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 2020Visions for Architecture, Design Forum: In Praise of Shadows, and Architecture Exchange East will be accessible online from anywhere in the world.

This is 2020

Happy 2020! I hope that your year is off to a great start!

I’m very excited about serving as your AIA Virginia president this year. I look forward to working closely with our EVP, Corey Clayborne, his stellar staff of Rhea, Cathy, Keesha, and Judy, and my fellow Board members to accomplish many things in 2020.

Beth Reader, FAIA

I’ve been active in the AIA since I joined in 1991 and am co-founder and principal at Reader & Swartz Architects in Winchester.

Some of the items I’m looking forward to us accomplishing, as a team, in the key areas of governance, education, outreach, advocacy, and member services are:

  • Adopting our Strategic Plan in early 2020. Our new Strategic Plan will act as our roadmap and will guide our Board of Director’s and staff’s work over the next three years.
  • Hosting our always thought-provoking, biennial Design Forum, which is one of my favorite AIA Virginia events. This year’s forum will be held in March in Richmond and will feature Steven Holl as our keynote speaker. Registration is now open!
  • Exploring ways to invigorate and improve our members’ annual Architecture Exchange East experiences. We are always working to enhance the value of this signature event, so if you have any suggestions please send them my way.
  • Launching a digital Inform magazine. It’s been several years since we published a hard copy of Inform, and I’ve missed keeping up with all of the beautiful projects being built around the Commonwealth.
  • Investing in the future of our young professionals by helping our Associate members gain access to ARE prep materials.
  • Advocating for the establishment of a statute of limitations for state projects.
  • Strengthening our connections to AIAS in our universities.
  • Exploring the creation of a new Virginia chapter of NOMA.

Again, I am looking forward to working with the team and our members on these and many more items. If you’d like to share your input, feel free to reach out to me at beth@readerswartz.com

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and professionally fulfilling 2020!

Beth