The Public Architecture Symposium, held in conjunction with the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design 2025, in Boston, MA, will examine how public policies impact communities and the architects at multiple scales. Today’s architects design buildings and settings for civic enhancement, for community well-being, for a sustainable future, cultural recognition – all while adapting to rapid changes in business practices and the global economy. The symposium, organized by the Public Architects Committee, will gather experts working on public architecture projects and programs to share their knowledge and best practices for implementing and developing public policies aimed at the adaptation, regeneration, resiliency and repair of our built environment.
The theme of the Symposium recognizes the omnipresent influence of social media, the ever- changing climatic conditions and the need for meaningful preservation of our diverse cultural legacy.
Please register through the AIA25 website. More details are below:
- Are you already attending AIA25? Register for the ultimate, full, or one-day conference pass at AIA25, then you'll select this all-day symposium as an add-on for $149.
- Are you not attending AIA25? If you are only planning to attend this symposium, you can get a symposia-only pass for $279.
- Everyone: Whichever pass you choose, all registrations should be done on conferenceonarchitecture.com - use this link to register. Look for this event under "Workshops & Symposia", and select "SYM103 - Public Architects Symposium". Please note that prices will go up after the early bird deadline of April 9!
Call for Project Images- more detail under 12:15-lunch
Full Schedule
8:45am-opening remarks
9:00am-10:00am
The Great Building of 20th-Century Boston: It’s a Landmark!
Speaker:
Gary Wolf, FAIA
Principal
Wolf Architects, Inc.
As the winning entry in a design competition that drew 256 entries, Boston’s new City Hall instantly signaled a city embracing the future. This paper presents that story, from the design by three young architects through the early acclaim, including hosting a celebratory Bicentennial luncheon for Queen Elizabeth. It will trace the changing opinions about modernism and monumentality that culminated in the threat to sell or demolish City Hall in 2006, which spurred nearly two decades of advocacy—efforts that led to a Getty-funded Conservation Management Plan, an initial round of sympathetic renovations, the reconfiguration of City Hall plaza, and, finally, the building’s recent designation as a Boston Landmark. This paper draws on the author’s 2007 petition to landmark Boston City Hall and his work curating a major exhibition of the building’s architectural drawings timed to coincide with the last AIA National Convention in Boston in 2008.
10:00-10:15am
Break
10:15-11:15am
The Public University: Driving the Future
Public institutions of higher education are essential tools of state government for driving innovation and economic development. While each state has a unique character, regulatory environment and strategic approach toward physical planning and capital funding, most pursue similar long-term goals – to offer affordable, high-quality education that prepares students for future jobs. In addition, most public universities face similar capital challenges: the need to modernize pedagogical technology and support modern research and student life while managing aging academic buildings and infrastructure, much of it built during the 1970’s, that now require major upgrades. In this session presenters will explore how two state institutions - University of Massachusetts Amherst and University of Buffalo – develop long-term and multi-level capital project programs that leverage their unique physical campus and academic excellence to drive innovation and create vibrant, future-focused communities that are aligned with state priorities.
Speakers:
Adam Baacke
Commissioner, Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM)
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Kelly Hayes-McAlonie, FAIA, LEED AP
Director of Campus Planning
University of Buffalo
Douglas Marshall, AIA
Assistant Director for Campus Planning
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
Ludmilla Pavlova-Gillham, FAIA, LEED AP
Senior Campus Planner and Architect
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
Glenn Ryan, AIA, NCARB, OSHA (Moderator)
Associate Director of Capital Project Management, Design and Construction
University of Maryland
11:15am-12:15pm
An Update on Federal Real Estate - Changes and Challenges
A significant shift is occurring in federal real estate, with nearly every aspect now under review. This includes the return to office, measuring and reporting building utilization, relocating agencies, and disposing of federal properties. The government is effectively rewriting the playbook in this space. This presentation will provide an overview of the latest developments on these topics, with particular emphasis on the disposition of federal buildings nationwide.
Speaker:
Adam Bodnar
Principal
ABodner Consulting
12:15-1:45pm
Networking lunch and Pecha Kucha style presentations (project slide show)
Hear about recent public sector projects that have the visual power to inspire, excite and engage the community which they serve.
Call for project images
The PAKC invites its members and the wider allied professional design community attending the PA Symposium to submit images of your recent public sector projects that have visual power to inspire, excite, and engage the community they serve. During the networking lunch, there will be a Pecha Cucha-style presentation format where those who submitted images will be able to speak for 20 seconds about their project.
Learn more and submit
1:45-2:45pm
Creating Connection, Creating Community
In this lecture, Kun Lim shares his journey from a farming village in Kedah, Malaysia, to designing award-winning public spaces. His childhood home—built by his father using locally sourced materials—inspired his belief in sustainable, community-focused architecture. The open space in front of his house naturally became a gathering place, shaping his understanding of how spaces foster connections. While studying architecture at the University of Houston, he designed an addition to a railway station, reinforcing his interest in public spaces. In the late 80s, as a design team member at The Hillier Group in Princeton, he worked on the New Jersey State Aquarium, further shaping his vision of public buildings as inclusive, welcoming spaces that encourage community interaction. Through two major projects in Kuala Lumpur—the Sky Arena Sports Complex, a 500,000-square-foot multi-functional sports facility, and the Tzu Chi Campus, a 350,000-square-foot convention and education center—Kun Lim demonstrates how his design philosophy integrates community engagement, social sustainability, and environmental responsibility.
Both projects have earned awards, including the Best Public Architecture Award in Asia Pacific (Sky Arena Sports Complex) and the ASEAN Energy Award for Public Building (Tzu Chi Campus, 2022).
Speaker:
Kun Lim
Design Principal
Kun Lim Studio, LLC Seattle
Kun Lim Architect, Kuala Lumpur
3:00-4:00pm
Architecture of Civic Sustainability
As recent policy shifts at the federal level continue to evolve, our commitment to addressing the climate crisis remains unwavering. This raises a crucial question: How can we establish priorities, set goals, and develop effective practices and strategies with government municipalities at all levels to achieve meaningful sustainability outcomes? This session will delve into the implementation of best practices in civic architecture aimed at promoting sustainability within governmental frameworks. Participants will gain valuable insights into the pivotal roles of sustainability and environmental design across the federal, state, and local levels. Through a series of specific case studies, we will investigate advancements in zero-emission building codes, pertinent legislation, and the significant contributions architects make in influencing policy and regulatory changes that advance building decarbonization.
Additionally, we will explore various approaches and processes for integrating sustainability strategies from the outset, ensuring they are maintained throughout the project lifecycle and not value-engineered out at the end.
Speakers:
Eric Corey Freed, RA, LFA, LEED Fellow, EcoDistricts AP
Principal, Sustainability Director
CannonDesign
Anica Landreneau
Global Sustainable Design Director
HOK
Julia Laue, FAIA, LEED AP
City Architect & Bureau Manager
San Francisco Public Works
Paul Woolford, FAIA
Design Principal
HOK
2:45-3:00pm
Break
Learning units
Attendees can earn 6.00 LUs/HSW for attending the whole day