Over 300 members attended Design Day this year at NJIT in Newark. Seminars included finding from structural engineers involved in the Ground Zero salvage effort to urban design.

Edward DePaola, PE and principal of Severud Associates Consulting Engineers spoke on the efforts to clean up Ground Zero and the investigation of the salvaged structural pieces. He presented the basic technical facts of the towers and the collapse, and explained the "phases" of the collapse.

Throughout the day panels of speakers spoke on various issues. The first "Architecture and the Enviroment" discussed how construction is a necessarily destructive act. Existing conditions are disturbed, energy is expended, and materials are removed from one place, refined, finished, and hauled to another. The idea is architecture, to be sustainable, should first be worth sustaining. These ideals are encouraged by green architecture: including building orientation, daylight, natural ventilation, and recycled renewable and local materials.

The day long event is capped off in the evening with a slide show and presentation of the annual Design Day Awards, which recognize outstanding architectural projects design by New Jersey firms and/or built in New Jersey. The awards are given in bronze, silver and gold categories.

Many thank to all of the speakers, volunteers, and committee members who made this year successful.