Make your voice heard in Olympia

AIA Washington Council is your advocate in state government, working for you on key issues impacting the architecture community.  The AIA Washington Council Political Action Committee (APC) engages with lawmakers who will champion our advocacy priorities by supporting their campaigns and raising issues important to architects.  APC enables architects to become the voice of the design and construction industry by positively impacting the relationships AIA has with legislators.

But we can’t do it on our own.  Your advocacy is critical for the profession of architecture.  Your contribution to APC will assure that we can have important conversations to advocate for Washington architects’ priorities.  APC provides architects with a strong political voice by investing your donations in candidates who support our issues.

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Message About APC

APC is our aggregated voice advocating for policies and regulations that affect us.  Our support helps shape our future and ensure that, while the world changes and while specific tasks and responsibilities shift, architects continue to play a vital role in shaping our world and providing for the general welfare of our communities.

Brian Carter AIA, CEO and Principal, Integrus Architecture

We provide financial support to the Architecture Political Committee because its work helps secure funding for architectural projects and initiatives throughout the state. The APC also advocates for legislation related to issues that matter to architects, such as climate, energy, and professional practice.

Doug Ito FAIA, Managing Principal, SMR Architects

How We Support Architects + Firms

We support the campaigns of candidates who are working on issues key to architects and the practice of architecture. AIAWA members look at the candidate’s record and positions in the following areas:

Practice Issues

  • Contracts
  • Project delivery
  • Public Private Partnerships
  • Quality Based Selection
  • Condo liability
  • Architect licensing
  • Changes to the Architects Practice Act
  • General business issues

Taxes

  • B&O tax
  • Comprehensive tax reform

Capital Budget

Support robust capital budgets that fully funds projects and proposals to pilot sustainability and other programs on state projects.

Livability + Housing Affordability

  • Robust regional planning
  • Affordable housing
  • Urban density
  • Planning
  • Transportation
  • Growth Management Act

Sustainability

Support efforts to reduce carbon emissions, particularly around the built environment, including:

  • Carbon pricing policies
  • Energy efficient building incentives
  • Programs to fund energy retrofits
  • Electrification
  • Reducing the use of HFCs in refrigerants

 

Codes

Building, energy, and other codes that impact architects’ work, including issues related to the State Building Code Council.

School Construction

  • K-12 school construction, including thresholds for local levies,
  • School construction assistance program,
  • OSPI funding formulas
  • Taxes related to funding public education
  • Stock school plans

Recent Victories

  • Preserved fair A/E compensation in the State Fee Schedule and Guidelines by:
    1. Halting OFM’s expansion of Basic Services
    2. Securing updated hourly rates and cost indices
    3. Ensuring stakeholder input for future fee schedules
    4.  
  • Influence legislation that would impact the practice of architecture, including:
    1. Securing robust capital budget funding (achieved with the aid of federal payments)
    2. Opposing detrimental changes to the State Fee Schedule and Guidelines
    3. Eliminating the Rolling Clock barrier to licensure
  • Support building decarbonization by:
    1. Passing Washington’s first embodied carbon, Buy Clean
    2. Creating an energy efficiency Navigator to assist homeowners and building owners, especially in disadvantaged areas in utilizing rebate and incentive programs.
    3. Passing a budget proviso to study embodied carbon opportunities in WA
  • Endorse measures to increase housing opportunities for all:
    1. Encourage middle housing development by eliminating restrictive single family zones
    2. Support ADU construction within the Urban Growth Boundary
    3. Increasing density and Transit Oriented Development in urban areas
  •  

Make Your Voice Heard

Your contribution to APC will assure that we can have important conversations to advocate for Washington architects’ priorities.

Where is your Donation Spent? All of your contribution goes directly to support candidate campaigns, administrative costs are covered by AIA Washington Council.

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