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.