The AIA Foundation (AIAF), a nonprofit philanthropic extension of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), today announced the site of AIAF’s first Regional Resilience Design Studio, funded with an initial $250,000 social impact investment by Benjamin Moore & Co.
The studio will be housed at the New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Center for Resilient Design, based in Newark, N.J. AIAF President George H. Miller, FAIA, announced the location of the Studio and the Benjamin Moore grant at the AIA’s Annual Convention, the largest gathering of the architecture community in the United States.
The Studio is the first to be launched as part of the AIA Foundation’s National Resilience Program, which plans to open a total of five Regional Resilience Design Studios nationwide in collaboration with Architecture for Humanity, and Public Architecture.
“We would like to thank Benjamin Moore for seeing the value in this effort and for continuing to be a partner with the AIA Foundation so that we can work with our partners to make communities stronger both before and after disasters,” said AIAF Executive Director Sherry-Lea Bloodworth Botop, CFRE. “Without Benjamin Moore’s leadership and commitment, this initiative wouldn’t be possible.”
“We’re thrilled to be the founding corporate partner with the AIA Foundation, Architecture for Humanity, Public Architecture and the greater design community for this landmark initiative,” said Mike Searles, President and CEO of Benjamin Moore & Co.
“Building resilient, sustainable communities is core to who we are as a company and is a part of everything we do from our innovative product portfolio to the services and color tools we provide to the broader design community,” Searles said. “We will work with the AIA Foundation to launch the National Resilience Program and provide a fresh, new approach to how architects can learn, engage and create a more resilient future.”
"Natural disasters are a real and imminent threat, and we need to find responses that examine not only where we build, but also, if we build, then how,” said Urs P. Gauchat, Dean of NJIT's College of Architecture and Design. “NJIT’s Center for Resilient Design wants to thank the AIA Foundation for this opportunity to help communities in the Northeast anticipate and recover more quickly from natural disasters."
Bloodworth Botop joined AIAF in February after serving as Senior Adviser and Director of Strategic Development for Architecture for Humanity and is responsible for all programs and activities related to the AIAF mission.
About AIA Foundation
The AIA Foundation preserves, honors and advances excellence in design for the benefit of the public. As a nonprofit philanthropic extension of the American Institute of Architects, the AIA Foundation is the preeminent voice and advocate for architecture and design in America. The AIA Foundation is dedicated to the belief that good design is good for all and plays an essential role in transforming lives and building a better world.
About Benjamin Moore & Co.
Benjamin Moore & Co., a Berkshire Hathaway company, was founded in 1883. One of North America's leading manufacturers of premium quality residential, commercial and industrial maintenance coatings, Benjamin Moore maintains a relentless commitment to sustainable manufacturing practices and continues to develop the most eco-responsible formulations possible. In 2012, the company's Natura® paint received the Green Good Housekeeping Seal, acknowledging its high degree of sustainability plus rigorously tested performance. Other superior products in the Benjamin Moore Green Promise® portfolio include Aura®, Regal® Select, ben® and Ultra Spec® 500 paint for commercial interiors – all built upon our patented Gennex® platform that has changed the industry and earned the passion and loyalty of homeowners and professional painters by delivering extremely low-VOC and peerless beauty and performance. J.D. Power and Associates 2014 Interior Paint Satisfaction Study ranked Benjamin Moore highest in consumer satisfaction, marking the fourth consecutive year and fourth time the company has earned this rating. Benjamin Moore paints deliver authentic Benjamin Moore colors and are available exclusively from Benjamin Moore's network of paint and decorating dealers.
Related Stories
| Oct 27, 2011
ASSA Abloy, MAXXESS Systems announce U.S. Aperio integration
Aperio will integrate with MAXXESS's eAXxess and Efusion Event Management Software packages.
| Oct 26, 2011
Metl-Span selected for re-roof project
School remained in session during the renovation and it was important to minimize the disruption as much as possible.
| Oct 26, 2011
Shawmut Design and Construction awarded Tag Heuer build in Aventura, Fla.
New store features 1,200 sf fit out at Aventura Mall.
| Oct 25, 2011
HKS Science & Technology practice formed
Specializing in the planning and design of highly technical building types, HKS’s Science & Technology practice offers the broadest range of services available to the academic and biomedical research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device community, including laboratory programming, planning and design, strategic science planning and laboratory equipment planning.
| Oct 25, 2011
Universal teams up with Earthbound Corp. to provide streamlined commercial framing solutions
The primary market for the Intact Structural Frame is light commercial buildings that are typically designed with concrete masonry walls, steel joists and steel decks.
| Oct 25, 2011
Ritner Steel CEO elected to AISC Board
Freund will begin serving on the AISC board of directors, assisting with the organization's planning and leadership in the steel construction industry.
| Oct 25, 2011
Commitment to green building practices pays off
The study, conducted by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, built on a good indication of the potential for increased productivity and performance pilot research completed two years ago, with similarly impressive results.
| Oct 25, 2011
DOE issues report on financing solar photovoltaic systems for K-12 schools
The report examines the two primary types of ownership models used to obtain solar installations. This analysis can help school administrators across the country select the best option for deploying solar technologies in their school districts.
