Veazey was also presented with the NCARB President’s Medal for Distinguished Service at the Annual Meeting. He was honored for his significant contributions to the protection of the public’s health, safety, and welfare through his service to NCARB and to the practice of architecture.

Veazey was first elected to the NCARB Board of Directors by his colleagues from the Mid- Central Conference (representing the U.S. jurisdictions of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin) as the Region 4 director from 2005-2007. The Council as a whole recognized his leadership skills by electing him secretary in 2007, treasurer in 2008, and second vice president in 2009.

For more than 25 years, Veazey has been a proactive member of numerous Council committees. He is currently the chair of the Transition Task Force, which is in charge of finding the next chief executive officer of the Council. He has also served as co-chair of the Intern Development Program (IDP) Coordinating Committee; Board liaison to the Member Board Executives Committee, the Committee on the IDP, and the Committee on Professional Conduct; and member of the most recent Practice Analysis Task Force.

Veazey’s long commitment to the Architect Registration Examination^® (ARE^®), the multi-division test developed by NCARB and taken by all candidates seeking architectural registration in the United States, began in 1993 when he served on the ARE Design Grading Committee. In 1994, he was named to the ARE Subcommittee to write questions for the Construction Services & Documents division. By 2000, Veazey was assigned to the ARE Grading Subcommittee, where he served as a member and then chair, from 2002-2004.

Veazey’s commitment to the profession goes beyond his work with NCARB. He served as a member of the Indiana Board of Registration for Architects and Landscape Architects for 15 years, and was chair of the board from 1993- 1994 and from 1997-1999.

As the architects for the interior fit-out, furniture and finishes on the new arena, collaborating with POPULOUS, VPS has been working diligently on the interior design and materials specification portion of the project for over a year now.  Due to be completed in 2011, the Evansville Arena will have a capacity of 11,000 seats and will play host to basketball and hockey games, as well as music concerts and other special events.

If you are in the area don’t hesitate to come visit us here at VPS and share in the progress. We would be honored to show you the latest renderings!

Main Street storefronts prior to demolition

Demolition of the north wing of the old Executive Inn

Refuse from old Main Street storefronts

Start of foundation work on the new downtown arena

Ongoing earthwork for the new downtown arena

It’s finally finished. The brand new VPS Architecture web site has officially launched and I am proud that our past projects … and the people who made them happen … have been captured with new photography and updated text. Since the early 1990’s our mission to create innovative, environmentally sustainable spaces and places has been unwavering. As I look at the new web site I am reminded how the services VPS Architecture provides to its clients and communities produce long-term value for all of us.

So I invite you to take a few minutes and have a look at the site. Visit our projects. Get to know our people. And please don’t forget to check out the VPS Blog from time to time. Here you will find frequently updated communication on important and timely topics. Environmentally sensitive building systems, interior design, urban planning, and architectural innovation are our lifeblood and we hope you enjoy the regular posts made by me, Scott Veazey, George Link, Sarah Schuler, and other professionals here at VPS Architecture.

VPS Architecture in Evansville is pleased to report that its Indiana school partners have been awarded nearly $6 million in Qualified School Construction Bonds (QSCB). These funds have been made available for school modernization and construction from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (stimulus funds). Of the nearly $53 million awarded in Indiana as of the 4th of August, VPS will be providing design services for more than 10% of Indiana’s awarded funds, with several other school partners still awaiting approval of their projects.

The school modernization efforts are in Scott County School District 2, Seymour Community Schools, and Richland Bean-Blossom Community School Corporation. Projects include the repair of building roofs, the improvement of safety and security of buildings including replacement of doors and hardware, the replacement of outdated mechanical equipment with efficient energy-saving equipment, and the renovation of an existing vocational building to meet the needs of a new Tech High School curriculum. By providing a “project based learning” experience that emphasizes technology, The Tech High School will prepare today’s high school student for the new economy.

VPS Architecture is proud to have provided conceptual plans and construction cost budgets for public discussion of these important projects.

VPS Architecture was awarded a grant from the Indiana Department of Energy to install an array of solar photovoltaic panels on the roof of our building at Sixth and Main. The state requires grant recipients to match its grant with an equal or larger financial contribution to the project.

In April of 2009, Morton Energy placed 36 solar panels on the roof of VPS’ Evansville offices. The panels are sized at three feet by five feet and can produce about 195 watts each. In the most favorable conditions, between late morning and early afternoon on sunny days, the cells will generate slightly more than 7,000 total watts of electricity, according to Brad Morton, president of Morton Energy. Morton has worked with VPS on other sustainable projects, including the new Ohio Township Library in Newburgh, a building that also utilizes photovoltaic panels to generate electricity.

About half of the electricity that VPS uses on a daily basis can be drawn from the new solar cells. “We are trying to walk the walk and not just talk the talk,” says Michael Shoulders, CEO of VPS Architecture. “We want to educate our clients about the advantages of clean energy and renewable resources.” When asked about the economic payback on the new solar system, Shoulders remarked, “We didn’t install the system for a quick payback. We installed it because, for us, we felt it was the right thing to do.”

Whatever is generated from the PV solar panels will not be stored in batteries, but will be sent directly to the Vectren electrical grid. VPS will be credited for every kilowatt it contributes and its utility bill will be lowered accordingly. On very sunny days, VPS’ electric meter will actually spin backwards. “That is way cool,” says Shoulders.

The Boston Marathon is not for sissies. With rigorous qualifying requirements, Boston’s entrants are among the world’s running elite. Jeff Alvey, VPS architectural technician for over 21 years, completed his second Boston event this year and, at the same time, set a personal marathon record best.

The second largest single day sporting event in the world, behind only the Super Bowl, the Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon. With the exclusion of the Olympics and various championship races, Boston is the only marathon in the USA that maintains strict qualifying times and running requirements. The requirements generally state that a runner must have completed a qualifying marathon within the year and a half before the upcoming Boston Marathon event.
The first qualifying event for Skinner Alvey was the Memphis Marathon in 2007, which qualified him for his first Boston Marathon in 2008. This year, on April 21, Jeff participated in the 113th running of the Boston Marathon, finishing with a time of 3:11:10, placing him 2,925th overall out of the 22,849 finishers and 450th out of 2,178 in his age division. This was Jeff’s fifth marathon, second Boston Marathon and a personal record.

The 2009 Boston race highlights included third place finishes by both an American male and female (Ryan Hall and Sara Goucher, both Olympians) for the first time since 1985 and four-time Boston Marathon winner Bill Rodgers, now 61, running his first Boston in a decade. Jeff’s personal highlight of the trip was meeting and talking with American distance runner and 1972 Olympic gold medalist Frank Shorter. “Shorter is a living legend,” said Alvey.

Skinner’s marathons include the two Boston Marathons, plus Chicago, Memphis and the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. Jeff’s running accomplishments are truly amazing, and all at VPS are proud to know him.

Canstruction® combines the competitive spirit of a design competition with a unique way to help feed the hungry of the Tri-State area. The event includes competing teams, led by architects, engineers and contractors, who showcase their talents by designing and building giant sculptures made entirely of canned foods, all within a 10’ x 10’x 8’ high space.

“Got Soup?” – the VPS entry – was voted the Juror’s Favorite, winning first place, for Evansville’s first annual Canstruction® competition held at Washington Square Mall this spring. The VPS/St. Paul’s Episcopal Team landed the first place competition award, as well as the Structural Integrity Award. The participants who worked on our team were Emily Phillips (Team Captain), Father Richard Gobold, Roger and Mary Winstead, Robert Ratcliff, Dave Black, Sarah Schuler, Anna Beth Pfafflin, Madeline LaPlante and Jeanie Hadra.

The winning entry was made out of approximately 1,277 cans of Campbell soup, canned chicken breast and beef stew. The structure consisted of a seven foot diameter soup bowl with a large spoon extending out of it, directly referencing the hunger that exists in our area. The judges cited structural innovation, three-dimensionality, good use of labels in the composition, and integration of design criteria as their reasons for awarding the two top prizes to “Got Soup?”

Other teams who were part of the competition included the University of Evansville, the best use of labels award; Vectren, the best meal award; and Alcoa, the most cans used award. At the close of the exhibition, all of the canned food items, used to create the structures, were donated to the Tri-State Food Bank. Thanks to everyone who participated and supported this important event to help feed the hungry in our community.

To learn more about Canstruction® visit http://www.canstruction.org/.