Architecture as Freedom features the design of five regional offices across rural Bangladesh constructed for BRAC, the world’s largest non-governmental development organization.

A broader philosophical motivation undergirded the design: How do we create buildings that offer its primary clients—poor rural communities who come to BRAC offices to receive different services—an experience of hope and freedom? These projects highlight architecture’s ability to play transformative roles in spatializing freedom by ensuring people’s unobstructed accessibility and movement, thermal and social comfort, and by creating spaces where their ability to co-design development solutions is enhanced.

About BRAC

The Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) was founded in 1972. This organization seeks to create a “world free from all forms of exploitation and discrimination where everyone has the opportunity to realize their potential.” This globally known organization works in 11 countries, including Bangladesh, to eliminate extreme poverty and empower people with financial mobility and capacity building.

Acknowledgments

Architecture as Freedom is organized by The Catholic University of America School of Architecture and Planning with the Centre for Inclusive Architecture and Urbanism (Ci+AU) at BRAC University in cooperation with the District Architecture Center for the SIGAL Gallery.

Curator: Adnan Z Morshed, PhD
Co-curators: Md. Faysal Kabir and S.M. Shafaiet Mahmud
Research Assistants: Esrat Jahan Onty, Adnan Sakib, Juliana Dimeglio, Brad Tigges, Tawsif Munawar, and Sadia Ishtiaque, Juliana Keagle, MaryJane Hughes, Melissa Kazanci, Noshin Tasfia Proma, Matthew Zernis, Juan Soto, Braden Gilmore

_{Photo Credit
Roofscape, BRAC office, Jhikargacha, Jashore / Photo © Asif Salman}

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing how artists make art. And it’s disrupting the art world. Here, the boundaries between human influence and machine creation are clouded. But AI brings imagination to life in new and innovative ways, and the results may surprise you.

Ricardo J. Rodríguez De Santiago knows a little something about AI-generated art. With more than 8,000 digital artworks, you might call him obsessed. He works with text-to-image algorithms to create images he describes as “present futures.” For him, AI is a generative tool that is experimental and iterative, even controversial—and that's OK.

With this exhibition, the artist presents a collection of AI-generated images that raise questions on architecture, climate change, and politics in his native Puerto Rico. Using the power of AI, Ricardo creates imaginary worlds framed between pain and recovery to highlight Puerto Rican resilience in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Fiona.

Selected Images

<sub>Satellites (left)

FEMA—Faded Echoes, Muted Actions (top right)

Post Apocalyptic Before the Storm (bottom right)</sub>

About the Artist

Ricardo J. Rodríguez De Santiago (@bytesandmortar) is known for his thought-provoking and progressive insights into the architecture and technology realms. His 15-plus years of architectural experience began in his native Puerto Rico. Since 2018, Ricardo has held several leadership roles connected to the American Institute of Architects. Accolades include National Top 50 Adoption Leader, Young Architect of the Year, and Emerging Architect of the Year. He has also lectured extensively in the US and abroad.

Ricardo, a progressive thinker and critic, brings a distinct perspective to the exhibition. Notably, he holds a specialized certificate in Entrepreneurship & Innovation from Harvard Business School Online, complementing his Bachelor of Architecture from the Universidad Politécnica de Puerto Rico.

Acknowledgments

Ricardo J. Rodríguez De Santiago: Present Futures is organized by the District Architecture Center in collaboration with @BytesandMortar for the Suman Sorg Gallery. The exhibition is made possible with generous support from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Additional support is provided by Sustaining Firm Affiliate Members.

The 2023 Awards Show combines award-winning projects from two of AIA|DC’s largest competitions:

• Chapter Design Awards
• Washingtonian Residential Design Awards

Each year, our competitions recognize practitioners who demonstrate excellence in design. Projects are selected by distinguished juries of design professionals based outside of the Washington metropolitan region.

Congratulations to all the 2023 winners!

2023 Chapter Design Awards

The Chapter Design Awards not only illustrate the wide variety of services performed by architects but also demonstrate the value of good design.

The annual AIA|DC Chapter Design Awards competition is open exclusively to registered architects and invites submissions in four distinct project categories: Architecture, Interior Architecture, Historic Resources, and Urban Design/Master Planning. The jury may then recommend one of the following: Citations in the areas of Sustainable Design, Universal Design, Design and Wellbeing, and Urban Catalyst; Award; and Grand Award.

Jury

Jennifer Yoos, FAIA, LEED AP / VJAA: Minneapolis, MN
Adam Yarinski FAIA / Architecture Research Office: New York, NY
Michael Frederick, AIA / Frederick + Frederick: Beaufort, SC
Amy Gilbertson FAIA / Trivers: St. Louis, MO
David Darling FAIA / Aidlin Darling Design: San Francisco, CA

Winners

Architecture

• ADU Crestwood by McInturff Architects
• Apex Clean Energy Headquarters by William McDonough + Partners
• Capital One Hall by HGA, Inc.
• Clerestory House and Middle Garden by Colleen Healey Architecture
• Msheireb Downtown Doha Phase 4 by HOK
• The Brooks Short-term Family Housing by Ayers Saint Gross
• Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Headquarters by STUDIOS Architecture

Historic Resources & Preservation

• 1222 22nd Street NW by Perkins&Will
• Carver Hall by Bonstra | Haresign ARCHITECTS
• Renovation on Logan Circle by Colleen Healey Architecture
• The Assembly by ZGF
• Thurston Hall by VMDO Architects

Interior Architecture

• Community of Hope Family Health & Birth Center by Gensler

Urban Design & Master Planning

• Franklin Park by STUDIOS Architecture

Jury Citations

Change

• Park + Ford by Bonstra | Haresign ARCHITECTS

Equitable Communities

• Langston Terrace Revitalization and Sustainability Plan by Beyer Blinder Belle
• Prather’s Alley by EL Studio

Resources

• U.S. Green Building Council, HQ Renovation by Perkins&Will

2023 Washingtonian Residential Design Awards

The Washingtonian Residential Design Awards recognize residential projects, regardless of size or classification, based on excellence in total design, including aesthetics, programmatic response, and sustainability.

For 42 years, AIA|DC and Washingtonian magazine have co-sponsored an awards competition that recognizes excellence in residential design throughout the Washington metropolitan region. The competition is open exclusively to registered architects.

Eligible projects represent single-family, multifamily, or mixed-use residential buildings that characterize new construction, remodeling, additions, or adaptive reuse. Specialized housing such as senior living centers, dormitories, and emergency shelters for natural disasters may also be considered, as well as projects with universal design principles.

Jury

Gregg Novicoff, AIA / Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects: San Francisco, CA
Alex Gauzza, AIA, LEED AP BD+C / ISA: Philadelphia, PA
Anne Fougeron, FAIA / Fougeron Architecture: Paris, France

Winners

General

• Clerestory House by Colleen Healey Architecture
• Empty Nester by Wouter Boer Architects
• Renovation on Logan Circle by Colleen Healey Architecture
• WIMA 36 by Robert M. Gurney, FAIA, Architect

Kitchen/Bath

• Garden Portal ~ A Glass Kitchen in a Historic Bungalow by WAK TOK

Multifamily Housing

• Slowe Hall by Bonstra | Haresign ARCHITECTS

Acknowledgements

The 2023 Awards Show is organized by the District Architecture Center for the SIGAL Gallery. The exhibition is made possible with generous support from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Additional support provided by AIA|DC Sustaining Firm Affiliate Members.

_{Executive Director: Mary Fitch, AICP, Hon. AIA
Director of Exhibitions and Public Programs: Scott Clowney, Assoc. AIA
Design made possible by ArchiCAD20, courtesy of Graphisoft
Printing production by BluEdge}

In Small Objects, Big Ideas: The Architect's Model, we celebrate the architectural model as a tested instrument in the design process. From education to practice, these small informative objects offer big, exciting ideas.

For architects, the model is a vital communication tool. It differs from loose freehand sketches, intricate technical drawings, or sleek computer renderings. Models link design intent and building execution. They are life-size buildings in miniature.

Models play an important role in the creative and technical development of projects. They give designers the power to experiment and solve problems. They also help clients imagine a design. Models can save time and money. They can also sell a project, and that's good news for everyone.

Explore 30 models representing working projects, completed projects, and theoretical projects.

_{Participating Architects, Designers, and Artists}

_{Adrienne Moumin, Cooper Carry, D. A. BOOTH ARCHITECT, Division1 Architects, Douglas Crawford Architect, EL Studio, Gensler, KGD Architecture (formerly Kishimoto.Gordon PC), McInturff Architects, Perkins&Will, Rameez Munawar, SGA COS LLC, Skidmore Owings & Merrill, SmithGroup, The Kurylas Studio, Tom Shiner FAIA, and Winstanley Architects & Planners}

_{Participating Students}

_{Ben Wang (B. Arch., SU) and Lawry Boyer (B. Arch., SU), Jake Easton (M.Arch.3, VT), Jake Eaton (B.S. Arch., CUA), Nathaniel Brown Jr. (B. Arch., UMD), and Zhenghao Gong (B.A. Arch., UMD)}

Acknowledgments

Small Objects, Big Ideas: The Architect’s Model is organized by the District Architecture Center for the Suman Sorg Gallery. The exhibition is made possible with generous support from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Additional support provided by AIA|DC Sustaining Firm Affiliate Members.

_{Executive Director: Mary Fitch, AICP, Hon. AIA
Director of Exhibitions and Public Programs: Scott Clowney, Assoc. AIA}

_{Design made possible by ArchiCAD20, courtesy of Graphisoft
Printing production by BluEdge}

The District Architecture Center is pleased to host ABroad Perspective, an exhibition of student design projects from The Catholic University of America School of Architecture and Planning’s Foreign Studies Program, directed by Associate Professor Lavinia Fici Pasquina.

The exhibition features thought-provoking architectural ideas from Rome, Italy, Valletta, Malta, and Pantelleria, Sicily and is organized under five themes: Bridging Habitats; Climbing to Sustained Wellness; Rome: Then and Now—Between Fiction and Reality; Winergy—Envisioning a New Wine Museum in Pantelleria; and Portrayed Architecture: A Portrait Gallery in Malta.

With these projects, students were introduced to concepts of sustainability, equity, and vernacular building materials and techniques, and they were challenged to incorporate the historical lessons of the past and the foreign country’s cultural diversity into a contemporary architectural intervention.

Lavinia Fici Pasquina

“The students come back with a changed perspective as they learn to embrace different cultures and are exposed to social issues,” explains Fici Pasquinia. Additionally, “I have greatly enjoyed the opportunity to expose students to different cultures, especially in Europe, which has such a deep history in architecture. I then focus on teaching them how to incorporate the lessons of the past into contemporary architecture. Moreover, I have witnessed the transformational effects that foreign studies have on the personal, professional, and spiritual growth of our students.”

An Italian architect, Lavinia has taught and directed design studios abroad throughout her professional career. She has been able to leverage her Italian citizenship, profession, and connections to provide an enriched experience for both undergraduate and graduate students.

Acknowledgements

ABroad Perspective is organized by Lavinia Fici Pasquina, Associate Professor at The Catholic University of America School of Architecture and Planning in cooperation with the District Architecture Center for the SIGAL Gallery.

The exhibition is made possible by The Catholic University of America School of Architecture and Planning.

Organizer: Lavinia Fici Paquina

Digital Consultant: Hussam Elkhrazz

Woodshop Curator: Lorenzo Cardim De Almeida

Exhibit Collaborator: Four Hewes

Student Exhibit Collaborators: Cameron Hennessey and Camila Rodriguez

Influenced by American Realism and mid-century modern graphic design, artist Jack Hornady fuses two timeless subjects in his colorful paintings: architecture and automobiles.

Hornady, a Connecticut native living in Maryland, is drawn to the past—memories from his childhood in the early 1970’s, when minimalist roadside buildings still dotted the landscape and cruiser cars ruled the open roadways. For onlookers and collectors alike, who share a connection to this era, Hornady’s paintings will lead you down memory lane.

Step back in time with 21 dreamy scenes on view in Jack Hornady: Road Trip. Reminisce about this bygone era with vintage roadside diners, retro motels, mid-century office buildings, and obscure strip malls. Imagine road trips in a 1963 Pontiac Catalina, 1956 Ford Fairlane, and other classic cars.

Selected Images

_Images:

_{Bowling League, Acrylic on Canvas, 24 in. x 24 in. (left)}

_{Candy Apple Red Cadillac, Acrylic on Canvas, 24 in. x 24 in. (middle)}

_{Department Store, Acrylic on Canvas, 24 in. x 24 in. (right)}

_{Courtesy of Jack Hornady}

About the Artist

Jack Hornady is an illustrator, painter, and educator originally from Connecticut. He teaches graphic design at American University and has worked with local youth to encourage their creativity. His artwork, featured nationally in group exhibitions, can be found in corporate and private collections across the U.S. Hornady earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design.

Acknowledgements

Jack Hornady: Road Trip is organized by AIA|DC in cooperation with Jack Hornady for the Suman Sorg Gallery. The exhibition is made possible with generous support from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Additional support provided by Sustaining Firm Affiliate Members.

Executive Director: Mary Fitch, AICP, Hon. AIA

Director of Exhibitions and Public Programs: Scott Clowney, Assoc. AIA

Art Handler: Hank Griffith

Print Production: BluEdge

Before the opening of the famous Paris Exposition in 1925 that solidified Art Deco, the roots of the style were already planted in the United States by French designer Edgard Sforzina. In his short but prolific career in America, Sforzina worked on several notable projects, including interior design and furniture for George Gershwins’s Riverside Drive apartment and the Cincinnati Union Terminal.

This exhibition shares just a few of the hundreds of designs that Sforzina created during his nearly 20-year career in the United States. From the material presently known, he was exceptionally talented and multi-faceted. Sforzina was an artist, artisan, industrial designer, interior designer, and architect.

In early 2019, Northern Virginia resident Denise Allen approached the Art Deco Society of Washington with an inquiry about an extensive collection of drawings, photographs, prototypes, and professional records in her possession: the work of her grandfather, Edgard Sforzina. Since then, Denise, along with Art Deco Society Board Member Jim Linz and professional curator Deborah Sorensen have sorted, catalogued, scanned, and photographed more than 500 items in the collection.

We hope this exhibition will serve as a catalyst to encourage others to do further research to help us better understand the full extent of Sforzina’s story and his contributions to Art Deco design.

About Edgard Sforzina

Edgard Sforzina was educated at the Ecole Nationale des Art Decoratifs in Paris. During the first half of his career, he worked for some highly regarded Parisian interior design firms and furniture manufacturers before entering the service in World War I. After the war, Lucien Alavoine & Company hired him as a designer. Three years later the Company sent Sforzina to work in their New York office.

Sforzina formally immigrated to the United States soon after, settling with his family in New York. He was active in the U.S. for two decades, working independently and in partnership with others. He was also employed by the architecture firm, Fellheimer & Wagner, the principal architects of the Cincinnati Union Terminal. Sforzina died at the age of 60 after a brief illness in early 1941.

About the Art Deco Society of Washington

The Art Deco Society of Washington is a non-profit organization incorporated to foster awareness, preservation, and appreciation of the Art Deco period in the Washington, DC area.

Acknowledgements

Sforzina: Designs for a Modern America, 1924–1941 is organized by the Art Deco Society of Washington in cooperation with AIA|DC for the Suman Sorg Gallery.

Credits

Denise Allen, granddaughter of Edgard Sforzina

Jim Linz, The Art Deco Society of Washington

Deborah Sorensen, Curator

Jennifer Byrne, Live/Create/Play

Sponsors

The Art Deco Society of Washington

David M. Schwarz Architects

Karen Burditt & Steve Knight

Linda & Jonathan Lyons

Rubylane Antiques

Wineries, breweries, and distilleries appeal to the senses by attracting patrons through storytelling and placemaking. In Happy Hour Architecture, we feature distinctive and award-winning projects—in and around our nation’s capital—whose design ingredients entice drink enthusiasts to raise a glass in style.

Featured Wineries

• District Winery by HapstakDemetriou+ with Gensler
• Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard by Cunningham | Quill Architects
• Boxwood Estate Winery by Jacobsen Architecture, LLC
• RdV Vineyards by Neumann Lewis Buchanan Architects

Featured Breweries

• Bluejacket by Grizform Design Architects
• Right Proper Brewing Co., Shaw Brewpub & Kitchen by StudioMB
• Guinness Open Gate Brewery & Barrel House by Orbit Design Studio & Design Collective
• Starr Hill Biergarten at The Perch, Capital One Center by Parker Rodriquez with Fine Landscapes & HGA Architects

Featured Distilleries

• District Distilling Co. by Grizform Design Architects
• Tiki TNT & Potomac Distilling Company by StudioMB
• Republic Restoratives Distillery by Mapos with Studio 3887
• George Washington’s Distillery at Mount Vernon by Quinn Evans

Exhibition Credits
Happy Hour Architecture is organized by AIA|DC for the SIGAL Gallery. The exhibition is made possible with generous support from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Additional support provided by Sustaining Firm Affiliate Members.

Coordinating Team

Executive Director: Mary Fitch, AICP, Hon. AIA

Director of Exhibitions and Public Programs: Scott Clowney, Assoc. AIA

Proofreading: Katie Spencer

Installation Support: Petra Debelack

Advertising/Publicity: Lily Oberst and Del’arnie Saintal

Print Production 
BluEdge

Special Thanks

Simon Jacobsen, Bill Young, David Neumann, and Ralph Cunningham; Victoria Wetmore, Torchai Opassatavorn, Adam McGraw, and Rachel Rittler; Kathryn Slattery AIA LEED AP, David Bagnoli, and Colin Brice

Additional Thanks

Stone Tower Winery and Bluejacket

Building collapses are rare but can happen for a host of reasons: earthquakes, extreme weather, human error, or a combination of factors. Fortunately, the lessons we learn from building failures make us all safer. These lessons often lead to refinements in construction codes and maintenance protocols, and can even bring about critical retrofits of existing buildings.

We have chosen eight well documented structural failure case studies, highlighting how building safety has been improved in their wake. The exhibition concludes with some speculation as to what we may learn from the recent collapse of a condominium building in Surfside, Florida, in 2021.

The exhibition features some of our nation’s most catastrophic structural disasters—from the South Fork Dam and Tacoma Narrows Bridge to the Northridge Meadows Apartments and the World Trade Center. Each catastrophic collapse offers a story with lessons learned that improved the way we design buildings today.

1889……… South Fork Dam / Johnstown, PA
1922……… Knickerbocker Theatre / Washington, DC
1940……… Tacoma Narrows Bridge / Tacoma, WA
1981……… Hyatt Regency Hotel / Kansas City, MO
1994……… Northridge Meadows Apartments / Los Angeles, CA
2001……… World Trade Center / New York, NY
2005……… New Orleans Levees/Floodwalls / New Orleans, LA
2021……… Champlain Towers South / Surfside, FL
2021……… Western Kentucky Tornado

Acknowledgements

Catastrophic Collapse: Lessons Learned, After the Fall is organized by AIA|DC for the SIGAL Gallery.

Sponsored by:
National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB)
District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA)

Supported by:
Sustaining Firm Affiliate Members

Curatorial Team:
Mary Fitch, AICP, Hon. AIA / Executive Director, AIA|DC (script writing)
Scott Clowney, Assoc. AIA / Director of Exhibitions and Public Programs, AIA|DC (script writing; proofreading; image collection)
G. Martin Moeller, Jr., Assoc. AIA, Independent Curator (interpretive consultation; editing)
Rupa M. Patel, P.E., LEED AP BD+C / Senior Associate, Thornton Tomasetti (research assistance)
Dara Naderi, PE / Associate, Thornton Tomasetti (research assistance)

Exhibition & Graphic Design:
Rina Alfonso, RGD / Founder & Creative Director, Studio Aorta
Danielle Coates, RGD / Senior Design Associate, Studio Aorta
Arianno Ho / Studio Assistant | Design Associate, Studio Aorta

Print Production:
Print Exhibit Partners, LLC

Special Thanks to these Image Contributors:
California State University Northridge; Dave Eames, Illustrator/Graphic Designer; District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs; Fine Homebuilding magazine; Johnstown Flood Museum Archives, Johnstown Area Heritage Association; New School of Architecture and Design; Perkins Eastman DC; University of Washington Libraries

Health and Safety Guidelines*

Please note the following COVID-19 safety measures:

• Proof of vaccination is not required
• Masks are not required
• Social distancing is encouraged during your visit
• Stay home if you are sick, suspect exposure to or have COVID-19

By visiting the District Architecture Center, you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19, acknowledge that such matters are beyond the control of AIA|DC and the Washington Architectural Foundation, and agree to abide by our health and safety guidelines.

*subject to change pending updated guidance

The District Architecture Center is proud to present its first in-person exhibition since early 2020. Join us in celebration of reopening to the public.

Since our nation’s first chief executive, the birthplaces, childhood homes, and private residences of U.S. presidents have fascinated American society. These dwellings—modest cottages and farmhouses to fashionable townhomes and mansions—illustrate over 230 years of American architecture. From George Washington to Joseph R. Biden Jr., this exhibition highlights some of the familiar and surprising landmark houses they called home.

Acknowledgements

Presidential Houses is organized by AIA|DC for the SIGAL Gallery.

District Architecture Center Team:
Mary Fitch, AICP, Hon. AIA, Executive Director
Sinclaire Erdwien, Deputy Director
Scott Clowney, Assoc. AIA, Director of Exhibitions and Public Programs

Exhibition Support:
Design made possible by ArchiCAD19, courtesy of Graphisoft
Printing provided by BluEdge
Exhibitions supported, in part, by our Sustaining Firm Affiliate Members

Health and Safety Guidelines*

The safety and wellbeing of our visitors and staff is important to us. Please note the following COVID-19 safety measures:

• Schedule visits in advance to reduce visitor capacity
• Proof of vaccination is required to enter the Center; bring your vaccination card with you to show at the door
• Masks must be worn for the entirety of the visit; gaiter-style masks and masks with exhalation valves are not permitted
• Practice social distancing while visiting
• Stay home and reschedule visits if feeling unwell, have tested positive to COVID-19, or suspect exposure to COVID-19 within the last 14 days

By visiting the District Architecture Center, you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19, acknowledge that such matters are beyond the control of AIA|DC and the Washington Architectural Foundation, and agree to abide by our health and safety guidelines.

_{*subject to change pending updated guidance}