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: Design the Future: Advancing Technology, Community & Business.
Registration opens Tuesday, September 2.
Celebrating its 38th year, ArchEx has always strived to help push the profession forward.
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.
Thank you to our 2025 Architecture Exchange East sponsors!
Life of the Party
Fire Trol
The Garland Company
The Beauty of Block
Platinum
Duradek MidAtlantic
Decorative Films
Gold
ASSA ABLOY
Dominion Energy
Eden Valders Stone Company
York Building Products
Sherwin Williams
CENTRIA a Nucor company
Longboard Architectural Products
Do you want to be an ArchEx 2025 Sponsor? Secure your sponsorship HERE and/or contact Jody Cranford.