Architects and Engineers Needed for Post-Hurricane Building Evaluations

Dear AIA New York Members:

In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, city, state, and federal agencies have formed a Disaster Housing Task Force ("Task Force"). This Task Force has asked architects and engineers to help with the evaluation of damage to the estimated 35,000 buildings affected by the storm. Damage assessment of these buildings is essential for families to return to their homes and for businesses to reopen.

AIA New York and its Design for Risk and Reconstruction Committee ("DfRR") are therefore looking for registered architects and professional engineers interested in helping.

There are two ways you can become involved:

(1) If you are already trained or certified for such damage assessment by an approved agency, please send us your name, address, AIA member number, and date of certification, or;

(2) If, in order to help, you wish to receive damage assessment training through the New York City Department of Buildings ("NYC DOB"), please send us your name, address, and AIA member number.

Please send responses to dfrr@aiany.org. In your emails, indicate which way (1 or 2) you are interested in becoming involved.

AIA New York will then submit a list of interested professionals to the Mayor's Office and the NYC DOB to advance this effort.

Interested participants should note that training is the first step to becoming involved. AIA New York and DfRR will be working closely with governing officials and response organizers to address liability issues and identify the agencies for which volunteers will work.

Thank you for your interest and support of recovery efforts,

Lance Jay Brown, FAIA, and Illya Azaroff, AIA
Co-chairs, AIANY Design for Risk and Reconstruction Committee

 

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More via the New York Times:

 

Group Recruiting Architects and Engineers to Assess Damage

 

The New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects has reached out to its members to recruit registered architects and professional engineers to help in the daunting challenge of evaluating damage to 35,000 buildings affected by the storm. The chapter is looking both for those who are already certified in damage assessment and for those interested in receiving necessary training through the city Department of Buildings. They are asked to contact the chapter, with their A.I.A. member number, at dfrr@aiany.org. (The e-mail address stands for “design for risk and reconstruction.”)