Join the AIA DC Advocacy Committee & Urban Design Committee for an engaging conversation with the DC Office of Planning on DC 2050, the District’s Comprehensive Plan guiding growth, equity, and resilience through the next 25 years. This event brings architects, planners, and civic leaders together to explore the vision, priorities, and policy framework shaping Washington, DC’s future. Learn how housing, transportation, sustainability, economic development, and design excellence intersect in the plan, and how the architecture community can meaningfully contribute. Whether you’re deeply involved in advocacy or just curious about what’s next for the city, this discussion offers insight, dialogue, and a chance to help shape DC’s path to 2050.

Learning Objectives: 

• Understand how the DC 2050 Comprehensive Plan establishes regulatory frameworks, land use policies, zoning standards, and building performance requirements that directly impact life safety, accessibility, environmental performance, and public welfare.
• Evaluate how DC 2050 addresses housing affordability, equity, sustainability, transportation, and climate resilience through planning and design strategies that influence energy efficiency, environmental health, infrastructure safety, and resilience.
• Analyze the implications of the Comprehensive Plan for architectural practice, including code compliance, life-safety systems, accessibility standards, environmental systems integration, and material selection within evolving regulatory contexts.
• Identify opportunities for architects and allied professionals to advance public health, safety, and welfare through advocacy, interdisciplinary collaboration, and participation in public processes that shape equitable and resilient development outcomes.
   

Presented by: Radhika Mohan, Ryan Hand, Nick Kushner

Radhika Mohan is a community development strategist, urban designer, and real estate development leader with over 15 years of experience guiding complex, high-impact projects across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. She serves as the Deputy Director of Development, Design, and Preservation at the DC Office of Planning. Radhika previously worked at Gensler, where she led multidisciplinary teams delivering large-scale urban design, master planning, and community engagement projects for clients ranging from local and federal governments to private developers. Radhika brings deep expertise in inclusive community engagement, mixed-use and transit-oriented development, affordable housing, and large-scale land redevelopment. Her career spans senior leadership roles in architecture and design, real estate development, housing policy and advisory services, and municipal planning. An American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) member, Radhika holds dual master’s degrees in City and Regional Planning and Landscape Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania. She is an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University and an active civic leader, speaker, and board member committed to advancing equitable, sustainable urban development. Radhika resides in the Tenleytown neighborhood of Ward 3 with her family.

Ryan Hand is the Associate Director for Citywide Planning at the DC Office of Planning where he leads a team of cross-sector policy experts who conduct cutting-edge research, provide strategic guidance, and manage the District’s Comprehensive Plan. Previously, Ryan held economic planning, community planning, and regional planning positions where he worked on a range of plans including economic development strategies, sustainability strategies, small area plans, and regional strategic investment plans. Ryan holds a master’s degree in city and regional planning from the Catholic University of America, a graduate certificate in arts and culture strategy from the University of Pennsylvania, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the College of Wooster.

Nick Kushner, AICP, is a Senior Cross-Systems Planner with the DC Office of Planning (OP) and Project Manager for DC 2050, the District's next comprehensive plan. Prior to joining OP in 2024, Nick was a Community Planner with the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and Project Manager for DPR’s 20-year parks and recreation master plan, Ready2Play. Nick has also worked with the DC Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services on Age-Friendly-DC, a citywide plan to make DC accommodating for all ages, and as a Capital City Fellow with the DC Department of Energy and Environment, where he worked on the city’s long-range sustainability plan, Sustainable DC. Nick has a BA in Political Science from the University of Minnesota and a Dual Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning and Public and International Affairs from Virginia Tech.
 

Organized by: AIA|DC Advocacy Committee & Urban Design Committee

Sponsored by: EskewDumezRipple & Torti Gallas

Women's Month Panel hosted by DCNOMA and AIA DC Women in Architecture

Join us for an inspiring and candid conversation highlighting women who are shaping the future of architecture through leadership, resilience, and impact.

This dynamic panel brings together four accomplished architects and design leaders representing diverse backgrounds, career stages, and lived experiences. From firm ownership and corporate leadership to advocacy, licensure journeys, and motherhood, this discussion will explore what it truly means to lead in today’s architectural profession.

Panelists will share personal insights on:

• Navigating leadership as women in a historically underrepresented field
• Balancing motherhood and professional growth
• Pursuing licensure at different stages of life and career
• Leading as immigrant and Latina professionals
• Building and sustaining independent practices
• Thriving within global firms while maintaining identity and purpose
• Advocating for equity and representation in the built environment 

This conversation goes beyond titles and resumes. It centers the real, nuanced experiences of women advancing architecture through practice, mentorship, ownership, and advocacy.

Whether you are a student, emerging professional, licensed architect, firm leader, or ally, this panel offers meaningful insight into how leadership evolves — and how women continue to redefine what it looks like in our profession.

We look forward to a thoughtful, empowering discussion and community dialogue.

Are you ready to take your architecture career to the next level? Join us for the Emerging Professional Resume & Portfolio Workshop on Thursday, March 26th, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the District Architecture Center.

This engaging event is designed to help young architects polish their resumes and portfolios, stand out in the job market, and gain valuable insights from experienced professionals. The evening will feature an icebreaker and meet-and-greet activity, followed by a portfolio review session. The group of mentors (about 20 mentors) will be assigned to a couple of mentees at a table, look through their work, and offer feedback. Whether you're actively job hunting or simply looking to refine your materials, this workshop is the perfect opportunity to prepare for success. Bring your resume and/or portfolio, no matter its stage of completion, and leave with actionable feedback. Don’t miss this chance to connect, learn, and grow!

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the elements of a successful resume and portfolio.
• Review and discuss how to create a resume that is more likely to catch employers' attention.
• Gain insights into effective portfolio presentations during an interview.
• Explore how resumes and portfolios are reviewed to identify essential skills for success in the field.

Presented by Emerging Architects Committee, sponsored by Studios

All current members and interested newcomers are encouraged to attend the EAC open discussions, these meetings are free and open to all. Friends and colleagues are welcome to join. The EAC has four major objectives: ADVOCATE for emerging architects, PROVOKE and talk about the future of the profession, MENTOR the next generation of architects, and perform OUTREACH to other AIA members, associated disciplines, and the community.

Please join AIA|DC's Women in Architecture and Design for our monthly meeting. We will be joined by AIA|NY's Women in Architecture and Design.

Contact aiadcwia@gmail.com for virtual link.

Join AIA|DC's Fellows Public Program Committee for a roundtable panel discussion with the Master Plan Architect, the City of Washington, and the Stadium Architects to discuss the processes and challenges associated with redeveloping RFK Stadium into a new mixed-use neighborhood that will include a new stadium for the Washington Commanders. 

This project is in its early stages; the evening's focus will be on the processes that have brought us to today and on how this team will work together going forward. This is much more than a new stadium; it's a whole new mixed-use neighborhood.

Presented by:

Matt Bell, FAIA, Perkins Eastman. Master Plan Architect
Gilles Stucker, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Government of the District of Columbia, Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning & Economic Development
Brian Hanlon, AIA, Director DC Department of Buildings, Project Executive
Mike Drye, AIA, Office Director & Business Development Director, Sports + Partner, HKS
Andy VanHorn, Head of Real Estate, Washington Commanders

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will learn how the planning process starts and evolves around a large urban stadium district development
• Participants will learn about the civic goals and challenges that a large urban redevelopment creates
• Participants will learn how an urban stadium project is awarded and what the initial design process requires
• Participants will learn how a project team for an urban stadium and surrounding areas is formed and how they work together

This session focuses on the Building Enclosure Commissioning requirements of the 2017 Washington, DC, Energy Conservation Code, providing architects with a structured framework for integrating BECx requirements within the Design Phase and Construction Administration project delivery.

The session begins with a review of current code requirements and testing protocols essential to compliance, highlighting their overlap with LEED v4.1 and v5 credits. Presenters will then demonstrate how a coordinated Test Summary Matrix document can be used to align enclosure performance tests with project schedules and responsibilities, thereby coordinating pre-construction mobilization.The course also introduces digital tools that streamline management of test data, checklists, and submittals, enhancing transparency between design teams, contractors, and commissioning providers.Through lessons learned from local case studies, attendees will see how embedding BECx into the design team’s routine Construction Administration improves risk management, documentation quality, and client satisfaction.

Time: 6pm-8pm (6-7 presentation, 7-8 networking hour)

We will provide food/drinks for the event.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify how Building Enclosure Commissioning (BECx) supports project teams to fulfill compliance requirements under the 2017 D.C. Energy conservation code.
• Identify how the BECx process fulfills LEED v4.1 and v5 commissioning prerequisites and credits.
• Outline how the commissioning process documentation standards such as Test Summary Matrix aid in pre-construction coordination and construction-phase monitoring and verification of enclosure testing fulfillment.
• Explain how digital tools track key commissioning performance indicators and how their integration into construction administration workflows improves quality assurance and team accountability.

Presented By:

John David Wagner, AIA, BECxP, CxA+BE

John Wagner is a licensed architect with more than a decade of experience advancing sustainable design in higher education, civic and cultural, and technology sectors. At Baumann Consulting, he leads the integration of resilient, high-performance design strategies into building enclosure consulting, helping project teams move beyond AIA 2030 Commitment targets toward enduring climate solutions in the built environment.
Before joining Baumann, John practiced with Bruner/Cott Architects, where he led adaptive reuse projects, and with Ellenzweig Architects, focusing on complex laboratory and life science facilities. Earlier in his career, he earned licensure while at Ann Beha (now Annum) Architects, where he contributed to the renovation and modernization of historic structures throughout New England. His past clients include MIT, Harvard University, Yale University, and Moderna, and he is currently leading Baumann’s enclosure commissioning of the James R. Thompson Center renovation in downtown Chicago, the future home of Google’s new Midwest headquarters.

Join us for the opening of our latest exhibition, Ahead of the Curve.

Curated by Virginia Tech architectural historian Elizabeth Keslacy, PhD, Ahead of the Curve asks, why did California become such an important center of women’s architectural practice? Beyond its size, its sunshine, and its booming economy, the exhibition speculates that as an early adopter of legislation to expand women’s rights and freedoms, California uniquely enabled female architects to achieve professional success. Beginning with statehood in 1850 and continuing to the present day, California bolstered women’s autonomy by enabling suffrage, ensuring reproductive freedom, and empowering women’s financial self-determination--and by criminalizing discrimination in employment and housing.

The exhibition pairs a timeline of women’s freedom with ten profiles of women who exemplify the diversity of architectural practice in the 20th century and whose work is collected in The International Archive of Women in Architecture [IAWA].  On the occasion of the International Archive of Women in Architecture’s 40th anniversary, this exhibition displays the work of ten Californian architects’ work held the IAWA, highlighting the diversity of careers and expertise women achieved in practice throughout the twentieth century. Pairing the professional and the political, we ask visitors to consider what conditions have enabled their own professional success. What further forms of freedom or justice might we need for true equality in the future?

We welcome your presence at this opening and invite you to attend. Drinks and light hors d’oeuvres will be served.

In recent years, Pickleball has emerged as a significant force in the recreational sports category, captivating a wide range of enthusiasts and growing rapidly in popularity. However, the surge in interest has far outpaced the availability of dedicated facilities, prompting players to seek out unconventional venues and unusual times to play. This trend has led to games being held in spaces not originally intended for sports, and the distinctive sound produced during play has become a notable source of irritation for nearby residents and occupants, often sparking complaints and tensions in communities where matches take place.

Designing pickleball courts requires balancing accessibility with effective noise control. Planners must identify suitable locations while implementing strategies such as distance, barriers, and other mitigation measures to keep sound levels manageable.

This presentation will explore what makes pickleball noise distinctive, why it often irritates nearby residents, and practical approaches for reducing its impact through thoughtful design.

Presented By:

Scott Benson Harvey

President, Chief Engineer, Owner of Phoenix Noise & Vibration, LLC since October 2004 overseeing and managing 5 engineers, CADD manager, and manager of business operations. Vice President of Environmental Division of Polysonics Corporation from 1990 until 2004. For the five years prior to 1990, worked with Bruel & Kjaer to provide engineering support in the marketing of instrumentation for sound and vibration analysis.

Scott Harvey, founder and president of Phoenix Noise & Vibration, has been working in the field of acoustics for 40 years. Holding a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering he first worked with Bruel & Kjaer instruments, manufacturer of precision instrumentation for measuring sound and vibration. Since 1990, he has been devoted to the field of acoustical engineering as it applies to the building industry. He is Board Certified by the Institute of Noise Control Engineers, a licensed professional engineer in both Maryland and Virginia, and holds memberships with the Acoustical Society of America, the National Council of Acoustical Consultants, and the National and Maryland Societies of Professional Engineers

Learning Objectives:

• Understand noise measurement basics
• Realize the uniqueness of pickleball noise
• Mitigate pickleball noise
• Designate proper location for pickball courts

HSW Justification:

Quiet environments lend to better health, communication, sleep, and concentration. Designing spaces that ensure a low background noise level creates spaces that maintain the health, safety, and welfare of the occupants.

The Smithsonian Institution’s Bird House at the National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) is a historic public zoological facility in Washington, D.C. that reopened in spring 2023 following a comprehensive $69M building renewal. During this program, project team members will discuss how the renovation of the circa-1928 Bird House addressed contemporary health, safety, and welfare requirements while preserving the building’s historic character and supporting public education and conservation research. The session will explore how life safety codes, building systems, and accessibility considerations were integrated within a historic structure in accordance with the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. Presenters will describe sustainable design strategies used to achieve LEED Gold certification, including material reuse, masonry wall retention, and energy-efficient systems that reduced environmental impact and improved building performance. The program will also address the design of immersive walk-through aviaries and bird-friendly environments that prioritize animal welfare, occupant safety, indoor environmental quality, and operational resilience, as well as how the facility supports nearly two million annual visitors while advancing environmental stewardship and public well-being.

Instructions for Attendees: 

Metro, biking, or car-share are encouraged. Limited free parking is available in the surrounding neighborhoods or for pay on-site at the zoo (pre-order online purchase $30, same-day onsite $40). Meet outside the front door of the Birdhouse prior to 11am.

Presented by:

Nathan Picotte, AIA

Nathan is a licensed architect who gained his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Michigan and his Master of Architecture from the University of Cincinnati. He currently serves as a Senior Architect at Quinn Evans Architects – a firm recognized for its commitment to using creativity and expertise to achieve award-winning and extraordinary designs that sustain and renew the built environment. Nathan was a key member of the design team responsible for the design, construction administration, and achievement of LEED Gold certification of the Bird House.

K. Aurora Smith, AIA, LEED AP BD+C

Aurora is a licensed architect who gained her Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Virginia and her Master of Architecture from Tulane University. She currently serves as an Associate at Quinn Evans Architects. Aurora was a key member of the design team responsible for the design, construction administration, and achievement of LEED Gold certification of the Bird House. 

Derek Roberts, AIA, NCARB, AICP, LEED AP

Derek is a licensed architect and certified planner who gained his Bachelor of Arts in Art/Philosophy from Calvin University, and Master of Architecture and Master of Urban Planning from the University of Michigan. He currently serves as Smithsonian’s Office of Planning, Design and Construction (OPDC) Zoo-Branch Chief of Design, leading a team of Design Managers who oversee projects like the Bird House to ensure compliance with Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Smithsonian, local agencies, and sustainability standards.  

Sara Hallager

Sara serves as the National Zoo’s curator of birds with responsibility for the conception, goal-setting, planning, leadership and implementation of avian care on a daily basis, including bird well-being, reproductive programs, conservation programs, exhibition, and interpretive public programs for the Zoo’s bird collection. She has 35 years of experience with avian management and husbandry in a zoological setting. Sara serves as chair of several Association of Zoo and Aquariums programs, co-chairs the North American songbird SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) program, is an active member of IUCN’s Bustard Specialist Group (serving as Secretary), and is a strong advocate for ratite, bustard and native songbird conservation. Sara was instrumental in the design and construction of the Bird House facility as well as recent improvement completed across the entire Bird Plateau. 

Learning Objectives:

• Describe how life safety, accessibility, and building code requirements were integrated into the rehabilitation of a historic zoological facility in accordance with the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.
• Identify sustainable design and construction strategies, including material reuse, envelope retention, and energy-efficient building systems, that reduced environmental impact and improved long-term building performance in a public facility.
• Explain how architectural design, mechanical systems, and spatial planning were coordinated to support animal welfare, occupant health, indoor environmental quality, and visitor safety within immersive exhibit environments.
• Analyze how adaptive reuse and exhibit design can promote public welfare by supporting conservation research, environmental education, and safe circulation for high-volume public use.

HSW Justification: 

This program addresses health, safety, and welfare by examining how life safety codes, accessibility requirements, and building systems were integrated into the rehabilitation of a historic public facility serving nearly two million annual visitors.