Blogs

IDKC AIA25 Event Recap

By Alison Karfeld posted 2 days ago
By Elisabeth Bakker Johnson, AIA The Interfaith Design Knowledge Community (IDKC) Forum at the AIA Conference in Boston brought together architects, designers, and academics from diverse faith backgrounds to discuss the intersection of art & architecture, spirituality, and community. Attendees explored topics such as symbolism, iconography, sustainable design, and the evolving role of sacred spaces in modern society. The fluid and thoughtful dialogue considered the challenges of decommissioning religious buildings, the respectful reuse of sacred spaces, the integration of sustainability into faith-based architecture, and the exploration of the deeper ...

July 2025 AIA Corporate Partners COTE Newsletter Article: GAF Roofing

By Ellie Falcon posted 12 days ago
Strategies to avoid losing sustainability goals to budget considerations World Trade, Boston, MA pursued SITES, LEED and WELL certifications using a durable yet traditional roof assembly. You’ve likely heard this before: Your building owner wants to go green, dreams of net-zero or carbon neutral. Then, the price tag shows up, those dreams vanish, and the owner gives up their sustainability priorities to save money today at the expense of tomorrow. While sustainable design means something slightly different to every designer and building owner, one thing often remains the same: Sustainability often gets labeled "too expensive." In commercial ...

Letter from the COD Chair: June 2025

By Alison Karfeld posted 15 days ago
By Craig D. Brandt, FAIA The AIA Committee on Design is delighted to have recently convened a series of thoughtful and diverse programs that explored architecture’s capacity to shape institutions, honor legacy, and serve communities through design excellence. From tropical gardens to campus transformations to an intimate conversation with the AIA Gold Medalist, these events offered rich opportunities for learning, reflection, and dialogue among practitioners and educators alike. 2025 Spring Conference—Design at the Intersection of Climate, Culture, and Beauty We explored some of South Florida’s most distinctive places ...

Climate Action Advocacy + Government Affairs

By Lisa M. Ferretto AIA posted 15 days ago
Take Action with AIA 179D under threat in the Senate Direct link to ACT NOW Link to GAF Post Full List of Actions to take with AIA Running list to Safeguard tools & data (COTE) Email cote@aia.org with any new additions Links to AIA Government Affairs Forum (GAF) Resource Library Newsletter Survey - Spring into action campaign Other links: USGBC’s Local Green Building Policy Accelerator (Jul + Aug) past posts/ discussions § Comment on NZERB definition + submit ...

Forum Subcommittee launch and listening session recap

By Alison Karfeld posted 15 days ago
By Enrico Giori, Assoc. AIA The first Forum Subcommittee Launch and Listening Session conversation was energetic and insightful, centered around an urgency and impact matrix that helped frame today’s most pressing and forward-looking challenges in educational facility planning. Key priorities that emerged included the need for integrated, human-centered design strategies, a deeper alignment between curriculum and facilities, and the evolving role of schools as civic and emotional anchors. Participants highlighted the urgency of rethinking the architect’s role as a collaborator in shaping future-ready, value-driven learning environments. ...

July Member Spotlight: John Paquin, AIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 17 days ago
John is a passionate advocate for the transformative power of interior architecture. With over 20 years of professional experience and more than 13 years of leadership and service to the American Institute of Architects (AIA), his career reflects a deep belief that interior spaces are far more than functional—they are catalysts for inspiration, connection, and well-being. As Architecture Director at ZAPATA, a Charlotte-based architecture and engineering firm, John leads a team of architects and designers dedicated to crafting thoughtful, efficient spaces that positively impact the lives of those who experience them. Before joining ZAPATA, ...

IAKC July Letter from the co-chairs, Yutaka Takiura, AIA & Candice Rabovsky, AIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 17 days ago
Summer is officially here, and it is hard to believe we are already halfway through the year. As we commemorate our 50th anniversary as the Interior Architecture Knowledge Community (IAKC), we are excited for the next half of the year and the new opportunities for us to connect with community members. Before we do, we want to take a moment to reflect back on this year’s IAKC open forum at AIA25. It was a session that celebrated the winners of the 2024 Interior Architecture Award . Looking ahead, we are pleased to bring a variety of ways to engage with the IAKC with upcoming CEUs this fall, the launch of our mentorship program, and the continuation of our monthly ...

IAKC AIA25 Recap

By Alison Karfeld posted 17 days ago
IAKC AIA25 Recap By Kitty Yuen, AIA Cheers to another successful AIA Conference on Architecture! AIA25 kicked off with an exciting lineup of sessions and fun architectural tours in historic Boston. Those who attended the IAKC Open Forum Thursday came to celebrate with two of our 2024 Interior Architecture Award winners - Jennifer Luce, FAIA from Luce et Studio and Steven White, FAIA from Fentress Studio (a Populus Company). It was a privilege to host Jennifer and Steven, who in the session, shared their stories on their winning projects: Mingei International Museum in San Diego and the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Washington, DC. Jennifer Luce’s ...

ADVOCACY AND THE DESIGN OF DESIGN

By Kenneth J. Filarski FAIA posted 18 days ago
ADVOCACY AND THE DESIGN OF DESIGN Kenneth J. Filarski FAIA, LEED FELLOW, LEED AP BD+C, SITES AP, AICP, CFM, SAP+AEER, NCARB FILARSKI / ARCHITECTURE + PLANNING + RESEARCH Advocacy is strategic. Advocacy is by design. A few years ago former AIA President Dan Hart FAIA, PE, popularized “Design is our Superpower.” Indeed it is, but we have another superpower. That other superpower is the DESIGN OF DESIGN. The Design of Design comes about when we incorporate design thinking to create and initiate actions, programs, policies, and legislation that have a greater synergy and impact for citizens, society, our planet, ...

RUDC AIA25 Recap

By Alison Karfeld posted 19 days ago
RUDC AIA25 Recap By Maria Antony Katticaran, AIA The AIA 2025 Conference in Boston served as a powerful reminder of the critical, evolving role architects hold at the intersection of infrastructure, and civic life. As a transportation and infrastructure architect and urban designer, I was particularly struck by Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s reflections on the potential of design to bridge divides and foster belonging in communities historically fractured by the very systems we seek to improve. His framing of architects as stewards of connection echoes my own belief that we are, at our core, problem-solvers — uniquely positioned to synthesize technical complexity ...

RUDC Letter from the Chair (June 2025)

By Alison Karfeld posted 19 days ago
“Architects create spaces where people interact — and that helps rebuild social trust in a world that desperately needs it.” AIA25 Keynote Pete Buttigieg argued that in our increasingly post-fact world, we have agency as architects and designers to help shape change. When we gather in person, in the tangible reality of physical spaces, we acknowledge a shared presence, a shared existence, and a shared respect for one another. While buildings are often designed for specific groups, the spaces between them — the urban spaces we as urban designers engage — are truly democratic: places where we can encounter one another, share experiences, and discover the unique ...

Resiliency and Disaster Response Efforts at AIA25

By Nikolaus T. Remus AIA posted 22 days ago
Resilience was a key topic at AIA25 in Boston, and members of the AIA National Resilience and Disaster Response Committee embraced the opportunity to attend and lead multiple breakout sessions. In addition, co-chair Sammy Shams, chair-elect Alan Scott, and I hosted an open forum to share the work the RADR Committee has been doing. Resilience is an especially important consideration right now, as our clients’ projects and communities face a growing range of risks. The architecture profession is well positioned to account for future climate conditions that will affect buildings designed today, for natural disasters occurring in areas without a history of such ...

LEED® Version 5 Will Elevate Resilient Design

By Alan Scott FAIA posted 22 days ago
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) member ballot overwhelming approved LEED® version 5 in March and this latest version of the green building rating system was officially released in April. The old LEED v4 was introduced more than 11 years ago, so this update of the world’s premier green building rating system is long overdue. LEED v5 includes new versions of LEED BD+C: New Construction and Core and Shell, LEED ID+C: Commercial Interiors, and LEED O+M: Existing Buildings. The USGBC has not announced a firm timeline, but project teams will most likely be able to continue registering projects under v4 through 2025 (with several years before certification ...

HCD AIA25 Event Recap

By Alison Karfeld posted 22 days ago
Building Connections: A Recap of the Housing and Community Development Knowledge Community’s Events at AIA ‘25 By Kristen Chin, AIA The American Institute of Architects' 2025 Conference on Architecture & Design provided an opportunity for the AIA Housing and Community Development Knowledge Community (HCD KC) to convene, celebrate design excellence in housing and community development, share vital knowledge, and forge new connections in the housing and community development field. Three Powerful Events, One Unified Mission The AIA Housing and Community Development Knowledge Community (HCD KC) orchestrated three well-attended events that demonstrated ...

The Difference Between Adaptable and Adaptive

By Allison H. Anderson FAIA posted 24 days ago
Allison H. Anderson, FAIA Words can entangle architects, especially when they have multiple or nuanced meanings. Adaptable and adaptive are a good example of similar terms with distinct definitions: Adaptable (able to be modified for a new use or purpose, indicating plasticity in the programming of a building) and Adaptive (the ability to change in response to conditions beyond the building). Adaptable structures are easily modified to suit changing requirements to avoid premature demolition and reconstruction. The process of altering a building to respond to changing program needs (internal) or economic forces (external) is ...

Letter from the chairs, June 2025

By Daniel J. Overbey AIA posted 30 days ago
By: Jesse Walton, AIA and Daniel Overbey, AIA The 2030 Commitment Made Its Presence Known at AIA25 The AIA Conference on Architecture & Design 2025 took place June 4-7 in Boston, Massachusetts. This year’s conference included over 450 sessions, covering a broad and comprehensive range of topics impacting the profession today. The four days of programming included a range of peer-to-peer engagement opportunities dedicated to advancing AIA’s strategic initiatives related to climate action, sustainability, equity—including several sessions and forums focused specifically on AIA’s premiere climate action initiatives: the 2030 Commitment ...

COTE Network Update

By Sean Costello AIA posted 30 days ago
It’s been a vibrant and inspiring summer, marked by the AIA National Conference and a range of impactful events throughout the past month. The COTE Network also hosted a lively and thought-provoking Q2 call on May 13th, bringing together voices from across our community. Missed the discussion? No worries—you can catch up anytime. The full recording and presentation slides are available in our archive. At AIA National, the COTE Network had an exciting opportunity to participate in a curated networking session, where the Committee on the Environment hosted the COTE Open Forum. COTE Chair Robin Puttock led a dynamic conversation featuring the two most recent ...

AIA Materials Pledge @ AIA25

By Eana Bacchiocchi posted 06-11-2025
AIA Materials Pledge community, We've officially wrapped up our second official year of Materials Pledge reporting with vast increases in number of firms projects, and total GSF reported. Additionally, earlier this month, several AIA Materials Pledge staff and Working Group attended AIA25 in Boston to talk about materials reporting, Sustainability and Materials Action Plans, connecting both AIA climate pledge programs, and more! Hear more on the sessions and presentations given: Material Matters: Integrating Materials Into Sustainability Action Plans This session brought together small, medium, and large firm representatives to share their experiences ...

Take Action: Contact Senators: Protect Clean Energy Tax Credits, good for communities and businesses

By Kira L. Gould Hon. AIA posted 06-11-2025
Here's another way to TAKE ACTION to support healthy communities, clean energy, and thriving economies: If you care about clean energy, it’s urgent you contact your senators. Trump’s Big Beautiful Budget will gut the clean energy economy and clean energy tax credit, while adding $2.4 Trillion to the deficit . Over the past three years, companies have announced plans to invest more than $843 billion in clean energy projects, driven by tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act. The budget being considered by the Senate will eliminate those tax credits. Please call and email your senators as soon as possible. Ask your friends and family to do the same. ...

Congratulations to the 2025 COTE Top Ten Award winners!

By Alyssa M. Murphy AIA posted 06-10-2025
The COTE community is celebrating this year’s Top Ten Awards, announced at the AIA Awards Gala in Boston on June 5. For more than 25 years, the Top Ten has become synonymous with the highest achievement in sustainable design excellence. Once focused on highlighting specific aspects of achievement, it’s clear that the principle of integration sets these projects apart. This year’s Top Ten all demonstrate a systems-thinking mindset; each is a strategic intervention integrated into its community in a way that invites broader conversations—about education, equity, infrastructure, and adaptation. The buildings’ architecture activates its users as participants, ...