.

Just as the events have had a period of brilliance, there are two fundamental elements for the good behavior of our community that need a greater efficiency and drive, to achieve our goals. Membership and sponsors.

Mainly we must make an overexertion to get more permanent members in our chapter, both recovering the members that have not renewed their fees for years, and attracting new potential members, which will give us greater long-term stability, and will allow us to continue growing and creating extensions and ties, as for example, turning Beijing into a section of Shanghai, with an eye on the not too distant future, to become an independent chapter in itself.

We reach the economic part. We are all aware of its importance for our chapter, since without it we could not exist or operate as we are doing. The sponsors are the spearhead of our financing, and there is a long and complex way to go to reach a situation of economic stability and efficiency in working together with these companies. We must not forget at any time that the companies that grant us their funds do so because they want to get something in return, they are not charity organizations who pretend to fulfill their Christian obligations, and those funds are part of their marketing strategy to have more publicity and visibility in the market. Therefore, on the one hand, we must reconsider the sponsorship options, offering different benefits packages to companies that are open to continue collaborating with us, and on the other, we must open new paths towards different types of future sponsors, such as, for example, other organizations of architects, both in China and outside China, or as the large real estate companies operating in the country, which are a large part of the cake of which we are all part.

The last part of this introduction to the nomination, I would like to dedicate it to the external cooperation with entities directly related to the world of architecture, both in the field of education and in the professional field. We must establish connections and cooperation in a narrower way with the Chinese architecture universities, which are great focal points for organizing large events and master lectures, attracting the great figures of international architecture. We must make an approach to private events, both real estate and companies producing materials and architectural elements, giving a greater projection to the public visibility of the chapter, making the architectural community equal in importance to the association of architects of China. And we must establish more links with public organizations of events, such as the BJDW (Beijing Design Week) or SHDW (Shanghai Design Week), cooperating and organizing events together, for the benefit of the entire architectural community linked to AIA in China.

Thank you very much for reading this text, in which I have tried to establish the different ideas and intentions for a better future in our community.

CARLOS R. GOMEZ

Beijing, 8th November 2019

Hugh Whitmore, AIA

Design Director, Department 4, East China Architectural Design Institute (ECADI)

To the Members and Board of AIA Shanghai:

- For me - an American working in China - AIA Shanghai has been a place to reach out to a community for support and knowledge. The relationships developed through AIA have become sources of insight, inspiration, and friendship. As president, I would seek to focus our chapter on developing these opportunities to learn and connect while promoting excellence in design. We would do this by focusing on three key areas:

OUTREACH

Develop stronger connections with the local architecture firms and universities who will help us integrate with the Shanghai architectural community and understand the changing environment for architects in China.

EDUCATION

Lectures by leading architects and educational sessions keep us keep engaged as architects and provide a platform for promoting excellent design. Focused sessions on specific topics related to issues we face in practice can help us develop strategies to adapt and succeed as professionals.

MEMBERSHIP

As a chapter we need to reach out personally to our members to understand their needs and encourage them to stay engaged. We need to focus particularly on improving the diversity of our membership by supporting women in architecture and helping students and young professionals advance in their careers. Building a stronger, more cohesive membership will ultimately help the chapter to grow organically.

As a candidate, I am well-positioned to execute on these proposals. I have lived and worked in China for 8 years for both American and Chinese firms – bringing a range of connections and experience that bridges our international mix of professionals. Since 2015 I have been active member of the Chapter, having served first as communications director and then CoSecretary, and this year as Co-Chair of the organizing committee for the 2019 International Region Conference held in Shanghai. This conference was a brilliant success, and brought over 180 architects from around the world to hear lectures by leading architects from Shanghai and greater China. As First Vice President / President, I would put my experience and skills to work making sure you as members feel supported and connected to the great range of knowledge and practical experience available here in Shanghai.

I thank you for your consideration and hope I will have the honor to serve AIA Shanghai in this role!

Sincerely,

Hugh Whitmore, AIA

Kathy Zhu, Assoc. aia

Operations Director China, WATG & Wimberly Interior

Dear AIASH members,

It is my honour to be part of the AIASH family since year 2016. It is also my honour to be the member of the Board and the Exco of AIASH since 2015. I had 7 years in public sector and 15 years in architecture in my professional life, luckily, I had witnessed and experienced the tremendous economic growth, particularly the real estate development in China in the past two decades. It gave us the unique opportunity to work three dimensionally, on fabulous projects, an absolute overwhelming journey, learning lessons, tears and sweats, and working with the local communities to deliver, all of them are so different from how it works in other regions in many ways.

AIA has incredible mysterious reputation in the region, with huge amount of curiosities lining out of the doors. As the subsidiary of a 150 years professional organization, AIASH, dedicated to serve the members, to uphold a high standard of design, education, and professional practice, by fostering strong ties with the AIA in the US and local government entities and design communities.

To continuously sustain the reputation, my goal is to draw out a sustainable and realistic plan to develop the chapter deeper into the soil and into an extended horizon that provides opportunities to, and engage with:

1. Woman leadership;

2. Mentoring program;

3. Architects work at the client’s side;

4. Design Excellence;

5. Local communities - Universities, LDIs, affiliated consultants, and student’s members;

As a western educated, cross cultural practising, native Chinese professional woman, with in-depth understanding of the value of communication, culture, and resources from both sides, I’ll be committing to act as the bridge in between of:

1. east and west (culture);

2. experienced and less experienced (professional); and

3. business & design;

Yours faithfully,

Katherine Zhu Schleiss

Operations Director WATG Shanghai, Inc.

Kateryena kuzmenko, assoc. aia

AIA includes more than 94,000 professionals who share common passion for the power and purpose of architecture. I believe that American Institute of Architects provide a massive educational program for architects all over the world. First time I came to AIA Shanghai 3 years ago as a volunteer. Last year, I represented Networking committee and was responsible for organizing networking. We have done a great job and achieved a lot in the last year.

Personally, for myself, I got more closer Shanghai EXCO and knew more about the organization structure, purpose and values. I’d like to continue to actively participate in the development of AIASH chapter, educational programs and networking for architectural community in Shanghai. I’d keep serving our members in a timely and professional manner, and exercising unprejudiced and unbiased judgment. And keep seeking to raise the standards of aesthetic excellence, architectural education, research, training, and practice. I will do my best to ensure that the development of the chapter goes on quickly and successfully.

Tania Sheptukha, assoc. aia

Thank you to AIA Shanghai for this opportunity.

My name is Tania Sheptukha and I am running for the position of secretary of the executive committee for 2020/21.

Since I have already been a part of the Shanghai Chapter for the past two years being involved in Awards Committee and Annual Banquet Organization, I realized I wanted to take a more active role in the Chapter Development. I am running for secretary as I want to be more involved in the key decision making process that affects the organization.

In order to understand what value I can bring to the AIA Shanghai Chapter as Secretary, I’ve started with questions that are fundamental for us as a professional organization.

What do we value as architects? What do we value as a professional community? And what do we expect from our profession in the future? I believe the answer to these questions is increasingly important in our current time - a time of shifting frames of reference and increasingly rapid changes in the industry per se.