Blogs

IAKC May Letter from the chair: Candice Rabovsky, AIA & Bob Dillon, AIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 05-06-2026
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Happy May from the IAKC committee! We have a busy few months ahead starting with our next Knowledge Salon on May 19. May also marks the end of our inaugural Interior Elevations Mentorship Program , and our mentors and mentees will soon convene to share what they have learned. If you're interested in joining the next cohort in the fall as a mentor or mentee (or both), please let us know. We’d love to have you join us and share your knowledge with other interior architecture professionals. And lest we forget, June is just around the corner! AIA26 in San Diego will take place June 10-13, where the IAKC is sponsoring multiple events. Please join ...
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April Member Spotlight: Jonathan Ward, FAIA, & Ghazal Khezri

By Alison Karfeld posted 04-06-2026
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As NBBJ’s Firmwide Design Leader and Design Partner, Jonathan Ward, FAIA, champions design excellence through an integrated, collaborative approach. Over three decades, he has led award-winning projects worldwide—from BlackRock, Tencent, and Samsung headquarters to health care, science, civic, and sports facilities. His work blends visionary design with human experience, creating healthy, sustainable environments that engage people and place. Widely published and honored by the AIA, RIBA, and others, Jonathan is also a frequent lecturer, juror, and critic internationally. Ghazal Khezri is an Architect, Educator, and Director at LOHA, based ...
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IAKC April Letter from the chair: Candice Rabovsky, AIA & Bob Dillon, AIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 04-06-2026
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Dear IAKC members and colleagues, As spring unfolds, our community's energy and collaboration continue to grow. The recent AIAU course, Engineering Equity—coming soon on demand—featured Kieran Timberlake’s Interdisciplinary Engineering Building at the University of Washington and its emphasis on equitable design at all levels of stakeholder engagement. Speaking of learning and engagement, have you registered for AIA26 in San Diego? IAKC will host our annual forum highlighting this year’s emerging themes in interior architecture. Mark your calendars for Thursday, June 11 from 4-5pm. We hope to see you there! In addition to the ...
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IAKC March Letter from the chair: Candice Rabovsky, AIA & Bob Dillon, AIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 03-03-2026
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Hello everyone, As mentioned last month we have a lot planned for 2026! We met with AIA Interior Architecture local chapters from around the country during our February Knowledge Sharing Salon to talk about past successes and future goals. Join us on March 17 th for another great conversation. On March 19th we also have our first IAKC sponsored CEU of the year entitled “ Engineering Equity: The Design Process and Outcomes of the University of Washington's Interdisciplinary Engineering Building.” Alex Olevitch of KieranTimberlake will join us to discuss his firm’s approach to the design of the new Interdisciplinary Engineering building at the University ...
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IAKC February Letter from the co-chairs: Candice Rabovsky, AIA & Bob Dillon, AIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 02-10-2026
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It is our first IAKC newsletter of the year and we hope this finds you well. The start of this new year has been difficult and there is a lot to process as we navigate these challenging times. Our thoughts are with our colleagues who have been directly affected. We are grateful to each of you and the commitment we have collectively made to creating spaces that foster equity, safety, and community. Last year, IAKC experienced great growth in the content we created, resources provided, and engagement fostered around interior architecture. We focused our efforts on a framework of education, engagement, and mentorship that we plan to continue into 2026. ...
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December Member Spotlight: Dave Robar, AIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 12-03-2025
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Dave Robar, AIA, grew up in rural Michigan, developing a love of the outdoors, fishing in ponds and wading in swamps to capture and play with every creature possible. With the freedom to experiment with building things outdoors, including tree forts and hidden underground dens in what seemed like far-away places at the time, in retrospect he was developing a keen sense of nature and our interwoven relationship to it. At the same time, coupled with a love of making art, Dave’s first exposure to architecture was watching father/architect Mike Brady on The Brady Bunch , using his built-in problem solving skills to help every challenging situation have a better ...
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November Member Spotlight: Kitty Yuen, AIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 11-04-2025
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Kitty Yuen, AIA, NCIDQ, NCARB Denver Office Director | Cuningham Born in Hong Kong and shaped by a lifetime of global travel, Kitty Yuen’s passion for architecture is deeply rooted in her curiosity about cultures and people. Guided by the belief that design is a form of cultural anthropology, Kitty approaches each project as a journey of exploration—deeply engaging with her clients’ business, work styles, and environments to craft spaces that resonate. With over 30 years of experience, Kitty brings a visionary approach to concept design for corporate campuses, headquarters, academic institutions, and civic spaces. Her leadership has helped ...
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IAKC October Letter from the co-chairs, Yutaka Takiura, AIA & Candice Rabovsky, AIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 09-26-2025
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Dear AIA IAKC Members and Colleagues, As the leaves turn and we embrace the crisp energy of October, we are thrilled to connect with you. This month, we're excited to share updates on our ongoing initiatives, including the AIAU webinar " Designing for All: Creating Inclusive and Compliant Restroom Spaces ," presented by Joel Sanders, FAIA, on October 14. Additionally, our monthly knowledge-sharing salon, led by Tim Hawk, FAIA, will take place on October 21. If you're interested in attending the salon session, please don't hesitate to contact us at interiors@aia.org. Looking ahead, we have a significant event planned: Our virtual ...
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October Member Spotlight: Yutaka Takiura, AIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 09-26-2025
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In a world where the spaces we inhabit profoundly shape our lives and connections, I find myself at a remarkable intersection of innovation and education in architecture. As the 2025 co-chair of the AIA Interior Architecture Knowledge Community (IAKC), I am deeply passionate about cultivating a sense of community among fellow AIA members. Architecture, with its transformative power, transcends mere structures; it becomes a catalyst for enriching experiences that weave us together. I invite you to join me on this journey, as we explore how thoughtful design can reshape our realities and inspire future generations to dream beyond boundaries. My path began ...
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IAKC September Letter from the co-chairs, Yutaka Takiura, AIA & Candice Rabovsky, AIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 09-04-2025
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Dear Members of the Interior Architecture Knowledge Community, September is here, and it's officially back-to-school season—not only for kids but also for IAKC. This fall, we have several exciting educational opportunities to earn CEUs, learn from each other, and share what we’re doing in interior architecture. We’ll continue our at-large calls, where each month we cover a different topic for learning and discussion in a salon-style format. These occur on the third Tuesday of each month, and all are welcome to participate. In October, IAKC is hosting an AIAU course with Joel Sanders from Stalled! on creating safe, sustainable, and inclusive public ...
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September Member Spotlight: Katie Irwin, AIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 09-02-2025
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As an architect and interior designer with a deep interest in historic preservation, Katie Irwin, AIA, IIDA, LEED AP is a principal at Quinn Evans in the Washington, DC office. A native of New Jersey, she came down to the University of Maryland and received a dual degree with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture, a Bachelor of Arts in Art History, immediately followed by a Master of Architecture with a Certificate in Historic Preservation. Though honed in her college years, her interest in historic buildings began with childhood trips to Victorian house museums and the summer “cottages” of the Gilded Age. Katie worked as an intern at Quinn Evans, known for ...
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IAKC August Letter from the co-chairs, Yutaka Takiura, AIA & Candice Rabovsky, AIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 08-01-2025
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Letter from the co-chairs Dear Members of the Interior Architecture Knowledge Community, We hope you are enjoying the summer and finding time to recharge. As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of our community, we are thrilled by the momentum growing within our network. Our monthly Knowledge Sharing Salons continue to foster idea exchange and meaningful dialogue. In this newsletter, we highlight two exceptional presentations from recent salons that have enriched our collective knowledge. Looking ahead, we have exciting opportunities for connection this fall, including CEU events, a mentorship program launch, and more salon sessions. If you would like ...
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July Member Spotlight: John Paquin, AIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 06-25-2025
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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, ...
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IAKC July Letter from the co-chairs, Yutaka Takiura, AIA & Candice Rabovsky, AIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 06-25-2025
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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 ...
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IAKC AIA25 Recap

By Alison Karfeld posted 06-25-2025
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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 ...
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IAKC May Letter from the co-chairs, Yutaka Takiura, AIA & Candice Rabovsky, AIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 04-24-2025
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Dear IAKC Members, As May greets us, we extend our warmest wishes to each of you. This year marks a momentous milestone—our 50th anniversary—and we are excited to celebrate this journey with you. The spaces we inhabit are profoundly significant, and the artistry of our interiors shapes our most immediate environment. We invite you to engage in inspiring dialogues within our community! Join us for our monthly At-Large meeting on the third Tuesday of every month. We delve into a tapestry of diverse topics that enrich our shared passion. Don't hesitate to contact Isabella Rosse, Director at AIA, at interiors@aia.org for a meeting ...
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May Member Spotlight: Candice Rabovsky, AIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 04-24-2025
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With over 25 years of experience in interior architecture, Candice brings a wealth of knowledge, creativity, and leadership to the AIA’s Interior Architecture Knowledge Community (IAKC), where she currently serves as co-chair. Now in her third year in the IAKC leadership group, Candice is a passionate advocate for thoughtful, forward-thinking, human-centered design in the interior environment. A native Marylander, Candice was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in the “DMV” (D.C., and its Maryland and Virginia suburbs). Candice’s architectural journey started her freshman year of high school in a drafting class. Here she experienced true flow, losing ...
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IAKC April Letter from the co-chairs, Yutaka Takiura, AIA & Candice Rabovsky, AIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 04-04-2025
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Dear Interior Architecture Knowledge Community Members, As we step into this season of renewal and growth, we are excited about the momentum the IAKC has seen in recent months and look forward to the upcoming initiatives planned as we head into spring and summer. We met some new faces at our March At-Large meeting and hope to see more of you at these monthly meetings where we can share ideas, projects, and best practices while also learning from each other. Coming up in June at the AIA25 Conference on Architecture in Boston , the Interior Architecture Knowledge Community will host our annual forum highlighting some of the winners from last year’s Interior ...
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April Member Spotlight: Dane Rausch, AIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 04-04-2025
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Having grown up in rural Wisconsin, surrounded by farmland, Dane Rausch, AIA became keenly aware of the spatial changes that occurred with the seasons. He experienced vast open fields covered in snow, replaced by row upon row of budding crops that continued to grow into tall stalks of corn, enclosing his childhood home. This sense of continuously changing spatial configurations and the impact it has on the emotional connection one has to space are foundational to his work in design and architecture. Throughout his youth, he explored different aspects of space from fort building in the woods to corn mazes in the fields. These explorations were reinforced upon ...
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March Member Spotlight: Bob Dillon, AIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 03-03-2025
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Hello. My name is Bob Dillon, and I am a registered architect and the Quality Assurance Director for Vocon Architects New York City office. The thing I like about my job is that it allows me the opportunity to share my three decades of professional experience in the design, execution, and management of Interior architecture projects with a staff of up-and-coming architects and designers. Education and mentoring are my passions, and I lean into opportunities to share all the things I have learned (including the mistakes) with a young group of talented architects and designers. Growing up outside of Chicago, I was fascinated by spatial relationships ...
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