Calendar

You are welcome to submit multiple proposals. Please submit one proposal form for each presentation or tour. Proposals are due by May 1, 2025, at 4:00 pm.

DesignDC: Green is the New Black - Resilient Design for an Uncertain World

As the world confronts the challenges of climate change and environmental degradation, DC’s architecture and design practitioners continue to evolve. The theme of "Green is the New Black" calls upon innovative solutions to shape the built environment in a way that is sustainable, and forward-thinking. How can architecture lead the way to foster a more resilient city—and planet—during uncertain environmental and socioeconomic times?

We invite architects and design professionals across the industry to submit entries for lectures and tours that explore new approaches and existing best practices that highlight responsive design strategies and the integration of green technologies into architecture.

Special consideration will be given to sessions and tours that address one or more of the following areas:

Tips and Tricks to Start Building a Resilience Practice

• How can your fellow practitioners start the process of greening their practice? What codes and regulations should they be aware of?
• What are effective ways to talk to clients about the benefits of, and economic arguments for, green design?
• What tools already exist for benchmarking, metrics, and funding green projects?

Resilient Design in a Volatile Climate

• How can architecture prepare for and withstand extreme weather events? Case studies that anticipate climate-related challenges including extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and fluctuating temperatures are welcome.
• How can design firms remain resilient and nimble during times of growing uncertainty and shifting priorities?
• How can practitioners design for cultural sustainability?

Sustainable Materials and Energy-Efficient Design

• How can the lifecycle of a building be reimagined for sustainability? How can architects design for adaptability, reuse, and resource-efficient deconstruction to ensure that buildings serve generations?
• What are best practices for the use of sustainable materials and cutting-edge technologies to create spaces that minimize their carbon footprint while maximizing occupant comfort?

DesignDC Timeframes and Logisitcs:

Proposals are due by May 1, 2025, at 4:00 pm.

Sessions (lectures) selected from this Call for Proposals will be presented live and in-person at the District Architecture Center on October 1, 2025. Selected sessions must total 60 minutes in length, with ~50 minutes of instruction followed by ~10 minutes of Q&A. 

Tours will be given in-person on October 2, 2025, from 2:00-4:00pm.

All presenters and tour guides will receive complimentary conference registration. Presenters and guides are not required to be members of AIA|DC.