Mark your calendar for the official Resilience, Adaptation, and Disaster Response events, but that’s just the start. AIA25 features a powerful lineup of sessions designed to inspire, educate, and shape the future of design.
Boston is gearing up for a landmark event in architecture and design, and you won’t want to miss it. This year’s AIA Conference on Architecture & Design (AIA25) brings together top minds in AEC for four dynamic days (June 4-7).
RADR events
Resilient Design for Rapidly Evolving Natural Disaster Risks
1 HSW/RIBA/LU | SA305 | 6/7/2025 12:00 am- 1:00pm | Register here
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
253C
The frequency and severity of natural hazards are increasing, threatening people, properties, and communities. In response, regulators, lenders, and insurers expect resilience in the built environment on top of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. As this session will show, assessment of climate and natural hazard risks and vulnerabilities can guide effective investments in resilience to protect communities from devastating losses when hazard events strike. While the architect's standard of care requires us to inform clients about natural hazard and climate risks, as creative team leaders, we're also well-positioned to guide comprehensive, data-driven, and effective resilience solutions.
Future-proofing Communities: The Power of Resilient Design in Architecture
1.25 HSW/RIBA/LU | TH301 | 6/5/2025 4:00 am- 5:15pm | Register here
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
205AB
Delve into the profound impact of building resilience on community safety and sustainability in this highly informative session. Join us to explore real-world success stories, including Tampa General Hospital's innovative flood-proofing strategies and Lee County''s vulnerability assessment, showcasing how thoughtful design can save lives and reduce recovery costs. Plus, enjoy a comparative analysis of North Carolina and Florida building codes as well as innovative flood models used in Massachusetts and Florida to develop design flood elevations for buildings. By linking resilience to sustainability efforts, you'll discover actionable strategies for minimizing carbon emissions and achieving net-zero goals.
Resilience and Disaster Response Open Forum
EV143 | 6/6/2025 2:00 am- 3:00pm | Register here
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
The Resilience and Adaptation Open Forum will be a vital platform for AIA members and stakeholders to engage in open dialogue and collaboration around the challenges of climate change and environmental disruptions.
This interactive session will explore key concepts and best practices in resilience and adaptation; highlight the role of architects and designers in creating inclusive, climate-resilient communities; and foster partnerships among professionals, policymakers, researchers, and community organizations. You'll leave with actionable insights and strategies to advance resilience in your projects and communities.
Tides of Collaboration: Public-Private Synergy for a Resilient East Boston
1 HSW/RIBA/LU | WE111 | 6/4/2025 9:30 am- 10:30 am | Register here
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
257AB
Dive into the exciting world of coastal resilience through this session on the Resilient Border Street Waterfront Project. This innovative initiative is making waves in East Boston, tackling flood risks head-on while reimagining the waterfront for the community. You'll discover how Boston is partnering with private property owners to create a district-scale coastal resilience strategy—a first of its kind for the city. Plus, you'll pick up valuable insights into collaborative approaches for climate adaptation, innovative design strategies for coastal resilience, and methods for engaging diverse stakeholders in complex urban projects.
Boston’s Resilient, Historic Buildings Design Guide: Lessons Learned
3 HSW/RIBA/LU | SYM105 | 6/7/2025 10:30 am- 1:30pm | Register here
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
156ABC
This half-day interactive workshop will bring together stakeholders in the development and implementation of Boston’s Resilient Historic Buildings Guide to discuss its application. Also on the agenda, determining what revisions may be necessary to address trends and issues that have arisen since the drafting and adoption of the guide in 2018.
Join us to learn about the guide and how the local issues covered have greater universal application. In addition, preservation planners from the Boston Landmarks Commission will review several buildings/projects that highlight various issues confronting architects in applying the guidelines.
Gabriela Amore - City of Boston
Nick Armata - City of Boston
Chelsea Blanchard - City of Boston
Dorothy Clark - City of Boston
Rachel Ericksen - City of Boston
Kathy Kottaridis - City of Boston
Jim Lindberg - National Trust for Historic Preservation
Safety Assessment Program Training
6.5 HSW/RIBA/LU | WE141 | Jun 4, 2025 from 09:00 AM to 05:00 PM | Register here
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
259AB
Intended for licensed architects, engineers, or certified building inspectors, this training certifies attendees as Building Evaluators in the nationally recognized Safety Assessment Program (SAP). The program is managed by Cal OES with cooperation from professional organizations, including AIA. It utilizes volunteers and mutual aid resources to provide professional engineers, architects and certified building inspectors to assist local governments in safety evaluation of their built environment in an aftermath of a disaster. SAP is the training standard of the AIA Disaster Assistance Program, which provides leadership, advocacy, and training to architects who are interested in volunteering their professional skills in times of crisis. This workshop will teach participants to conduct rapid damage assessments of structures affected by earthquakes, wind, and water. Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to consistently and safely assess structures for habitability and will receive a nationally recognized Cal OES registration ID card from the state of California.