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 the heart of their communities, places of reflection, celebration, healing, and connection. At a time when loneliness is at an all-time high and divisions feel increasingly pronounced, places of worship play a vital role in creating and reinforcing community, offering support, and reminding people that they belong.
The Interfaith Design Knowledge Community reflects many of these same values. IDKC is a community made up of architects, designers, artisans, clergy, and laypeople across the country who are deeply invested in faith-based architecture. Over the years, I’ve found this group to be a source of knowledge, shared expertise, encouragement, and genuine connection.
Our Town Halls are consistently engaging, offering the opportunity to hear what other people across the country are experiencing, learning, and wrestling with in real time. Gathering in person at the AIA Conference on Architecture to celebrate the Faith & Form Award winners has always been one of my favorite events. Listening to each award recipient speak about their passion, their process, and the impact of their work is a powerful reminder of why this work matters so deeply.
If you are not yet actively involved, I encourage you to join the Interfaith Design Knowledge Community and find a way to participate. There are many opportunities to engage attending Town Halls, reading and contributing to our newsletters, sharing knowledge resources, writing about your work, or connecting with us in person at the AIA Conference on Architecture in San Diego. Whether you are early in your career or a seasoned practitioner, your perspective and experience strengthen this community.
I look forward to continuing the conversations, collaborations, and shared learning that make IDKC such a meaningful part of the AIA.
Warm regards,
Jacquelyn Block, AIA Chair, Interfaith Design Knowledge Community