If you are coming to the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design (AIA26) this year (June 10-13 in San Diego), there is an official CCA workshop plus many more great sessions to consider! This guide provides you with an inside look at some of the sessions and events that CCA members might be most interested in. Please be aware session dates, times, and locations are subject to change - click through to the conference schedule for up-to-date information.
CCA events
Wednesday: Architects in Work Boots
WK110 | 9:00am-12:00pm | 3 LU
For the third year in a row, the Construction Contract Administration (CCA) Knowledge Committee is excited to facilitate an Architects in Work Boots workshop. Based on participant feedback, this year's session will have more interactive scenarios. Facilitators will cover a broad range of CCA issues that arise from project types ranging from single-family homes to billion-dollar healthcare projects. Whether you're a seasoned veteran or just starting your career, you'll gain practical insights into emerging trends in CCA. You'll leave with a deeper understanding of the process and the common pitfalls of CCA.
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Friday: CCA Open Forum
EV308 | 12:15pm-1:15pm
Construction Contract Administration (CCA) is an often-neglected part of project delivery, yet it is essential to fully executing the shared vision of the client and architect. How are you engaged in this process to ensure quality, schedule, and budget? Which trends are currently impacting CCA in your work? In this open forum, join CCA leaders for an open discussion on relevant topics and trends in 2026. The leaders will also share a recap of recent programming, a preview of upcoming initiatives, and ideas for how you can engage with the group's work.
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Other sessions of interest
Wednesday
Tour - Shaping Snapdragon: Inside a New Campus District's Anchor Stadium
ET129 | 12-3:30pm | 2.5 LU HSW | $125
Experience the design and construction story of Snapdragon Stadium, a modern, 35,000-seat sports venue for San Diego State University Football and professional soccer. This in-depth tour, led by the design and engineering team, will explore how the project team overcame budget and schedule challenges during the pandemic through the creative use of exposed structural steel. Join us to discover how these innovative structural and aesthetic decisions created a cohesive, distinctly San Diego experience while resolving functional and logistical objectives. Plus, explore the process behind the striking cantilevered design and how the stadium anchors a new campus district.
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How Construction Documents Actually Work
SYM200 | 1-5pm | $99
Construction documents are more than a set of drawings—they’re a contract, a communication tool, and a risk management strategy. This course breaks down the fundamentals of construction documents and specifications in clear, practical terms, aligned with core concepts from the Construction Documents Technologist (CDT®) certification from the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI). Participants will learn how documents are structured, how specs support drawings, and how early design decisions ripple through the documentation phase. Expect clarity, real-world context, and immediately applicable skills.
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Design-Build Ethos: Protecting Vision, Elevating Practice
SE230 | 2:00pm-3:00pm | 1 LU
Too often, an architect's vision is compromised once the builder—or the budget—takes over. This session will explore how design-build models put architects back in the driver's seat, ensuring the protection of design integrity from concept through construction. Two architect-led practitioners, from opposite coasts and using different models, will share how integration delivers stronger collaboration, cost clarity, and craftsmanship—without dilution of the original design intent. Join us to gain actionable strategies for embedding design-build principles into your practice, safeguarding architectural excellence, and creating built environments that truly reflect your vision.
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Daylight to Carbon: Insights from Computation, Simulation, & Construction
WK123 | 2:00pm-3:30pm | 1.5 HSW LU
Computational methods are transforming architectural practice by promoting low-carbon supply chains while connecting design inspiration with innovation and technology. Join us for this session, organized by AIA Building Performance Knowledge Community to explore simulation tools and design computation across the design-to-construction process. The first part will highlight spatial configuration, automated 3D layout estimation, and occupant-centric simulations addressing visual and non-visual effects, occupant health, and biophilia. The second will examine digital workflows for mass plywood and mass timber, linking structural simulation, digital fabrication, and sustainable material sourcing. Finally, panelists will review strategies to advance sustainability, health, and alignment with codes and standards.
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Thursday
Understanding Firestop Specifications: From Design to Jobsite
LL170 | 11:00am-12:00pm | 1 HSW LU / RIBA
This session will connect the dots between how firestop specifications are written, interpreted, and executed in the field. Join us to deepen your understanding of how design intent, UL system selection, and specification language directly affect compliance, coordination, and liability. Plus, explore the roles of designers, contractors, and inspectors, with a focus on how collaboration and communication throughout the construction process ensure firestop systems perform as intended and meet code requirements.
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Delivering Mass Timber Projects Through Competitive Bidding
LL190 | 11:00am-12:00pm | 1 LU / RIBA
Mass timber projects often rely on early manufacturer involvement through design-assist or negotiated delivery. In contrast, publicly bid and other competitively procured projects require a different approach—one that accommodates multiple manufacturers with varying species, panel sizes, and layup limitations. This session will offer practical strategies for delivering mass timber projects under design-bid-build and competitive procurement frameworks. Leveraging real-world project experience, presenters will discuss specification, detailing, and coordination techniques that support competitive bidding while maintaining performance, code compliance, and design intent. Join us to gain actionable insights into reducing risk and increasing flexibility when bringing mass timber to public-sector projects.
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Building for Tomorrow: Trends in U.S. Construction
CE135 | 3:30-4:00pm | 0.5 LU / RIBA
Over the last few years, shocks to international supply chains along with challenges in the labor supply and financing have complicated the construction market. As this session will show, these changes are significant but not insurmountable for shrewd construction leaders. Through data-driven insights, Michael Guckes, chief economist at ConstructConnect, will demonstrate how you can successfully navigate the ever-changing construction sector.
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Friday
Tour - Step Into an Iron Worker’s Boots
ET132 | 11:00am-2:30pm | LUs TBD
Architects must understand how buildings are constructed to make better design decisions. This tour bridges design intent with real‑world steel construction by immersing participants in an active ironworker training facility where structural steel is fabricated, handled, and erected. Through guided demonstrations and hands‑on activities—such as welding, bolting, rigging, flame cutting, and column climbing—attendees gain direct insight into erection tolerances, field conditions, finishes, sequencing, and schedule impacts. Participants will see how ironworkers interpret construction documents, apply safety protocols, and respond to site constraints, revealing how design choices influence constructability and jobsite safety. The experience strengthens multidisciplinary communication and helps architects produce safer, more buildable steel designs that improve project outcomes and public welfare. Required attire: Closed toed boots, long sleeves and long pants
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Project Delivery and Public Architects Open Forum
EV322 | 12:15pm-1:15pm
The Public Architects and the Project Delivery Knowledge Communities are hosting a combined open forum to explore issues at the intersection of public projects and project delivery. Community leaders will facilitate round table discussions on how evolving project delivery methods and procurement practices are reshaping public projects, with a focus on shared challenges, best practices, and actionable strategies. Join us to learn more about each Knowledge Community, the resources they offer, and ways to get involved—while connecting with peers navigating rapid changes in design and construction.
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Owner Advisor in Design-Build: New Practice Area, New Growth Opportunities
WK319 | 2:30-4:00pm | 1.5 LU
Under traditional bid and construction manager delivery methods, architects work directly for owners as interpreters and impartial administrators for the work, assuring all parties perform their obligations. With the rising demand for project delivery through design-build, however, architects often find themselves becoming subcontractors to lead construction contractors. How can the architect's leadership status be restored in the design-build environment? This workshop will demonstrate why the role of owner advisor is an opportunity for architects to expand their practice, grow revenue, and maintain a leadership role in project delivery.
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