The Fire Industry Education Resource Organization’s (F.I.E.R.O.*) Fire Station Design Symposium and Fire Facilities Design Awards Program seek to enhance the understanding of fire officials, mayors, city managers, budget directors, architects and others of the functional requirements of a modern fire station and raise a fire department’s expectations regarding the architectural possibilities in a fire facilities design project.
The Hermitage Museum Garden Loos
The Hermitage (c1908) grounds boast of breathtaking vistas out to the expanses of the Lafayette River and Elizabeth River. The Hermitage is a bucolic experience only minutes from downtown and home to a nationally recognized art collection spanning 5,000 years, changing indoor and outdoor exhibitions. Originally a home, the architecture including the associated out-buildings are stunning examples of the American Arts & Crafts movement. The home’s historic carriage house is home to the Visual Arts Studio.
In addition to providing an exceptional context for indoor and outdoor art installations, The Hermitage is heavily sought for weddings and special events including several outdoor festivities and concerts, attracting sizable crowds. What do crowds require? Toilets!
The facility’s needs of the crowds could not be accommodated in the home architecturally, functionally or in a code compliant manner. Even as a single out-building proximate to the events, the provision for publicly accessible restrooms with interior circulation, appropriate lavatory and mirror space required a building footprint that would easily overpower the gentle scale and form of the home and gardens.
The solution is a contextual response to the porta-potty. Creating small code compliant gender inclusive / single use stalls and bundling them to a scale that extends the graceful scale of the grounds. Set in the context of the Hermitage’s renowned English gardens and seamless with the natural woodlands, the new facility was named ‘The Garden Loos.’ The wooded site is also an educational wetland, which presented the design challenges of a major flood zone. The design incorporated flood proof construction for the first three feet above finish floor and flood gates at the two flanking exterior walls, so the building can withstand a major flooding event.
Like a geode, the exterior responds to the context and the interior is full of surprises and delight. A polished stainless-steel wall reflects the garden to those who walk by and is a mirror for guests to enjoy the opportunity for selfies and personal expression, not to mention a bride adjusting her veil! The integration of the Loos into the garden included preserving a brick and ironwork garden wall, a striking feature of the Loos’s interior architecture, where splashes of garden colors create a simple, artistic and memorable interior to each restroom.
The Hermitage Museum Garden Loos
Firm: Hanbury
Project Team: Jane Cady Rathbone, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C and Jeffrey G. Butts, Jr., Assoc. AIA
ArchEx 2025: Call for Presentations
Architecture Exchange East is the annual thought-leadership conference and expo curated by AIA Virginia. The conference will be held Nov. 5-7, 2025, in Richmond at the Richmond Marriott. Our goal is to bring together the brightest minds and most engaging speakers to present talks that are future-focused on a wide range of subjects, to provoke important conversations among design professionals, and to promote networking, relationship building, and collaboration.
This year’s theme is: Design the Future: Advancing Technology, Community & Business.
Today’s architects face unprecedented uncertainty & opportunity: rapidly evolving technologies, shifting global and political reality, the urgent demands of climate change, expanding housing crisis, evolving culture of work, and new markets, delivery types, and client expectations. Our profession is at a crossroads. Yesterday’s answers are no match for today’s challenges. Navigating change while delivering high quality work can feel overwhelming, leaving many wondering how to keep pace and make a meaningful impact in their work and communities?
But there is a way forward. Leaders and organizations are embracing innovation, collaboration, and community engagement, to transform these challenges into opportunities. Leveraging sustainable best practices, adaptive reuse, and emerging technologies, the profession can reimagine not just buildings, but the very fabric of our cities and societies. Through new approaches to practice—drawing on neuroscience, biophilic design, community engagement, and powerful storytelling—architects can create spaces that are resilient, efficient, and truly responsive to the needs of all.
Design the Future: Advancing Technology, Community & Business is your roadmap to a better tomorrow. ArchEx 2025 brings together visionary leaders and practical strategies to help you adapt, thrive, and lead in a rapidly changing world. You’ll gain actionable insights to future-proof your practice, connect with a community of innovators, and discover how to shape a built environment that is sustainable, inclusive, and ready for tomorrow’s challenges. Join us to turn today’s uncertainty into opportunity.
Celebrating its 38th year, ArchEx has always strived to help push the profession forward. We are looking for exciting and engaging topics and speakers to make this year unforgettable.
We value sessions that encourage conversation, connections, and collaborative learning. Think workshops, roundtables, tours, and interactive panels. Many of our session slots will be 60 minutes, but we can consider reserving longer time slots for more in-depth explorations.
To propose an offering, complete and submit the Presentation Proposal Form by April 30, 2025. Your proposal will be reviewed, and you will be contacted no later than July 2025. Incomplete forms will not be accepted.
Requirements
- Submit a completed proposal form online
- Proposals must be received by the deadline date.
- Expert speakers with public speaking experience are preferred
- Presentation content must be sufficient for the proposed length of the session
Deadline is 11:59 p.m., April 30, 2025
Decision Process
All proposals are evaluated by AIA Virginia’s Education Advisory Council to ensure they address the educational needs of the audience and that the program is well-balanced. The submission review process will begin in May and will continue until the end of June.
If you would like to be a part of the Education Advisory Council and help shape the ArchEx program, please contact Delaney Ogden at dogden@aiava.org.
Suggestions and Questions
Suggestions for potential speakers or questions about the conference can be directed to Delaney Ogden, Director of Education at dogden@aiava.org.
Topics of interest include (but aren’t limited to):
- Design the Future
- Shaping the Built Environment for a Resilient Tomorrow
- Focus on cutting edge technology, sustainable best practices, innovative business structures to transform the industry.
- Explores how to leverage advancements to create more efficient, resilient, & responsible firms, buildings, & communities.
- Decarbonization, electrification, adaptive reuse, and sustainable materials in response to climate change.
- Evolving Practice/Business
- New technologies, evolving client needs, increasing importance of collaboration, innovations in work / office / practice.
- How emerging technologies like AR, VR, Metaverse are reshaping architectural practice and spatial experiences.
- Provides insight and strategies to adapt and thrive in a dynamic environment.
- How neuroscience, psychology, & biophilic design influence architectural practice.
- How architects can use narrative, visualization, and branding to communicate ideas, win projects, and inspire action.
- Architecture of Space: designing for human habitation beyond Earth.
- Architecture beyond space: what design for virtual worlds will look like.
- Community
- Building a More Inclusive and Just World Through Architecture
- Emphasizes the importance of designing with and for communities, focusing on equity, accessibility, and social impact.
- Explores how architects can engage with diverse stakeholders to create spaces that meet the needs of all users and contribute to a more just and equitable society.
- Future of Housing/City/Life
- New models to address housing crises through design, policy, and technology.
- The 15-Minute City: Rethinking Urban Design for a Post-Pandemic World. Creating walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods that promote sustainability, equity, and well-being.
- Adaptive Reuse & Historic Preservation
- Balancing sustainability, heritage, and innovation in reimagining existing spaces.
- Tours — Projects of interest, in progress or recently completed, restoration, redevelopment, urban planning, art installations, artist studios, creatives, historical architecture, etc.
- Tours/experiences of cultural, historical, and artistic interest
We’re curating a dynamic lineup of sessions to help architects, firms, educators, etc. to navigate rapid change while making a meaningful impact. Whether you’re working at the intersection of design and technology, engaged in community-led practice, or reimagining the future of housing or cities—we’d love to hear your voice.
We encourage interactive presentations (panel discussion, live Q&A/audience participation, slide show/visual presentation etc.) and those that qualify for HSW credit. We encourage presentations to tie to this year’s theme of – Design the Future: Advancing Technology, Community & Business.
2025 General Assembly Bills: Monitoring
AIA Virginia is watching bills placed in this category. Often, we are watching bills because they are of interest and we want to remain informed. When this is the case, it is often another organization taking the lead due to its specific expertise and political relationships. If amendments are introduced that make a bill in this category detrimental to our profession, then it is moved to the SUPPORT or OPPOSE list and we engage. There are some bills that AIA Virginia does not take a position on. An example of this would be bills that define “small business”. Because of the composition of our membership, we would not want to take action that would hurt any of our members.
If you have any questions, please contact Paul Battaglia, AIA at pbattaglia@aiava.org
HB 1561 – Classification of land and improvements for tax purposes; localities.
Status: Failed
HB 1570 – Virginia Public Procurement Act; project labor agreements.
Status: Failed
HB 1579 – License taxes; local gas road improvement and Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority tax; sunset.
Status: In Committee
HB 1580 – Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Fund; Tobacco Region Revolving Fund; eligible localities; Planning District 4.
Status: Failed
HB 1616 – Offshore Wind Industry Workforce Program and Fund; established, report, sunset.
Status: Passed House
HB 1658 – Board of Housing and Community Development; USBC; stakeholder group to evaluate temperature regulation.
Status: Failed
HB 1708 – Access to Housing Task Force; report.
Status: Failed
HB 1743 – License taxes; deduction for out-of-state receipts, effective date, report.
Status: In Committee
HB 1755 – Sales and use tax on services and digital personal property.
Status: Failed
HB 1789 – Procurement; cancellation of bids.
Status: Failed
HB 1822 – Electric utilities; construction of certain electrical transmission lines, advanced conductors.
Status: In Committee
HB 1835 – Geologists; regulation, licensure, penalty.
Status: In Committee
HB 1866 – Corporate income tax; sourcing of sales other than sales of tangible personal property.
Status: Failed
Notes
2025 monitor: would affect various member firms variously; “market-based sourcing” = the destination of the service revenue, rather than where the revenue was earned, is the relevant location, as regards taxation
HB 1963 – Virginia Military Community Infrastructure Grant Program; guidance and criteria for awarding grants.
Status: Passed House
HB 2000 – Dam Safety Act; powers and duties of DCR, rights and requirements of dam owners, civil penalty.
Status: Passed House
Notes
2025 monitor: providing multiple technical amendments to improve bill
HB 2024 – Virginia Public Procurement Act; environmental protection and product safety standards.
Status: Passed House
Notes
2025 monitor: generally support approach; intended to apply to specific issue/manufacturer
HB 2046 – High-risk artificial intelligence; development, deployment, and use by public bodies, report.
Status: In Committee
Notes
2025 monitor: need to exclude design services? private consultants incorporated into public body through contract
HB 2050 – Occoquan Reservoir PFAS Reduction Program; established.
Status: In Committee
HB 2059 – Virginia’s Great Outdoors Act; land preservation distributions and appropriations.
Status: Failed
HB 2094 – High-risk artificial intelligence; development, deployment, and use, civil penalties.
Status: In Committee
Notes
2025 monitor: need to exclude design services?
HB 2150 – Virginia Public Procurement Act; contract terms inconsistent with Virginia law.
Status: In Committee
Notes
2025 monitor: does not apply to pro services as written, but establishes good/useful precedent
HB 2212 – Stormwater management regulations; localities outside Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Status: Failed
HB 2331 – Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas; acceptance of signed & sealed plan in lieu of local plan review.
Status: Failed
Notes
2025 monitor: opposed by others; asking for substitute language as geologists and soil scientists are not trained, educated, and tested to prepare site plans; might allow bypass of municipal review, which is a basic requirement for minimum CBPA code compliance; await substitute offered to allay concerns
HB 2426 – Small renewable energy projects; amends definition, permit by rule.
Status: In Committee
HB 2503 – Virginia coordinate systems; federal updates.
Status: Passed House
Notes
2025 monitor: providing clarifications to improve bill
HB 2533 – Counties, cities, and towns; comprehensive plan may include use of accessory dwelling units.
Status: In Committee
HB 2537 – Energy storage requirements; Department of Energy, et al., to develop model ordinances, reports.
Status: In Committee
Notes
2025 monitor: patrick can have PEs (EE and FPE) included in workgroup
HB 2570 – Uniform Statewide Building Code; installation of natural gas leak detectors in residential building.
Status: Failed
HB 2572 – Direct experience recruitment policy; DHRM to develop a statewide policy.
Status: Incorporated
HB 2588 – Virginia Public Procurement Act; discrimination prohibited, military spouse-owned businesses.
Status: Failed
HB 2641 – Statewide housing targets; requires localities to increase their total housing stock.
Status: In Committee
HB 2676 – Electric utilities; renewable energy definition and facilities.
Status: Failed
HB 2682 – Building permit and certificate of occupancy processes; work group to identify certain changes.
Status: Failed
HB 2693 – Electric utilities; regulation, development of renewable energy facilities.
Status: Failed
HB 2711 – Water & wastewater utilities; eligible infrastructure replacement and enhancement.
Status: Passed House
HB 2741 – Va. Public Procurement Act; local public bodies to issue an invitation to bid for small purchases.
Status: Failed
Notes
2025 monitor: pro services; lines 67ff, 73ff
HB 2781 – Affordable housing; counties with executive form of government.
Status: Passed House
SB 757 – Trespass with an unmanned aircraft system; contracted defense facility, penalty.
Status: In House
SB 769 – Consumer Data Protection Act; controller privacy notice; cookies; consumer consent.
Status: Failed
SB 788 – Workers’ compensation; injuries caused by repetitive and sustained physical stressors.
Status: Failed
SB 803 – Workers’ compensation; injuries caused by repetitive and sustained physical stressors.
Status: Incorporated
SB 826 – Predetermination for licensing eligibility; prior convictions.
Status: In Committee
SB 839 – Zoning; by-right multifamily development in areas zoned for commercial use.
Status: Failed
SB 857 – Dam Safety Act; powers and duties of DCR, rights and requirements of dam owners, etc.
Status: In Committee
Notes
2025 monitor: providing multiple technical amendments to improve bill
SB 962 – Virginia Public Procurement Act; competitive sealed bidding.
Status: In Committee
Notes
2025 monitor: ensure bill continues to apply to construction/sealed build projects, and excludes professional services
SB 1173 – Virginia coordinate systems; updates several references in Code.
Status: In Committee
Notes
2025 monitor: providing clarifications to improve bill
SB 1180 – Workforce Development and Advancement, Department of; powers and duties.
Status: Failed
SB 1214 – High-risk artificial intelligence; development, deployment, and use by public bodies, report.
Status: Passed Senate
SB 1218 – Labor and employment; covenants not to compete prohibited, low-wage employees, exceptions, civil pen
Status: In Subcommittee
SB 1299 – Workers’ compensation; compensation to dependents or beneficiaries of an employee killed.
Status: In Committee
SB 1342 – Low income households; Dept. of Energy to identify barriers to reducing energy-related costs.
Status: In Committee
SB 1434 – Solar photovoltaic project; decisions of localities, regional energy plans.
Status: Incorporated
SB 1456 – Income tax, corporate; sourcing of sales other than sales of tangible personal property.
Status: Failed
Notes
2025 monitor: would affect various member firms variously; “market-based sourcing” = the destination of the service revenue, rather than where the revenue was earned, is the relevant location, as regards taxation
SB 1477 – Disaster Assistance Fund; established.
Status: Failed
SB 1491 – School crossing zones; institutions of higher education.
Status: Passed Senate
SJ 260 – Transportation infrastructure; JLARC to study Department of Transportation’s policies and funding.
Status: Failed
Counts: HB: 37 HJ: 0 SB: 18 SJ: 1
2024 By the Numbers
Thanks to our volunteer leaders and collaborators, here’s what we accomplished in 2024.
2,582 members of AIA Virginia (2.3% increase over 2023)
98 new architecture graduates joined for free
26 associates became licensed architects
204 attendees at the Virginia Design Forum XVI (30 year anniversary!)
391 attendees at our annual convention (Architecture Exchange East)
86 professional development courses offered to our members
3,707 AIA LUs credited to our members
6 firm-size and career-stage roundtables met twice
5 member townhalls – one in each local chapter area of the Commonwealth
15+ visits with legislators on Capitol Hill
8 members appointed by the governor to serve on boards and committees
Met with ALL of the Virginia delegates and senators at caucuses
6 individuals or firms honored with AIA Virginia Honors
19 firms honored with Awards for Excellence in Architecture (Design Awards)
5 programs of architecture included in the AIA Virginia Student Prize competition (now open to non NAAB-accredited programs)
4 members elevated to Fellowship
25 Associate members supported on the path to licensure with discounted Amber Book subscriptions
15 members and students participated in the 15th annual Emerging Leaders in Architecture leadership development program
1 foundation launched (AIA Virginia Foundation) to serve our members and industry
Want to get involved in the work of AIA Virginia? email us at info@aiava.org
2025 ArchEx Sponsorships
Updates from the Roundtables
The Firm Size and Career Stage roundtables met virtually last month. Read about what was discussed and plan to join us in person for the next meeting of the roundtables at ArchEx, Nov. 6-8 in Richmond.
Thank you to our Roundtable Chairs for their dedication and service to these discussions.
Large Firm Roundtable – Charles Piper, AIA
Mid-Size Firm Roundtable – Andrew McKinley, AIA
Small Firm Roundtable – Maggie Schubert, AIA
Emerging Professional Roundtable – Carrie Parker, AIA
Mid-Career Roundtable – Shawn Mulligan, AIA
Late-Career Roundtable – Mitch Rowland, AIA
Architecture Exchange East (ArchEx) 2024: Save the Dates + NEW Location
Please save the dates for AIA Virginia’s annual Architecture Exchange East that will take place at the Richmond Marriott in Richmond, VA this November 6-8, 2024!
Architecture Exchange East (ArchEx) is AIA Virginia’s annual signature educational event which brings together architects and designers to deliver a highly-curated program of educational sessions. The event features an exhibit hall showcasing the latest products and services from vendors, suppliers, and consultants. Attendees can earn all or most of the 18 required continuing education credits over the course of the three-day program. It also serves as the largest annual networking event for Virginia-based architects. The event also allows architects and educators to share their research and case studies.
Registration will open after Labor Day 2024 and the hotel room block will be available after registration opens.
Join Us and Become a Sponsor
2024 Tabletop & Networking OPPORTUNITIES
Click to view Sponsorship Options
Secure your tabletop and networking package early! Space is limited to 38 Sponsors.
Live engagement is more important than ever.
ArchEx sponsors will have an unparalleled opportunity to connect with Virginia architects through personal engagement during this 2-day event. Our refreshing, new approach provides the ability to problem solve side-by-side with architects, immersing your sales team in ongoing facilitated workshop discussions, breakout sessions, tours, group dining, social gatherings, and multiple celebrations.
This is an opportunity to TRULY engage! Need more information? Contact: Jody Cranford, Sponsorship and Advertising Consultant, jcranford@aiava.org
Secure your ArchEx 2024 Sponsorship>>
2021 VCC Significant Changes Event (Charlottesville)
Overview of the Tax Code Section 179D
Sorry. This form is no longer available.