If you are coming to the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design (AIA26) this year (June 10-13 in San Diego), there is an official PDKC event plus many more great sessions to consider! This guide provides you with an inside look at some of the sessions and events that PDKC members might be most interested in.
PDKC events
Friday: Project Delivery & Public Architects Open Forum
EV322 | 12:15-1:15pm
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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Other sessions of interest
Wednesday
Architects in Work Boots
WK110 | 9am-12pm | 2 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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Tour - UC San Diego Campus Transformation: A Walking Tour
ET152 | 9:00am-12:30am | 1.5 LU
Join UC San Diego planners and project design team members for a tour of recently completed projects on the campus, including: The Triton Center, a vibrant urban core for central campus offering instructional support, student health and well-being services, and an alumni welcome center; Pepper Canyon West Living and Learning Neighborhood, which features a pair of 22- and 23-story residential towers with connected five-story buildings; The Pepper Canyon Design and Innovation Building, with features dedicated workspaces for design and research; The Epstein Family Amphitheatre, a multifunctional outdoor performance venue for students and professionals that serves as the gateway to the campus
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Lessons from Atlanta’s Centennial Yards Sports & Entertainment District
SE110 | 11:30am-12:30pm | 1 LU
Sports and entertainment districts (SEDs) are driving economic growth and urban revitalization across the country. This session will focus on Atlanta's Centennial Yards, a 50-acre emerging SED. Successful SEDs incorporate design quality, mixed uses, public access, and sustainability to create a 24/7 environment for people from all walks of life. Join us to discover how Centennial Yards' exemplary plan focuses on urban infill c creates flexible capacity through innovative open-space design; features a creative design process; and incorporates sustainability into the buildout. Plus, learn about the successful public/private collaboration that's made it all possible.
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Thursday
Hacking the Code (Legally!) via AMMR's
NN221 | 2:30-3:00pm | 0.5 LU HSW
Within nearly every prescriptive building code, there's an infrequently used performance option called the alternate materials and methods request (AMMR). This fast-paced session will cover in detail how design professionals can use AMMRs for innovation, sustainability, cost savings, and/or design flexibility. Join us to review the process for developing a successful AMMR, including procedures, format, and strategy. Through case study examples, discussion, and Q&A, you'll acquire actionable tools that can help resolve conundrums, break through roadblocks, or simply enhance your design—all while maintaining code intent and purpose.
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Talking Risk & Resilience With Clients: From Concept to Commitment
WK415 | 2:30-4:00pm | 1.5 LU HSW
How can you navigate delicate but essential conversations with clients about resilience, natural hazards, and climate change? Find out in this interactive session. Using AIA resources and real-world scenarios, you'll learn how to introduce hazard risk into early design discussions, frame resilience as a value proposition, and manage client resistance. Through role-play and small-group exercises, you'll also practice strategies for discussing resilience in residential and commercial contexts, including the use of hazard acknowledgement forms. By blending practical guidance with peer learning, this session will help you strengthen your professional standard of care while advancing safer, more durable, and climate-ready projects.
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Gamifying Project Goal Setting: It's All in the Cards
WK413 | 2:30-4:00pm | 1.5 LU HSW
This interactive workshop will introduce a research-based, open-source card deck that gamifies project goal setting. Join us to discover how project teams can cut through complexity and align around shared goals. Grounded in goal-setting theory and the AIA Framework for Design Excellence, the cards create a common language among clients, designers, and stakeholders, helping teams prioritize issues that impact equity, resilience, health, and carbon outcomes. You'll have the opportunity to practice using the tool in small groups with example projects, gaining both facilitation skills and free access to the deck for immediate use in your own work.
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Building for Tomorrow: Trends in U.S. Construction
CE135 | 3:30-4:00pm | 0.5 LU
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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Collaboration & Leadership: Leveraging Progressive Design-Build for Firm Success
SE222 | 4-5pm | 1 LU
As projects become more complex and involve more stakeholders and experts, clients are increasingly interested in collaborative delivery methods like progressive design-build. How can teams use progressive design-build to successfully pursue and execute these projects while optimizing results? At this session, an award-winning design-build duo and members of the Design-Build Institute of America's Progressive Design-Build Committee will review what makes the best of these projects sing. Join us to explore best practices, from an effective validation period to a project-first mentality, using case-study examples. Plus, gain practical insights into leveraging this rapidly expanding delivery method to boost your firm's competitiveness.
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Unlocking the Power of Design-Assist (also on Friday)
LL143 | 4-5pm | 1 LU
This session will provide an overview of design-assist, a collaborative project delivery method that can significantly enhance project outcomes. By exploring the nuances of design-assist in comparison to traditional methods like design-bid-build and design-build, you'll discover how to leverage design-assist effectively in your projects. Join us to review the team structures and processes of design-assist along with substantial benefits like time and cost savings, reduced project risks, and enhanced constructability and quality. Plus, through a real-world case study, you'll learn how to apply design-assist to achieve successful project outcomes, from initial design phase to final construction.
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Friday
Reimagining the Cleveland Guardians' Progressive Field
SE304 | 7:30-8:30am | 1 LU HSW
In 2022, the Cleveland Guardians initiated a multiyear project to revamp Progressive Field, focusing on the fan experience, player amenities, and operational efficiency. As the architect of record, Moody Nolan worked with MANICA and a construction management team to create transformative spaces for fans and athletes. Join us to hear from representatives from Moody Nolan, the Guardians, and Mortenson. The team will discuss stakeholder alignment processes, lessons learned, and the importance of the community benefits agreement in optimizing the game-day experience. Plus, learn how communication paired with a positive team environment fostered cross-team collaboration to deliver an award-winning ballpark.
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Architect, Also Developer: Achieving Stability, Growth, and Better Project Outcomes
SE303 | 7:30am-8:30am | 1 LU
Many architects are pursue meaningful work with optimal outcomes but struggling to turn profits, nurture their practices, cultivate legacies, and build generational wealth. Venturing into real estate development offers firms of all sizes the potential to forge a path to financial sustainability and fortify one's practice. This session will feature Robert Hillier and Joshua Zinder, who together have managed and grown four successful firms, including one of the country’s largest. Drawing on personal experiences, they'll share strategies for increasing revenue by multiples while pursuing favored projects with owner-level control, even for small firms. Join us to learn about potential synergies, forming strategic relationships, identifying investment opportunities and viable development models, and more.
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Unlocking the Power of Design-Assist (also on Thursday
LL145 | 12-1pm | 1 LU
This session will provide an overview of design-assist, a collaborative project delivery method that can significantly enhance project outcomes. By exploring the nuances of design-assist in comparison to traditional methods like design-bid-build and design-build, you'll discover how to leverage design-assist effectively in your projects. Join us to review the team structures and processes of design-assist along with substantial benefits like time and cost savings, reduced project risks, and enhanced constructability and quality. Plus, through a real-world case study, you'll learn how to apply design-assist to achieve successful project outcomes, from initial design phase to final 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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