Blogs

Small Firm Guide to AIA26

By Scott Busby, AIA posted 4 days ago
WEDNESDAY JUNE 10 First-Timers Orientation: AIA Conference on Architecture and Design 8:30am-9:30am EV100 Practical AI for Every Architect, hosted by Technology in Architectural Practice-SYMPOSIUM 9:00am-5:00pm STM100 Balancing Business, Risk & Resilience in Running Your Own Firm 10:00am -11:30am WK107 Financial Strategies for Fostering Your Firm's Success 11:30am-12:30pm SE113 AIA Annual Business Meeting 1:30PM-3:30PM EV101 The Nuts & Bolts of Succession Planning 2:00PM-3:00PM SE231 AIA Opening Night Party ($75.00) 8:00PM-10:00PM Hilton San Diego Bayfront THURSDAY JUNE 11 Big Firm/Little Firm: Designing ...

COD Spring Conference 2026 Featured Speaker: Joseph Valerio, FAIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 6 days ago
As a founding principal of VDTA, Joe’s architectural expertise positions him as a leader and innovator in the design world. He is inspired by data driven design. At the same time, he is fascinated by designs open to multiple interpretations – in other words, ambiguous. Early in his career he was a committed teacher and researcher, becoming an Associate Professor of Architecture. His work has received six national AIA Awards, 33 Chapter Awards, and 62 major articles in professional journals. Most recently, the Ford Calumet Environmental Center (FCEC) won first place in the “Driehaus Award for Architectural Excellence in Community Design,” and an AIA Chicago Chapter ...

COD Spring Conference 2026 Featured Speaker: Carol Ross Barney, FAIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 6 days ago
Carol Ross Barney, FAIA, HASLA, the distinguished 2023 American Institute of Architects Gold Medal recipient, is a visionary architect, urbanist, mentor, and educator, and has relentlessly advocated that excellent design is a right, not a privilege. Through her unwavering dedication to design of public buildings and spaces that elevate our daily lives, she has produced distinctive structures and places that have become cultural icons. Notable projects include the design of the Oklahoma City Federal Building, replacing the bombed Murrah Federal Building, the Chicago Riverwalk, flagship restaurants for McDonald's in Chicago and Disney World, NASA Aerospace ...

COD Spring Conference 2026 Featured Speaker: Jonathan Moody, FAIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 6 days ago
Jonathan Moody, FAIA, NOMA, NCARB, LEED AP, Fitwel, is CEO of Moody Nolan, the largest African American–owned architecture firm in the United States. With nearly 20 years at the firm, Jonathan’s work resides at the intersection of architecture and service—bringing transformational design to under-served communities. He believes architecture is a medium through which people can come together and participate in positive social change. Most recently, he has worked on a variety of civic, sports, education, healthcare, and institutional projects. Jonathan has helped continue to extend Moody Nolan’s position as the largest African American owned architecture ...

IAKC March Letter from the chair: Candice Rabovsky, AIA & Bob Dillon, AIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 8 days ago
Hello everyone, As mentioned last month we have a lot planned for 2026! We met with AIA Interior Architecture local chapters from around the country during our February Knowledge Sharing Salon to talk about past successes and future goals. Join us on March 17 th for another great conversation. On March 19th we also have our first IAKC sponsored CEU of the year entitled “ Engineering Equity: The Design Process and Outcomes of the University of Washington's Interdisciplinary Engineering Building.” Alex Olevitch of KieranTimberlake will join us to discuss his firm’s approach to the design of the new Interdisciplinary Engineering building at the University ...

Advancing Urban Design Principles

By Alison Karfeld posted 8 days ago
While design guidelines and program certifications are long-established for Architecture such as LEED, Fitwel, WELL, and Living Future as catalysts for defining quality standards, those specifically related to Urban Design are also expanding in utilization and impact. Such urban design-related programs include LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED ND) , the STAR Community Rating System (STAR) by the Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN), and the Living Community Challenge by Living Future each categorize critical components of urban qualities. The ten principles of the AIA Framework for Design Excellence "…informs progress ...

What's this COTE Top Ten button in the DDx?

By Michelle Amt, FAIA posted 9 days ago
The COTE® Super Spreadsheet has been a useful tool for architects seeking to measure and communicate design excellence. Developed in 2016 as part of the COTE Top Ten Toolkit, the spreadsheet provided a structured, quantitative way to standardize and evaluate project performance across the COTE Top Ten Measures. COTE created the toolkit--a combination of narratives, clear metrics, and a handy calculator to make those conversions--with the hope of not only making the process of submitting to and reviewing the COTE Top Ten Awards easier, but also to build the case for the real, quantifiable impact these winning projects had. When the AIA adopted the COTE Top ...

What's this COTE Top Ten button in the DDx?

By Michelle Amt, FAIA posted 9 days ago
The COTE® Super Spreadsheet has been a useful tool for architects seeking to measure and communicate design excellence. Developed in 2016 as part of the COTE Top Ten Toolkit, the spreadsheet provided a structured, quantitative way to standardize and evaluate project performance across the COTE Top Ten Measures. COTE created the toolkit--a combination of narratives, clear metrics, and a handy calculator to make those conversions--with the hope of not only making the process of submitting to and reviewing the COTE Top Ten Awards easier, but also to build the case for the real, quantifiable impact these winning projects had. When the AIA adopted the COTE Top ...

March 2026 AIA Corporate Partners COTE Newsletter Article: Kingspan

By Ellie Falcon posted 12 days ago
Why site-specific EPDs matter for carbon-smart design decisions By Brent Trenga, director of sustainability, Kingspan Insulated Panels North America As architects work to meet increasingly ambitious climate goals, the conversation around embodied carbon has moved from abstract targets to material-level decision-making. Environmental product declarations (EPDs) play a critical role in that shift. Much like a nutrition label, an EPD transparently communicates the environmental impacts of a product across its life cycle, from raw material extraction through manufacturing, use, and end of life. But for architects trying to meaningfully reduce ...

AIA IDKC Project Highlight: Sanctuary

By Alison Karfeld posted 13 days ago
AIA IDKC Project Highlight: Sanctuary by Doug Staker of Squaremoon Studio What and where is this project? Sanctuary is an architectural art installation series that uses a study in sacred space to question the relationship between religion and the LGBTQ+ community. The fourth iteration was presented in association with the Utah Pride Festival (Salt Lake City), Rexburg (Idaho) Pride Festival, and Westend Church Pride Celebration (New York City) in June 2024. The project is created with temporary materials at an architectural scale creating a contemporary take on sacred space in both form and program. It attempts to challenge norms ...

January Letter from the IDKC Chair: Jacquelyn Block, AIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 14 days ago
Dear Interfaith Design Knowledge Community, I’m grateful to be entering my fourth year of service on the Interfaith Design Knowledge Community leadership team and honored to serve as the 2026 Chair. IDKC has been an important part of my professional journey, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to help support and guide this community moving forward. I am a Principal at GFFdesign, where I lead our Faith & Community Practice. Throughout my career, I have always believed that designing places of worship is both a profound honor and a great responsibility. These spaces hold deep meaning for the people who gather within them. They are often ...

Committee on Architecture for Education Spring Conference 2026—Designing Belonging: Reciprocity, Resilience, and Regeneration

By Alison Karfeld posted 14 days ago
April 28–May 1 | Seattle | The Alexis Royal Sonesta Hotel Seattle Join us for the AIA Committee on Architecture for Education Spring Conference 2026! Set in a region defined by dramatic natural context, vibrant international trade, industrial innovation, ecological stewardship, and cultural diversity, this year’s program explores and builds on designing for belonging. Curated bus tours guided by architects, educators, clients, and community partners will highlight outstanding AIA award-winning and other projects across the learning continuum. Over four days, you'll gain place-based insight into how Seattle’s design community is advancing equity, belonging, ...

CAE Spring Conference 2026—Designing Belonging: Reciprocity, Resilience, and Regeneration

By Alison Karfeld posted 14 days ago
April 28–May 1 | Seattle | The Alexis Royal Sonesta Hotel Seattle Join us for the AIA Committee on Architecture for Education Spring Conference 2026! Set in a region defined by dramatic natural context, vibrant international trade, industrial innovation, ecological stewardship, and cultural diversity, this year’s program explores and builds on designing for belonging. Curated bus tours guided by architects, educators, clients, and community partners will highlight outstanding AIA award-winning and other projects across the learning continuum. Over four days, you'll gain place-based insight into how Seattle’s design community is advancing equity, ...

CAE Letter from the Chair, Jason Forney, FAIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 15 days ago
Dear CAE community, It’s an honor to serve as Chair of the American Institute of Architects Committee on Architecture for Education. I’ve dedicated much of my career to exploring how design enhances learning in all its forms, and through this committee, have had the chance to collaborate with those who share this commitment to advancing the quality and impact of educational environments. The opportunity to work alongside this extraordinary group of architects from across the country, as an at-large member and member of the leadership group, has deeply enriched and expanded my work, and I hope it can do the same for all of you. As an architect ...

BPKC answers your ARE study questions - Im not crying, Its condensation!

By Saakshi Terway, Assoc. AIA posted 16 days ago
BPKC answers your ARE study questions - Im not crying, Its condensation! The Building Performance KC has a youtube channel and in our latest post we dove into an ARE practice test question about condensation. If you are studying, or know anyone who is studying for the ARE, feel free to post your building performance related exam questions in the BPKC discussion forum and we can do some more of these quick building science videos to hopefully make the building science less opaque and more fun. Why isnt there condensation on John Wick's water bottle?? Youll have to watch the video to find out. (credit for this post goes to Jessica Saravia, ...

Architects as Translators, not Evangelists: Sustainability in the Texas Hill Country

By Ellen Mitchell, AIA posted 19 days ago
Located deep in the heart of Texas where prairies begin to give way to rugged limestone cliffs and clear rivers cut through dry land, the Texas Hill Country is easy to romanticize. But practicing architecture here means respecting limits – water is not guaranteed and heat is not theoretical. Often, the gap between what a client wants and what a project can afford can be as expansive as the wide-open sky. When sustainability leaders like me talk about opportunities in the built environment, we often start with things like EUI targets, decarbonization strategies and building performance metrics. But in the Texas Hill Country, sustainability doesn’t show up ...

COTE Network Corner: Q2 call

By Roshni Krishnan, Intl. Assoc. AIA posted 22 days ago
COTE Network Corner: Q2 Call There has never been a more important time to share initiatives and cheer our peer chapters leaders from across the country steering climate action and sustainability initiatives. On our first call, we got to celebrate your committee’s accomplishments and hear what others have been working on across the network. We got to hear from COTE chapters across the country about their 2026 plans ranging from energy codes to carbon conversations. We’re excited to invite you to the second COTE Network call of 2026 , taking place on April 21st . We will have local COTE Spotlight Recognition. This new initiative of the COTE ...

Leadership, Representation, and the Future of Small Firms within AIA

By Darguin Fortuna, AIA posted 23 days ago
February 2026 Letter from the Chair AIA Small Firm Exchange (SFx) Darguin Fortuna, AIA, NCARB February has been a meaningful and energizing month as I had the privilege of attending the AIA Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., representing the Small Firm Exchange and the many voices of small firm architects across the country. I want to begin by expressing my sincere gratitude to our State Representatives and Board members for electing me as Chair and entrusting me with the responsibility of advocating on your behalf at Capitol Hill. The Leadership Summit was both an inspiring and humbling experience. It provided an opportunity to develop skills that ...

RUDC Letter from the Chair (February, 2026)

By Alison Karfeld posted 28 days ago
I am honored and excited to serve as your 2026 Chair of the AIA Regional & Urban Design Committee (RUDC). Our knowledge community represents a dynamic national network of architects, urban designers, planners, and allied professionals committed to advancing the dialogue around cities, regions, and the future of urban life. First, I want to thank Scott Archer for his leadership in 2025 and acknowledge the many past leaders who have shaped RUDC within AIA over the years. RUDC has established a strong platform for collaboration, education, and advocacy around urban design—one we will continue to build upon in 2026, with the help of the current RUDC ...

COTE Book Series: Upcoming & Past Reviews & Talks (including recording links)

By Kira Gould, Hon. AIA posted 28 days ago
COTE Books: A Series of Reviews & Talks we typically review & host talks about 3-4 books per year virtual events are hosted by local or state COTE groups interested in being a host or suggesting a book? email Kira Gould at kiragould@kiragould.com 24 February 2026 / 12-1pm ET - upcoming Climate Adaptation for Architects: A Design Toolkit (Routledge/Taylor & Francis, 2025) links to join: AIA members / non AIA members Author: Allison Anderson, FAIA Reviewer: Megan Recher Campos, AIA, in COTE news Jan/Feb 2026: post Host: AIA North Carolina COTE + AIA Triangle ...