Item
AIA MA Letter to Governor Baker
Media
Title (Dublin Core)
AIA MA Letter to Governor Baker
Disclaimer (Dublin Core)
DISCLAIMER: This item may have been submitted in response to a school assignment. See Linked Data.
Description (Dublin Core)
Letter written by the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Institute of Architects r to Governor Baker of Massachusetts asking for in cases where a construction project is designated an essential business the architecture firm also be designated an essential business. #HIST5241
Date (Dublin Core)
Creator (Dublin Core)
Contributor (Dublin Core)
Event Identifier (Dublin Core)
HIST5241
Partner (Dublin Core)
Type (Dublin Core)
email
Controlled Vocabulary (Dublin Core)
English
Architecture & Planning
English
Public Health & Hospitals
English
Conflict
English
Social Distance
Curator's Tags (Omeka Classic)
Linked Data (Dublin Core)
Date Submitted (Dublin Core)
03/26/2020
Date Modified (Dublin Core)
10/15/2020
05/02/2021
08/11/2021
Date Created (Dublin Core)
03/26/2020
Email Body (Omeka Classic)
March 26, 2020
His Excellency Charlie Baker
Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Massachusetts State House
24 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02133
Dear Governor Baker,
Thank you for your individual leadership and the tireless work of your administration throughout this COVID-19 crisis. The scope of this pandemic is beyond anything we have experienced in our lifetime, and the architecture community appreciates your steady hand
during this challenging time.
As residents of Massachusetts and leaders of the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA MA), a component of the American Institute of Architects, we stand firmly behind the steps you’ve taken to protect the public; to keep the people of our community safe; and to support workers and businesses alike. The citizens of Massachusetts are resilient when we work together. With smart and steady leadership, we are confident that we will
bounce back stronger than before.
In Massachusetts, architects are entrusted with the responsibility to protect health, safety and welfare in the built environment. We will abide by all public health declarations aimed at minimizing and preventing the spread of COVID-19. As leaders of AIA MA, we stand ready to work with you to overcome this pandemic; to stabilize our communities; and to build a healthy
and equitable future together.
Through rigorous education and experience, licensed architects acquire the critical skills necessary to protect public health, safety and welfare in the built environment. There are currently more than 4,000 licensed architects living in Massachusetts and over 3,400 with reciprocal licenses to practice in the state. Many of these individuals possess extensive experience directing complex public health projects, from initial planning through construction administration, for both public and private clients.
Please see below for several specific ways in which architects can be of assistance:
• Evaluate vacant or underutilized property for temporary hospitals and testing centers
• Assist with documenting and retrofitting the buildings or other facilities identified as viable hospital facilities
• Serve as a resource advisor
Our membership stands ready to assist the Commonwealth in this unprecedented health crisis.
Further, the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry has directly felt the impact of this pandemic. Projects across the country, including critical infrastructure projects, are being delayed and entire offices are closed or requiring employees to work from home. To ensure that essential projects continue to move forward, during construction and in order to
assure a pipeline of future development, we request that you designate architecture as an essential business under certain limited circumstances. This will allow architects to continue protecting public health, safety and welfare in the built environment. Specifically, we ask that in any situation where a general contractor or other construction trade is designated as an
essential business, the architect also be designated as an essential business.
Designating architecture as an essential business will ensure that critical services continue to be
available to the public. The professional services provided by an architect, including construction
observation and administration, are necessary to the successful, timely completion of these essential projects. To ensure that projects continue to meet building codes requirements and the expectations of public owners and clients, architects must be permitted to be on site to perform their contractually required professional services.
Architects throughout Massachusetts stand ready to work with you to slow the spread of COVID-19. Elected leaders like you are keeping Americans healthy and safe, and preparing our
economy to recover fully.
Please contact John Nunnari, Executive Director of AIA MA, jnunnari@architects.org, 617-901-
4685 for more information. We sincerely look forward to this opportunity to work with you to
protect public health, safety and welfare and to jointly help our community.
Sincerely,
Ludmilla Pavlova-Gillham AIA
President, AIA Massachusetts
His Excellency Charlie Baker
Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Massachusetts State House
24 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02133
Dear Governor Baker,
Thank you for your individual leadership and the tireless work of your administration throughout this COVID-19 crisis. The scope of this pandemic is beyond anything we have experienced in our lifetime, and the architecture community appreciates your steady hand
during this challenging time.
As residents of Massachusetts and leaders of the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA MA), a component of the American Institute of Architects, we stand firmly behind the steps you’ve taken to protect the public; to keep the people of our community safe; and to support workers and businesses alike. The citizens of Massachusetts are resilient when we work together. With smart and steady leadership, we are confident that we will
bounce back stronger than before.
In Massachusetts, architects are entrusted with the responsibility to protect health, safety and welfare in the built environment. We will abide by all public health declarations aimed at minimizing and preventing the spread of COVID-19. As leaders of AIA MA, we stand ready to work with you to overcome this pandemic; to stabilize our communities; and to build a healthy
and equitable future together.
Through rigorous education and experience, licensed architects acquire the critical skills necessary to protect public health, safety and welfare in the built environment. There are currently more than 4,000 licensed architects living in Massachusetts and over 3,400 with reciprocal licenses to practice in the state. Many of these individuals possess extensive experience directing complex public health projects, from initial planning through construction administration, for both public and private clients.
Please see below for several specific ways in which architects can be of assistance:
• Evaluate vacant or underutilized property for temporary hospitals and testing centers
• Assist with documenting and retrofitting the buildings or other facilities identified as viable hospital facilities
• Serve as a resource advisor
Our membership stands ready to assist the Commonwealth in this unprecedented health crisis.
Further, the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry has directly felt the impact of this pandemic. Projects across the country, including critical infrastructure projects, are being delayed and entire offices are closed or requiring employees to work from home. To ensure that essential projects continue to move forward, during construction and in order to
assure a pipeline of future development, we request that you designate architecture as an essential business under certain limited circumstances. This will allow architects to continue protecting public health, safety and welfare in the built environment. Specifically, we ask that in any situation where a general contractor or other construction trade is designated as an
essential business, the architect also be designated as an essential business.
Designating architecture as an essential business will ensure that critical services continue to be
available to the public. The professional services provided by an architect, including construction
observation and administration, are necessary to the successful, timely completion of these essential projects. To ensure that projects continue to meet building codes requirements and the expectations of public owners and clients, architects must be permitted to be on site to perform their contractually required professional services.
Architects throughout Massachusetts stand ready to work with you to slow the spread of COVID-19. Elected leaders like you are keeping Americans healthy and safe, and preparing our
economy to recover fully.
Please contact John Nunnari, Executive Director of AIA MA, jnunnari@architects.org, 617-901-
4685 for more information. We sincerely look forward to this opportunity to work with you to
protect public health, safety and welfare and to jointly help our community.
Sincerely,
Ludmilla Pavlova-Gillham AIA
President, AIA Massachusetts
From (Omeka Classic)
Ludmilla Pavlova-Gillham
To (Omeka Classic)
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker
CC (Omeka Classic)
AIA Members
Accrual Method (Dublin Core)
615