ICC eNews

AIA Central NY Loses Longtime Member

Robert C. Thompson, R.A., AIA, of Syracuse, New York, passed away in early May at home with his family by his side after a 15-year fight with brain cancer. He was born in Utica, and graduated from the Syracuse University School of Architecture in 1976. He received his MBA from Syracuse University in 1982. After beginning his architectural career with Sargent Webster Crenshaw and Foley, Bob worked as a designer and code consultant for many firms in the area as well as establishing his own practice. From 1989 to 1994, he was the director of design and construction at SUNY Health Science Center. He was a well-respected consultant in building codes and code development and taught courses in these areas at OCC, ESF and the Syracuse Builders Exchange. He retired in 2008 from the NYS Department of State, Codes Division in Albany, New York. He was a longtime member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Central New York.

Thompson, who worked for Ron Piester, New York State Department of State Division of Code Enforcement and Administration Director, and Code Council Board member, also was a winner of the World Standards Day paper contest in 2002. He wrote about New York State’s adoption of the International Codes in his paper, "New York State: Building a Case for Standards." Click here to read his winning paper.

The U.S. event, co-hosted by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), is held annually in Washington, D.C. The World Standards Day celebration began in 1970 to recognize the birth of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and its first meeting, held on October 14, 1946. The purpose of WSD is to raise awareness of the importance of standards and their impact in the global economy. The U.S. World Standards Day Committee consists of more than 50 representatives from standards developing organizations, including the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASTM International, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, Underwriters Laboratories and the International Code Council.