Mark your calendar for Nov. 2-4, 2022! Reconnect with your industry peers and forge new relationships at Architecture Exchange East. Get inspired by new work, emerging research, and the latest technologies.
Marlon Blackwell Announced as ArchEx Keynote
AIA Virginia is pleased to announce that Marlon Blackwell FAIA, will be a keynote speaker at Architecture Exchange East (ArchEx). Blackwell is the 2020 AIA Gold Medal winner — the AIA’s highest annual honor given to an individual. His talk will be presented live at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts on Friday, Nov. 5, 2021. Audience members will have the option to join the program in person or online. Registration is now open through Nov. 5. See the complete agenda.
More »Architecture Exchange East Sponsors
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(571) 606-7925 | Courtney Ledlow
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Jonathan Moody Announced as ArchEx Keynote
AIA Virginia is pleased to announce that the 2021 Young Architects Award winner and president/CEO of the 2021 AIA Architecture Firm of the Year Jonathan Moody, AIA, will be a keynote speaker at Architecture Exchange East (ArchEx) on Wed., Nov. 3. Registration is now open. See the complete agenda.
More »Signature Events Go Virtual
Things are looking promising on the vaccination front and Virginia is beginning to slowly, but surely, work towards opening back up. As we considered how to deliver our signature programming this year, concerns about how to do so safely (and whether people were ready to face crowds) were at the forefront.
But, as we considered how to best serve you, we kept coming back to one thing: Every event that we were forced to cancel, every celebration that was postponed, will be back on this fall and vying for your time. And, we want to respect that.
After the year we’ve had, celebrations are important. So, we’re keeping our events virtual for 2021 and looking forward to getting together in person in 2022!
Help us design the best experience for you by sharing your preferences in this brief survey. We’d be grateful if you’d complete the survey by Friday, April 23 — it should only take a minute or two.
Hindsight: A Look Back at Foresight 2020
Between Oct. 2 and Nov. 6, the profession came together online for a dynamic exploration of design and to celebrate the people and organizations that shape our world. Let us know what you thought about the program by completing this survey.
In an exciting development, we had more attendees than 2019 – and our audience was more demographically diverse across almost every measure.
Here are a few highlights from the programs.
Architecture Exchange East
ArchEx took place over 3 days in November. Day one explored issues of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Day two did a deep dive into the steps designers must take to address the climate crisis. And, on the last day, we explored the future of the profession through the economy, research, robotics, and resilience.
Design Forum: In Praise of Shadows
The long-awaited Design Forum kicked off with an incredible virtual tour of VCU’s Institute of Contemporary Art on Oct. 29 and was followed by a day-long symposium on light and shadow in design on Nov. 5 headlined by Steven Holl. Although virtual, the program felt somehow intimate.
Kendall Buster 
Herve Descottes and Yves Seban with L’Observetoire 
Kirsten Murray with Olsen Kundig 
Panel Discussion 
Steven Holl 
Roberto Ventura and Herve Descottes 
David Lewis 
Steven Holl 
Kirsten Murray 
Visions for Architecture
On Oct. 8, we celebrated the achievements of those whose work makes especially strong contributions to society though our Honors Awards as well as the winners of our Design Awards program. For the first time, we announced them live at the event. The program also raised $7,000 for the Hampton University Scholarship campaign – and we’d love to raise even more! Please consider making a gift as part of your year-end giving.
YAFCON 2020: The Empathic Architect
Curated by emerging professionals from around the state, YAFCON convened a series of engaging conversations about designing with empathy and practicing with intentionality throughout the last week of October.
Intentional Leadership Panel Discussion 
Ryan Rinn 
Rachel Peterson won our spooky architecture sketch competition 
Michael Spory moderated our Unconventional Clients Panel 
Elgin Cleckly’s inspiring 20×20 session 
Jeff Simmermon’s Storytelling Session
Foresight 2020: The Complete Guide
Foresight 2020 is AIA Virginia’s online event platform featuring its signature programming for 2020, including:
- Visions for Architecture
- YAFCON 2020: The Empathic Architect
- Architecture Exchange East
- Design Forum: In Praise of Shadows
- And, other social events and roundtable discussions
Foresight 2020 programming will be accessible online from anywhere in the world. Nearly every session (except our social events) offers AIA learning units. See the complete Foresight 2020 agenda and speaker list or register online today.
Already registered?
If you’ve already registered, you can join the live event by clicking the link below.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Architecture Exchange East
DAY 1: Design Justice and Impact
Monday, Nov. 2
Featured Sessions
Noah Scalin — ArchEx kicks off with a creative challenge from artist Noah Scalin to re-energize your imagination and creative spirit!
Ace Callwood — JEDI consultant Ace Callwood shares a roadmap for creating a sustainable DEI program in your firm.
Non-Profit Design: General Architecture Collaborative — hear about GAC, a non-profit landscape architecture design firm focused on housing, healthcare, and educational projects that serve underrepresented and developing communities.
Joel Sanders — Hear about MIXdesign — a think tank and design consultancy dedicated to creating designs that respond to the specific needs of traditionally marginalized individuals.
Riding the Vortex: African American Women Architects in Practice — Hear the unique perspectives of the Vortex Collaborators as they reflect upon the issues facing their unique cohort.
DAY 2: The Climate Crisis
Wednesday, Nov. 4
Featured Sessions
Ed Mazria — The founder of the 2030 Challenge and CEO of Architecture 2030 shares the steps designers must take right now to address the climate crisis and create lasting change.
Demystifying the 2030 Commitment: Firm Panel Discussion — Leaders from small, mid-sized and large firms share their research, best practices, and lessons learned.
Andrea Love — Hear about 2017 Young Architects Award winner Andrea Love’s groundbreaking work at Payette and the state-of-the art analytic tools used to minimize the impacts of buildings on the environment.
DAY 3: The Future
Friday, Nov. 6
Featured Sessions
The Economic and Construction Outlook— AIA and Harvard economist Kermit Baker shares his forecast for the industry.
Construction Site Data Automation with Agile Mobile Robots — Hear from Brian Ringley with Boston Dynamics and learn about the latest advancements in robotics.
LMNts: Design Research in Practice — Design research has fueled innovation and has had a profound impact on the practice, culture, and work of LMN Architects.
Resilience and Disaster Planning — Hear lessons learned from an A&E team who quickly responded to the COVID-19 crisis to identify and implement strategies to reduce the risk of virus transmission and build overall organizational resilience at the Institute of Defense Analyses.
Design Forum: In Praise of Shadows
Thursday, Nov. 5
Featured Speakers
Steven Holl, FAIA (Steven Holl Architects | New York, NY)
Steven Holl is widely recognized for his ability to blend space and light with great contextual sensitivity and to utilize the unique qualities of each project to create a concept-driven design.
Kirsten Murray, FAIA (Olson Kundig | Seattle, WA)
Throughout her 30-year tenure at Olson Kundig, Kirsten Murray has created buildings and spaces that strengthen and enrich communities. Long inspired by Scandinavian modernist traditions, her architecture emphasizes warmth, natural materiality, tactility and refinement.
Herve Descottes (L’Observitoire International, New York, NY)
Descottes creates the lighting concepts for all projects designed by L’Observatoire and has been recognized numerous times by the lighting design and architectural community.
David J. Lewis, AIA (LTL Architects, New York, NY)
David Lewis, founding principal of LTL Architects, develops solutions that work within project constraints to inform the design trajectory, exploring opportunistic overlaps between space, program, form, budget, and materials.
YAFCON 2020: The Empathic Architect
DAY 1: Monday, Oct. 26
Join a lunchtime conversation on entrepreneurship and practice models and an evening panel discussion about Intentional Leadership
DAY 2: Tuesday, Oct. 27
Join a lunchtime conversation about non-traditional project financing and an evening panel discussion about Unconventional Clients
DAY 3: Wednesday, Oct. 28
Join a lunchtime conversation about work/life balance and taboo topics and an evening workshop about Active Listening/Effective Storytelling
DAY 4: Thursday, Oct. 29
Join a lunchtime conversation about the impact of the pandemic on EPs and an evening presentation of the 2020 class project from the Emerging Leaders in Architecture
DAY 5: Friday, Oct. 30
Join a lunchtime conversation JEDI issues and an evening PK focused on the topic of “From the Ground Up: Cultivating the Next Generation”
REGISTRATION OPTIONS AND PRICING
Foresight 2020 All Access Pass
Choose this option if you want to do it all! Take your pick of any the sessions in our signature events or join us for everything.
- AIA Member: $140
- Assoc. AIA: $120
- Non-member: $200
- Student: $15
Design Forum: In Praise of Shadows Pass
This ticket gives you access to the Design Forum on Thursday, Nov. 5. The program features Steven Holl, Kirsten Murray, Herve Descottes, David Lewis, and Kendall Buster — plus, a bonus virtual tour of the ICA on Oct. 29!
- AIA Member: $70
- Assoc. AIA: $60
- Non-member: $100
- Student: $10
Architecture Exchange East Pass
We’ve assembled three incredible days of programming for ArchEx. This ticket gives you access to all of the sessions on Monday, Nov. 2, Wednesday, Nov. 4 and Friday, Nov. 6. And, ArchEx registration includes admission to YAFCON 2020, so there’s no need to purchase a separate ticket!
- AIA Member: $70
- Assoc. AIA: $60
- Non-member: $100
- Student: $10
YAFCON 2020 Pass
Virginia’s Young Architects’ Forum (YAF) leaders have curated a week-long event designed to serve emerging professionals. ArchEx admission includes YAFCON, so use this option if you aren’t planning to attend any ArchEx programming.
- AIA Member: $50
- Assoc. AIA: $30
- Non-member: $100
- Student: $10
Visions for Architecture & Social Events Only Pass
We’re offering lots of free programming through Foresight 2020.
- Visions for Architecture
- Firm Roundtables
- Women in Design: Lunch and Conversation
Additional free events may be added, so check our agenda or watch your email for announcements.
Admission to Visions for Architecture and other social events are included free with all the other registration options, so choose this one if you aren’t planning on attending any of the other ticketed programming.
Register online.
ABOUT THE VIRTUAL EXHIBIT HALL and SPONSORS
Check out the latest innovative products, services, and solutions from the industry’s best building product manufacturers in the Foresight 2020 virtual exhibit hall. Be sure to make time to speak with these important supporters of the program.
And, please take a moment to thank our sponsors.
Registration for Foresight 2020 Now Open
Registration for Foresight 2020 is now open.
This virtual event is designed for architects, designers, and industry professionals seeking inspiration and insight. It takes place online Oct. 1–Nov. 7, 2020, and features the following AIA Virginia signature programming:
Design Forum: In Praise of Shadows
featuring Steven Holl, Kirsten Murray, Herve Descottes, David Lewis, and Kendall Buster
Architecture Exchange East
featuring Ed Mazria, Andrea Love, Joel Sanders, Kermit Baker, and many more
YAFCON 2020: The Empathic Architect
featuring a program curated by Virginia’s emerging professionals
Visions for Architecture
featuring a celebration of AIA Virginia’s Honors Awards and a live announcement of our Design Award winners.
Plus, other social events like firm roundtable discussions, facilitated lunch conversations, happy hours, and more. All tickets include access to our virtual exhibit hall.
As we’ve all seen recently — change is inevitable. Be prepared to design the future, instead of catching up to it.
Registration for Foresight 2020 open to all.
Tickets
There are a variety of ways to participate in the program – depending on your interest. Pick one element of the program or join us for everything. Pricing is below.
Visions for Architecture
Visions is free, but registration is required.
Foresight 2020 All Access Pass
This VIP ticket includes everything on the agenda.
- AIA Member: $140
- Assoc. AIA Member: $120
- Non-member: $200
- Student: $15
Architecture Exchange East
Includes all daily programming on Nov. 4 and Nov. 6 and admission to YAFCON (plus a few extras!)
- AIA Member: $70
- Assoc. AIA Member: $60
- Non-member: $100
- Student: $10
Design Forum: In Praise of Shadows
Includes all programming on Thursday, Nov. 5, plus a virtual tour of the ICA on Oct. 29
- AIA Member: $70
- Assoc. AIA Member: $60
- Non-member: $100
- Student: $10
YAFCON: The Empathic Architect
Includes daily programming Oct. 26-30. YAFCON is included free with your ArchEx admission, so there’s no need to register for it separately if you’re going to ArchEx. Use this ticket option if you’re only interested in attending YAFCON.
- AIA Member: $50
- Assoc. AIA Member: $30
- Non-member: $100
- Student: $10
Announcing YAF CON 2020: The Empathic Architect
YAF CON 2020: The Empathic Architect convenes a series of engaging conversations about designing with empathy and practicing with intentionality. Join your fellow emerging professionals the week of Oct. 26–Oct. 30 for a daily series of peer-led discussions over lunch and presentations by purposeful — sometimes unconventional — leaders each evening.
In a continuation of the dialogue from 2019’s Architect of the New Era, we’ve invited driven, purposeful leaders who have taken a human-focused approach to their work, their careers, and their firms.
Delivered through AIA Virginia’s Foresight 2020 event platform, registration for YAF CON 2020: The Empathic Architect is now open.
PROGRAM
Monday, Oct. 26
Intentional Leadership
Tuesday, Oct. 27
Unconventional Clients
Wednesday, Oct. 28
Active Listening/Effective Storytelling
Thursday, Oct. 29
Emerging Leaders in Architecture
Friday, Oct. 30
From the Ground Up: Cultivating the Next Generation
Tickets
AIA Member: $30
Non-member: $50
Student: $10
YAF CON 2020: The Empathic Architect is free for Architecture Exchange East ticket holders.
Love, Mazria Announced as ArchEx Keynote Speakers
AIA Virginia is pleased to announce the first round of keynote speakers for Architecture Exchange East (ArchEx) 2020. On Wednesday, Nov. 4, ArchEx is bringing together internationally recognized leaders in the profession’s efforts to combat the climate crisis — Andrea Love and Ed Mazria.
Edward Mazria, FAIA
Founder and CEO, Architecture 2030
Edward Mazria is an internationally recognized architect, author, researcher, and educator. His seminal research into urbanization, climate change, sustainability, energy consumption, solar energy, and greenhouse gas emissions in the built environment has redefined the role of architecture, planning, design, and building, in reshaping our world. He is the founder and CEO of Architecture 2030, a think tank developing real-world solutions for 21st century problems, and host of the AIA+2030 Professional Education Series, China Accord, the 2030 Districts movement in North American cities, the Zero Tool and Achieving Zero – a framework of incremental building sector actions to ensure a carbon neutral built environment by the year 2050.
This past year, he delivered the Roadmap to Zero Emissions to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – a flexible approach to achieve zero CO2 emissions in the built environment by mid-century. He also issued the 2050 Imperative – a commitment to plan and design to carbon neutral standards – which has been adopted by the International Union of Architects and all regional professional organizations (representing over 1.3 million architects) in 124 countries worldwide.
Andrea Love, AIA, LEED Fellow
Payette – 2019 AIA Architecture Firm of the Year
Andrea Love’s groundbreaking work is helping to define the emerging role of a building scientist. At Payette, she works across projects to bring rigor and state-of-the art analytic tools to minimize the impacts of buildings on the environment. The winner of the 2017 AIA Young Architects Award, Love has helped to nurture a culture of sustainable practices that are now deeply embedded in the firm’s design philosophies.
She leads a number of research projects, and was the Principal Investigator on the 2012 AIA Upjohn Research Initiative-funded “Thermal Performance of Facades.” She also leads the firm’s efforts on the AIA 2030 Commitment, tracking and benchmarking the performance of projects across the firm.
Delivered virtually through AIA Virginia’s Foresight 2020 event platform, ArchEx takes place during the first week of November. Registration opens in late August. Stay tuned for additional announcements.
About Architecture Exchange East
ArchEx is the mid-Atlantic region’s premier conference and expo for architects, engineers, interior designers, landscape architects and planners. This year, the program will be delivered virtually during the first week of November. Each day will focus on a critical theme and will bring together local, national and international leaders to explore the topic.
On Wednesday, Nov. 4, we’ll consider what changes designers must make to respond to the climate crisis.
On Thursday, Nov. 5, the Design Forum: In Praise of Shadows takes center stage.
On Friday, Nov. 6, the program looks to the future to explore emerging business models, technologies, design research, and how the pandemic might impact practice and design.
About Foresight 2020
AIA Virginia’s signature programs for 2020 will be delivered through our virtual event platform Foresight 2020. Visions for Architecture, Design Forum: In Praise of Shadows, and Architecture Exchange East will be accessible online from anywhere in the world.