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May 8, 2025 • AIA Brooklyn
Owners vs. Architects: Key Strategies for Contract Negotiation
6:00 pm–8:30 pm
FX Collaborative
8th Floor
235 Duffield Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Attention principals, partners, and those of you who would like to be…
Running a firm? Think you might like to someday? Then this presentation is for you.
A solid agreement between owner and architect resides at the center of every successful project.
Our work with owners constitutes the ultimate merger in physical form: we all want to see the building or project to get built, but owners and architects typically have different agendas. In order to secure financing and investors, owners need a firm understanding of costs upfront with an obvious goal to hold those numbers to a minimum, whereas architects want to ensure that their contract allows for a degree of artistic freedom and innovation alongside the requisite technical precision and municipal approvals.
This presentation by Robert Herman and Hope Plasha, both veteran attorneys in this field, will provide you with strategies for these critical negotiations. Topics for discussion will include fee structures and schedules, owner’s and architect’s obligations, staffing and consultants, responsibilities and liabilities, intellectual property and construction administration.
The presentation will be followed by a lively Q & A, so bring your questions.
Hope Plasha has a broad-based national law practice covering all aspects of real estate law, including acquisitions and sales, construction and design contracts, development and leasing, and all manners of complex real estate financing. She also serves as an outside general council for real estate for a large multinational corporation, and she has supported the real estate goals of numerous not-for-profit institutions in the cultural, educational and medical sectors. She has received numerous awards within the legal and real estate fields. Hope is an alumna of Columbia University, she earned her j.d. from Yale, and she also holds a degree from the University of Oxford.
Robert Herrmann Chairs Offit Kurman’s New York Construction Law Practice. He represents design professionals, and other construction-related firms and privately held businesses. He acts as general counsel to a number of architects, landscape architects, interior designers, lighting designers, engineers, owners, developers, and contractors, advising them on general business matters and representing them in litigation, arbitration and mediation. Bob is a graduate of Yale College and Columbia University School of Law. Bob teaches at the Architecture schools of both Columbia University and the Pratt Institute. Bob is also the lead author of Law for Architects: What You Need to Know published by W.W. Norton.
1.5 Learning Units. Light refreshments will be served. RSVP early – registration will close on May 7th at noon.

RSVP
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May
May 6, 2025
He, She, They, Architect: A Gender and Identity Open Mic Forum (Hybrid)
6:00 pm–8:00 pm
Hybrid - Zoom / AIANY Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Pl, New York, NY 10012
In this third segment of The Howl series, designers are invited to share personal perspectives on gender and identity. Gender and identity have always played a role in the way the most seminal designers and their careers came into being. To set the stage for an evening of storytelling, The Howl 3 will be launched with clips of filmed interviews and readings of personal stories shared by Sheila Bridges, Zaha Hadid, Philip Johnson, and Frank Lloyd Wright.
As the evening progresses, moderators Abriannah Aiken and Matthew Bremer, AIA, will draw audience members into the conversation, inviting people to share their views and experiences. As both a live and virtual forum, the event allows for spontaneous participation at the Center for Architecture, at work, or at home.
Attendees will earn 2 LU.

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May 8, 2025 • AIA Brooklyn
On the Menu: How Does That Sound? Creative Freedom Through Targeted Acoustics
12:00 pm–1:00 pm
Zoom
As architects, we are always concerned with how our projects look, but how do they sound? Controlling the character and level of sound within our spaces is critical to their utility and enjoyment.
Join the experts at CertainTeed as they inform us about industry standards for acoustical measurements, appropriate sound levels and frequencies in a range of program types and the many ways to shape sound in a space.
Grab lunch at your desk and pick up 1 HSW learning unit at the same time.

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May 8, 2025 • AIA Brooklyn
Owners vs. Architects: Key Strategies for Contract Negotiation
6:00 pm–8:30 pm
FX Collaborative
8th Floor
235 Duffield Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Attention principals, partners, and those of you who would like to be…
Running a firm? Think you might like to someday? Then this presentation is for you.
A solid agreement between owner and architect resides at the center of every successful project.
Our work with owners constitutes the ultimate merger in physical form: we all want to see the building or project to get built, but owners and architects typically have different agendas. In order to secure financing and investors, owners need a firm understanding of costs upfront with an obvious goal to hold those numbers to a minimum, whereas architects want to ensure that their contract allows for a degree of artistic freedom and innovation alongside the requisite technical precision and municipal approvals.
This presentation by Robert Herman and Hope Plasha, both veteran attorneys in this field, will provide you with strategies for these critical negotiations. Topics for discussion will include fee structures and schedules, owner’s and architect’s obligations, staffing and consultants, responsibilities and liabilities, intellectual property and construction administration.
The presentation will be followed by a lively Q & A, so bring your questions.
Hope Plasha has a broad-based national law practice covering all aspects of real estate law, including acquisitions and sales, construction and design contracts, development and leasing, and all manners of complex real estate financing. She also serves as an outside general council for real estate for a large multinational corporation, and she has supported the real estate goals of numerous not-for-profit institutions in the cultural, educational and medical sectors. She has received numerous awards within the legal and real estate fields. Hope is an alumna of Columbia University, she earned her j.d. from Yale, and she also holds a degree from the University of Oxford.
Robert Herrmann Chairs Offit Kurman’s New York Construction Law Practice. He represents design professionals, and other construction-related firms and privately held businesses. He acts as general counsel to a number of architects, landscape architects, interior designers, lighting designers, engineers, owners, developers, and contractors, advising them on general business matters and representing them in litigation, arbitration and mediation. Bob is a graduate of Yale College and Columbia University School of Law. Bob teaches at the Architecture schools of both Columbia University and the Pratt Institute. Bob is also the lead author of Law for Architects: What You Need to Know published by W.W. Norton.
1.5 Learning Units. Light refreshments will be served. RSVP early – registration will close on May 7th at noon.

RSVP
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May 15, 2025 • AIA Brooklyn
AIA Brooklyn “Ask Me Anything” on Leadership
6:30 pm–8:30 pm
FXCollaborative, 235 Duffield Street Brooklyn, NY 11201
Join AIA Brooklyn at an “Ask Me Anything” Event
Emerging professionals and seasoned architects alike, join us in our upcoming “Ask Me Anything” forum focused on Leadership – Serve to Emerge and discover how leadership and service are an integral part of professional growth and success. This event brings together five distinguished leaders whose diverse experiences offer valuable insights for every stage of your architectural career.
Arrive early to enjoy light refreshments and snacks before diving into an enriching discussion on leadership and professional growth.
Learning objectives include;
– Leadership and burnout prevention
– Internal challenges for emerging leaders
– External challenges and leadership principles
– Resources and support that help open doors for career opportunities
AIA Brooklyn President Marshall Shuster, AIA will kick off the event and welcome the five accomplished and service-minded leaders, ready to answer your questions.
Panelists:
- Emily Grandstaff-Rice, FAIA – 2023 AIA National President and Associate Principal who champions design excellence and equity while fostering community
- Debra Inwald, AIA – Founder of Works-in-Progress Associates with 47 years of architectural experience
- Bassam Komati, AIA – Partner at Rafael Viñoly Architects leading international projects across four continents
- Jackie Velez, AIA – Founder of award-winning JMV Associates and former AIA Queens Chapter President
- Willy Zambrano, FAIA – 2024 AIA New York State President with 30+ years of experience in resilient, sustainable design
Don’t miss this opportunity to ask anything and take away everything you need to enhance your architectural leadership journey.
AIA Brooklyn’s AMA series connects experienced architects from diverse backgrounds with professionals at all career stages to share insights on mentorship, career development, and navigating the pathways for sustaining the built environment.
All tickets are first-come first-served basis. Registration ends at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, May 14.
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6:00 pm He, She, They, Architect: A Gender and Identity Open Mic Forum (Hybrid)

12:00 pm On the Menu: How Does That Sound? Creative Freedom Through Targeted Acoustics 6:00 pm Owners vs. Architects: Key Strategies for Contract Negotiation

6:30 pm AIA Brooklyn "Ask Me Anything" on Leadership

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