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AIA Practice Management Digest - June 2026

By Eva Read-Warden, AIA posted 6 days ago
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Financial Discipline How systems, strategy, and everyday decisions shape more profitable, resilient architecture practices Letter from the editor By Eva Read-Warden, AIA, Principal, Arkitex Studio Stewart Brand, in his book Maintenance: Of Everything, Part One , explores the art, science, and civilizational importance of maintenance. The book uses diverse examples, from the 1968 Golden Globe solo sailing race to military weaponry and vehicle repair, to argue that maintenance is a radical act of responsibility, essential for keeping everything running on nearly every level. This look at maintenance is both practical and philosophical ...
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Leadership beneath the surface: Jeffrey Huber on practice, profit, and discipline

By Jaime Sobrino, FAIA posted 6 days ago
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by Jaime Sobrino, FAIA Editor's note: Coming to AIA26? Join us on Friday for a deeper dive into these topics: Jeff Huber, FAIA is our Practice Management Luncheon speaker! Learn more > Architectural leadership is often visible only through its outcomes—design awards, built work, and reputation. What remains unseen are the systems, decisions, and discipline that make consistent excellence possible. In a candid conversation with Jaime Sobrino, Jeffrey Huber, a recently named partner of Brooks Scarpa Huber (formerly Brooks + Scarpa) reflected on what firm leadership requires—and what architects often misunderstand about it. Huber does not ...
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Why most architecture firms bleed — and what to do about it

By Darguin Fortuna, AIA posted 6 days ago
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By Darguin Fortuna, AIA, Alyse Makarewicz, AIA & Joshua Zinder, AIA Part 1: The problem nobody names out loud By Darguin Fortuna, AIA Architecture school teaches you how to design buildings. It rarely teaches you how to run a firm. That gap — between design excellence and practice sustainability — is where most small firms live. In this gap firms are not failing dramatically but eroding quietly, one uncompensated revision at a time. One scope addition is absorbed as goodwill. One initial consultation is given away for free. The work is excellent. The clients are often satisfied. And at the end of the year, the numbers don't work ...
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Why architecture firms stay stuck in the boom-bust cycle (and how to break it)

By Eva Read-Warden, AIA posted 6 days ago
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By Ryan Sullivan, PE Architecture firms operate within an inherently cyclical environment. Project demand is influenced by broader economic conditions, including interest rates, access to capital, and development activity. While these external forces cannot be controlled, many firms experience a recurring pattern of instability that extends beyond macroeconomic cycles. This pattern, often described as a “boom-bust” cycle, is not solely the result of market conditions. In many cases, it is reinforced by internal business practices, including reactive pipeline management, insufficient profit margins, lack of forecasting, minimal reserves, and ...
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Getting paid without getting sued

By Eva Read-Warden, AIA posted 6 days ago
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Introduction by Eva M. Read-Warden, AIA, PM Digest Editor As a firm owner it is part of my job to watch the books. How does that Accounts Receivable report look? What is the percentage of invoices that are being paid in a timely manner, and why are there those lingering past-due amounts? It seems like a simple concept: we agree to do work for a client, we do the work, then we invoice for the work. One critical part remains: the client must pay the bill! For design and architecture firms, securing timely payment is not just a financial necessity—it can be a critical risk-management indicator. Payment delays or disputes are often the first ...
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Embedding circularity in your design process

By Melanie De Cola posted 12 days ago
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Article 1 authors: Melanie De Cola, AIA Director of Climate Action Pledge Programs, LEED Green Associate; Brad Guy, AIA , of Material Reuse LLC ; and Rodolfo Perez, Ph.D. of IWBI | All photos curtesy of Brad Guy. AIA’s Architecture & Design Materials Pledge is the result of years of convers ation between m emb e rs , manufacturer s , and mindfulMaterials , and remai n s root ed in the Common M aterials Framework (CMF) . The CMF w as co-created t o suppo rt all those interested in holis tically better materials , how to ...
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AIA 2026 CAE Spring Conference Reflections

By Alison Karfeld posted 19 days ago
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From April 28 through May 1, education planners, architects, designers, educators, and thought leaders from across the country gathered in Seattle for the 2026 AIA Committee on Architecture for Education Spring Conference. Centered around the theme Designing Belonging: Reciprocity, Resilience, and Regeneration, this year’s conference invited attendees to explore how educational environments can strengthen connections between people, place, and community across the continuum of lifelong learning. Set against the backdrop of the Puget Sound region, known for its dramatic natural landscapes, ecological stewardship, cultural diversity, and spirit of innovation, ...
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Post-Chicago COD Spring Conference Update: Third Places – Architecture that Belongs to Everyone

By Alison Karfeld posted 20 days ago
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OPC Obama Presidential Center Image: TWBTA, Antonio Dickey Rubenstein: University of Chicago, David Rubenstein Forum Image: Patrik Argast It was with great excitement that we welcomed nearly 100 AIA Committee on Design (COD) members to the 2026 Spring Conference in Chicago last month . Grounded in a shared commitment to design excellence, COD continues to champion the idea that experiencing architecture together—and in context—fosters a deeper understanding of the built environment. This year’s conference explored “Third Places – Architecture that Belongs to Everyone,” focusing on spaces that support ...
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RUDC Letter from the Chair (May, 2026)

By Alison Karfeld posted 05-06-2026
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RUDC is excited to announce that the Call for Speakers is now open for the RUDC Symposium this fall, developed in partnership with the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture as part of the Intersections Conference . We’re also looking ahead to our gathering next month at the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design 2026 in San Diego. Together, these events represent important opportunities to elevate the role of urban design across practice, research, and civic engagement. RUDC Symposium 2026 — Call for Speakers This year's symposium will take place October 1–3, 2026, in New York ...
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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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RUDC Insight Article: An Urban Design Lens: City Parks and Community-Shared Green Spaces

By Alison Karfeld posted 05-01-2026
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City parks and community-shared green spaces are a critical part of the infrastructure of a city. City-park land is renowned as a public and urban recreational land use with potential benefits to the local ecological system, stormwater management, and overall human well-being. Increasingly, these places have been acknowledged by cities as urban development assets within the evolution of public spaces in downtowns, providing positive economic, environmental, and community-driven impacts. Challenges in creating sustainable, resilient, and inclusive development in the downtowns of cities of all sizes are being framed within the future of city parks and ...
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My experience in CCA: An interview with Shaili Patel-Legge, AIA

By Shaili Patel, AIA posted 05-01-2026
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By Shaili Patel-Legge, AIA, responding to questions shared by CCA leadership Name / Title / Company / Years in the profession Shaili Patel-Legge, Architect, Colby Company, LLC, 12+ What gets you up in the morning to go to work? What are you passionate about? I love what I do; the challenge to solve a problem is invigorating. I find joy in understanding how the world is built, from the big picture items to the small details of nuts and bolts – life is all about learning, staying curious, and trying to make things a bit better than how I found them. Who are you outside of work? I am a military spouse, prior service member ...
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May 2026 AIA Corporate Partners COTE Newsletter Article: James Hardie

By Ellie Falcon posted 04-30-2026
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Building Resilience with Fiber Cement Siding: Insights from James Hardie Discover how fiber cement siding—drawing on practices from James Hardie—enhances building resilience and sustainability. Explore practical design strategies and key benefits for architects and designers seeking durable, long-term solutions. Building Resilience: Sustainable Strategies with Fiber Cement Extreme weather and shifting climate patterns are driving a new era in building design — one where architects and designers must deliver structures that remain durable, resource-efficient, and resilient. Sustainability now demands more than just energy efficiency ...
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AIA IDKC Project Spotlight: Scarsdale Synagogue

By Alison Karfeld posted 04-30-2026
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Image: Joshua Zinder What and where is this project? Scarsdale Synagogue, Scarsdale, NY The congregation of Scarsdale Synagogue sought to redesign their sanctuary to meet 21st century accessibility and flexibility needs. The original 3,500 SF sanctuary was barn-like with a wooden silo, an interior space filled with steps, tiered seating, and hard surfaces; these elements made the space inaccessible, acoustically challenged, and dark. Image (left): Landau | Zinder Architecture Image (right): Ryan Bowlby The design team recentered and reimagined the sanctuary to be more ...
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What it means to save a brick: Sustainability in Texoma

By Ellen Mitchell, AIA posted 04-24-2026
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Ellen Mitchell, AIA, interviews Joe Ross, AIA, about what sustainability in rural Texas can tell us. Mitchell is the 2026 chair of the Committee on the Environment . This article is part of a series that she hopes will bring more voices to the sustainability conversation. In some parts of the country, the renewable energy revolution can be very abstract and invisible. Not so along the Red River, which is the dividing line between Texas and Oklahoma. In this area, there are wind turbines as far as the eye can see, and solar arrays spread across pastureland. Small, rural school districts receive new tax revenue while neighbors debate what development ...
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Practice management content at AIA26

By Emma Tucker posted 04-23-2026
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If you are coming to the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design (AIA26) this year (June 10-13 in San Diego), there is an official PMKC event plus many more great sessions to consider! This guide provides you with an inside look at some of the sessions and events that PMKC members might be most interested in. If you work in a small firm, you might also be interested in the Small Firm Exchange's guide to Conference . Also make sure you visit the Prosper Zone on the Expo Floor for a curated cluster of related exhibitors, covering topics such as firm management, finance, careers, business development, interest rates, inflation, and succession planning ...
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Climate Action at AIA26 | The COTE Guide to the AIA Conference

By bruce boul posted 04-22-2026
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COTE’s Climate Action Guide to AIA26 Climate Action, Community, and Connection in San Diego June 10–13, 2026 | San Diego The AIA Conference on Architecture returns to San Diego June 10–13, and the AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) Leadership Group—alongside many COTE volunteers, members, and allied groups across the COTE Network—is looking forward to gathering once again. Each year, the conference offers more than CE credits and keynote moments. It is a chance for the COTE community to reconnect, exchange ideas, celebrate design leadership, and continue advancing our shared work around climate action, resilience, and ...
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CAE-related content at AIA26

By Alison Karfeld posted 04-21-2026
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If you're coming to AIA26, there are so many great tours, sessions, and expo highlights to consider! This guide provides you with an inside look at other CAE-relevant content that you might be most interested in. Tours June 10 UC San Diego Campus Transformation: A Walking Tour | ET152 Point Loma Nazarene University Science Center Tour | ET137 Big Impact, Mid-Size Firm: Studio E at UC San Diego | ET104 Shaping Snapdragon: Inside a New Campus District's Anchor Stadium | ET129 San Diego High School Administration/Academic Building & Campus Quads | ET126 Transforming Student Life: UCSD's Award-Winning ...
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It is time for the 2030 Commitment to evolve.

By Daniel Overbey, AIA posted 04-15-2026
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By Daniel Overbey, AIA , NCARB, LEED Fellow (BD+C, ID+C, O+M), WELL AP and Jacob Werner, AIA , LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, LFA, CPHC | AIA 2030 Commitment’s 2026 Co-Chairs Since the AIA 2030 Commitment launched in 2009, the program has become the architecture profession’s primary scale of progress for reducing the built environment’s carbon emissions. The Commitment began by creating a shared framework for measuring the energy performance of design projects at the portfolio scale . Over the past 15 years, that framework has done its job . Over ...
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