Lucy in the Skyscraper with Diamonds

“We shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us.”— Winston Churchill, May 10, 1941

Amanda Ventura, Editor
Amanda Ventura, Editor

I don’t like to use quotes in my editor letters, but this one is so perfect for my final one to AZRE’s dedicated readers. For the last two years, I have told enough stories to top the Willis Tower two times over. The commercial real estate industry is ever-fascinating, and I will miss being a part of this community through all the various organizations. I will miss pretending to understand golf. And, finally, most importantly, I’ll miss telling your tales and triumphs.

In this issue, you’ll hear from the Arizona Association for Economic Development about the effect of water and education on Arizona’s growth. The Building Owners and Managers Association is weighing in on how to make your buildings smarter — which tech to invest in and which tech to unplug — as well as celebrating the leading properties in its TOBY Awards (pg. 62). The amazing projects don’t stop there. AZRE also profiled the winners of American Institute of Architects’ Arizona Excellence in Design winners (pg. 52).

AZRE is also giving readers a sneak peek into AIA Arizona’s conference about contagious ideas in architecture. When it comes to trend talk, there’s no organization more well-known than Urban Land Institute and its Arizona District Council. In addition to reminiscing about what has happened over the last decade of Trends Days, the ULI-AZ supplement also features an exclusive q-and-a with Executive Director Deb Sydenham. You’ll also find out where your favorite ULI-AZ “Shark Tank” competitors are these days and how the organization is working to build healthier places.

I truly hope you enjoy my last issue! I’ll see you around Hillstone!

amanda-signature
Amanda Ventura, Editor
amanda.ventura@azbigmedia.com