Calendar

DesignDC Timeframes and Logisitcs:

Proposals are due by July 31, 2026, at 4:00 pm.

Sessions (lectures) selected from this Call for Proposals will be presented live and in-person at the MLK Library on October 27 and 28, 2026. Selected sessions must total 60 minutes in length. 

Tours will be given in-person on October 29, 2026.

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

Architecture is shaped by change and has the power to shape the city in return. 

AIA|DC invites session proposals from architects and design professionals for our 2026 conference exploring the theme "Architecture as a Tool for Change.” Please submit entries for education sessions and tours that explore new approaches, existing best practices, and design strategies in response to the significant evolving design challenges in the DC metro area. This conference will highlight practical lessons, emerging ideas, and collaborative approaches that are transforming the profession and improving outcomes for our communities. 

Whether your session explores innovative practice, regulatory reform, emerging technology, or lessons learned from a challenging project, we encourage proposals that demonstrate how architecture can serve as a catalyst for positive change. Priority will be given to sessions that focus on: 

• Policy and regulatory change in Washington, DC, including permitting, planning, zoning, preservation, sustainability, and development policies. 
  Working with regulatory agencies, including insights into successful collaboration with review bodies such as the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB), National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), the National Park Service (NPS) and other agencies involved in project approvals. 
   
• The impact of artificial intelligence on architecture, including design workflows, project delivery, practice management, ethics, visualization, and emerging opportunities and challenges. 
   
• Permitting and project delivery, with strategies for navigating permitting delays, coordinating agency reviews, and improving project timelines. 
  Lessons from successful projects, highlighting case studies that overcame significant design, regulatory, technical, financial, or community engagement challenges.  
   
  We welcome proposals from architects, designers, planners, engineers, landscape architects, developers, public officials, educators, researchers, contractors, owners, and other professionals whose work demonstrates architecture's capacity to both overcome challenges and create meaningful change. 
  
  Strong proposals will:
• Share practical, transferable lessons.
• Address current and emerging issues affecting the profession.
• Include diverse voices and multidisciplinary perspectives.
• Encourage audience engagement and discussion.
• Demonstrate measurable outcomes or actionable insights. 
   
   
  Sessions can include:
• Individual presentations
• Panel discussions
• Interactive workshops
• Facilitated conversations
• Site and building tours