Susan Manch, Board Chair of the Waterford Foundation, will provide an overview of the historic town of Waterford, VA, a National Historic Landmark to give context prior to exploring three of the historic structures. She will then discuss the historic and restoration efforts that are ongoing at the John Wesley Church and Old School House. Following this, Susan Reed, Director of Historic Preservation with Glave & Holmes Architecture, will lead a tour of the historic Waterford Mill and discuss the history of the Mill and its relationship to the town, examine basic concepts of milling technology, explore historic masonry and timber construction, and demonstrate the kinds of deterioration associated with equipment vibration and moisture infiltration found in historic mill environments and how they were addressed during the restoration.

Tour Timeline:

9:45 - Gather at Waterford School
10:00 - Introduction to Waterford Foundation (Jim S/Sue Manch)
10:15 - Walk to Schoolhouse – Visit Inside
10:45 - Walk to Mill – Tour of Mill
11:30 - Tour/Discussion about John Wesley Church and Ongoing Work
12:15 - Return to Waterford School for light lunch and refreshments
1:30 - Event concludes

Learning objective 1:
Explore the environmental threats to which historic industrial buildings can be subject and how to ameliorate those threats.

Learning objective 2:
Identify ways in which threatened historic industrial buildings can be adapted for contemporary re-use with ADA accessibility.

Learning objective 3:
Describe the technology, parts, terminology and construction techniques of the historic merchant mills and the milling process.

Learning objective 4:
Explain the history of the Waterford historic buildings and apply the principles that guided the historic restoration.

Presenter Bios:

Sue Manch is the Waterford Foundation's Former Board President. Sue lives in the Ephraim Schooley House in Waterford. Sue has been a thought leader in the legal talent development field for over 30 years and is currently the principal of Legal Talent Strategies, a consulting firm that supports law firms with talent strategies. She sits on the Waterford Foundation Education Committee, the Waterford Foundation Homes Tours Committee, the Waterford 2033 Committee, and the Waterford Citizens Association Beautification Committee.

Susan Reed, AIA, NCARB is the Director of Historic Preservation at Glave Holmes. As a historic preservation architect, Susan brings a wealth of experience to projects in historic settings. She is skilled in restoration and rehabilitation design, designing compatible additions to historic structures, creating new designs for historic contexts, and navigating State and Federal Historic Tax Credits, Historic Structure Reports, and Conditions Assessments. Susan has worked on various project types including theatres, museums, academic buildings, warehouses, historic residences, commercial buildings, churches, rural farm buildings, government buildings, and even an offshore lighthouse

Join representatives from the Washington Architectural Foundation and Capital Area Food Bank as we discuss Canstruction 2026.

Canstruction is a nationwide program that aims to raise awareness about hunger. In DC, Canstruction is organized by the Washington Architectural Foundation as a creative design-build competition that benefits the Capital Area Food Bank through donations of canned goods. Teams from architecture and design firms from Washington, DC use their skills to build sculptures out of cans of food. The nutritious shelf-stable food is donated to the CAFB for distribution to those in need after the event.

This program is generously sponsored by BluEdge, Capital Area Food Bank, DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities, Giant, National Building Museum, TW Perry, and Washington Architectural Foundation.

This year's theme will be revealed during the meeting.

Join DC mayoral candidates as they chat about the future of transportation and land use in the city!

Join us for a discussion about the future of transportation and land use in the city at the May 21st Mayoral Candidates Forum Co-hosted by DC Sustainable Transportation (DCST) and AIA|DC. This is your chance to hear directly from Mayoral candidates who will shape DC's streets, transit, and urban spaces if elected to office. Don't miss out on the opportunity to listen and learn as Sarah Holder, co-host of Bloomberg's "Big Take" podcast and a contributor to Bloomberg CityLab brings these questions to this lively discussion on May 21st. RSVP today to get your spot!

Invited Democrat Candidate Frontrunners for DC Mayor 2026:

• Janeese Lewis George
• Gary Goodweather
• Kenyan McDuffie
• Vincent Orange
   

Moderator: Sarah Holder, co-host of Bloomberg's "Big Take" podcast and a contributor to Bloomberg CityLab

Forum Event Sponsors: Adapt/Impact, CityFi, Fehr & Peers, Lime, Lyft, Veo, Waymo

Platinum Happy Hour Sponsor: Waymo

Join AIA/PV and Capital Area CRAN for an engaging and interactive professional development session designed to connect emerging architects with experienced practitioners through a series of rapid, focused mentoring conversations. Participants will explore the opportunities and challenges within custom residential architecture while gaining practical insights into career development, practice management, and collaborative design. 

This interactive session, designed for emerging professionals but open to anyone interested in learning about residential architecture, will be held at American Cedar & Millwork’s brand-new Rockville, MD showroom. It dives into the realities of custom residential practice—exploring career pathways, practice management, and the power of collaboration in delivering thoughtful, high-quality homes.

Through structured discussion and guided mentorship, attendees will examine how architects work with clients, consultants, and communities to deliver thoughtful residential design solutions. Conversations will also highlight the architect’s role in promoting healthy and sustainable building materials, advancing automation and energy-efficient residential design strategies, and advocating for the value of architects in shaping resilient and livable communities. 

The program will begin with an open networking session that encourages continued dialogue, knowledge sharing, and relationship building across generations of professionals. By fostering mentorship, education, and collaboration, this course strengthens the professional pipeline while reinforcing the architect’s responsibility to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public through responsible residential design.

Whether you're an emerging professional or simply curious about residential practice, this is a unique opportunity to learn, connect, and grow.

Event hosted by American Cedar & Millwork. Refreshments will be provided.

Credits:
1 LU

Learning Objectives:

• Identify key professional development pathways within residential architecture, including licensure, practice management, and collaborative design processes, to help emerging architects navigate career opportunities and build meaningful professional relationships.
• Discuss strategies for integrating healthy and sustainable building materials into residential design, and understand how collaborative relationships between architects, clients, and consultants support better material selection and occupant well-being.
• Recognize the role of architects in promoting energy-efficient design solutions, including how interdisciplinary collaboration can support high-performance residential buildings that reduce environmental impact and improve long-term building performance.
• Explain how architects can serve as advocates and educators for the profession, communicating the value of thoughtful design, sustainability, and responsible development to clients, communities, and policymakers.

Organized by the AIA Potomac Valley Custom Residential Architecture Network (CRAN) committee.

THANKS TO OUR PV CRAN ANNUAL SPONSORS!

 

Please join the AIA DC Committee on the Environment (COTE), DC’s Department of Energy and Environment (DC DOEE), and United Nations Association of the National Capital Area’s Sustainable Development Committee (UNA-NCA SDC) for an educational workshop bringing together design and resiliency professionals with local stakeholders to spark conversations and build connections that support a more climate-ready city. Following an introduction to DC DOEE's Climate Ready DC plan, we will hear from DC Business Improvement District (BID) representatives about local challenges and opportunities within their neighborhoods. Participants will then separate into breakout tables with facilitators from the BIDs and host organizations to discuss place-based and community-based design ideas for addressing climate readiness in DC, connecting professionals with Climate Ready DC efforts and local communities.

Light food and drinks will be provided.

We encourage participants to take public transit to the event. Dupont Circle Station on the Red Line is a 10 minute walk and Farragut West Station on the Blue/Orange/Silver lines is a 15 minute walk. Bike parking is also available on site.

Event Details:
3:00 - Doors Open
3:30 - Introduction to Climate Ready DC by DC DOEE's Erin Garnaas-Holmes
3:45 - Introduction to participating BIDs
4:00 - Workshop
4:40 - Close & Networking

This event is presented at DC Climate Week. DC Climate Week is not responsible for this event. It is organized by the organizing group, and being listed on the DCCW calendar is not an endorsement of content or partners.
 

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe local resiliency challenges as laid out in the Climate Ready DC plan
2. Conceptualize of place-based and community-based design ideas for addressing climate readiness in DC
3. Analyze how local organizations, design and resiliency professionals, and the public sector can work together
4. Identify potential opportunities for future collaboration and advocacy
   
   
    

Join the AIA DC Historic Resources Committee (HRC) and the Association of Preservation Technology (APT) DC Chapter for a joint networking happy hour bringing together professionals and practitioners in preservation and the built environment. This gathering offers an opportunity to connect, exchange ideas, and build relationships across both organizations. Light hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be provided.

On Friday, June 19th, Tom Adams will be representing Equitone as he hosts a Lunch & Learn seminar titled “High Density Fiber Cement Panels – Architectural Façade Materials.” During the session, Tom will walk through the different high-density fiber cement façade options available and discuss how they can be specified and designed to suit a variety of project types.

Learning Objective 1: Explore the history of fiber cement and its role in architectural façades, including how the material is manufactured and how key projects have helped shape its use since its invention in 1903.

Learning Objective 2: Learn about the material’s key performance and aesthetic characteristics, such as non-combustibility, long-term durability, and overall panel capabilities—and how these qualities contribute to healthier, more resilient buildings.

Learning Objective 3: Discover the design possibilities of through-colored fiber cement panels in ventilated rainscreen systems, with an overview of important technical considerations like thermal performance, required air cavities, and joint spacing.

Learning Objective 4: Gain an understanding of real-world application methods, including fastening techniques, proper installation approaches, and the sustainability benefits of using fiber cement cladding.

Presenter Bio: Tom Adams has worked in the building materials industry for over a decade, with a dedicated focus on building envelope solutions since 2018 as a direct manufacturer’s representative. He has spent the past two years with EQUITONE, supporting architects and project teams across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.

_{The New Entrance at Truesdell Elementary School. Photo credit Alan Karchmer}

Located in Ward 4 in the heart of DC’s Brightwood Park neighborhood, the original Truesdell Elementary School consisted of two existing buildings on a naturally sloping, urban site. The campus also serves a diverse population of students locally, with over 300 emerging bi-lingual speakers. Core to the modernization is the provision for community spaces that unify the components of the campus and create a shared sense of placemaking. The Design-Build modernization renovates the existing 1920s-era building, replaces the 1960s-era addition, and constructs a second addition for dedicated specials programming.

The design approach situates the three buildings around a central outdoor courtyard space, maximizing internal connections while preserving a plethora of secure site area for learning and play. The new additions harmonize with the original historic building in massing and materiality, with light connections in the form of glassy corridors that tie the design components together and provide a clear path for circulation. The massing approach also takes advantage of the site’s optimal solar orientation, sloping the new addition’s roof for photovoltaic exposure and bringing maximum daylight into the courtyard and its surrounding interior spaces.

The modernization also reflects the District’s ambitious clean energy goals, with a Net-Zero energy ready approach and pursuing LEED Gold certification. A focus on community building for a diverse student population creates a unified and connected design solution even greater than the sum of its parts.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn about the DCPS modernization process of their existing school portfolio, including its impact on life safety, occupant health, and building performance.
• Anticipate challenges of designing and building a complicated modernization with a historic building component, with consideration for code compliance, structural integrity, and occupant safety.
• Discover ways to create outdoor courtyard spaces that maximize internal connections while preserving secure and protected areas of learning and play, supporting health, safety, and well-being.
• Identify the critical steps in the planning and design process for a high-performance, Net-Zero energy building, including strategies that enhance environmental quality, energy efficiency, and occupant health and safety.

Presented by:

Brian Gruetzmacher, AIA
Senior Associate 
VMDO Architects

Teresa Hamm-Modley, AIA
Associate
VMDO Architects

Lawrence Lazarides, AIA
VMDO Architects

& Committee on Architecture for Education

The Annual Fellows Celebration Dinner honors local Chapter Fellows, new and old, from the DMV including AIA|DC, AIA NOVA and AIA Potomac Valley. Along with the celebration of their achievements, this event is also a major fundraiser for the Fellows’ Endowment of the Washington Architectural Foundation’s Barbara G. Laurie Scholarship Program.  Awarded initially in the freshman year, the scholarship follows the student through a four-or-five-year degree as long as they remain in an architecture program in the United States and maintain a good grade point average.

Our scholarship was renamed in 2013 in memory of Barbara G. Laurie. Laurie, an architect who was devoted to the Washington Architectural Foundation and the community, was a partner of Devrouax + Purnell, a prominent architecture firm in DC. She was a founding member of the Organization of Black Designers and professor of architecture at Howard University.

Sponsorship/Ticket Levels: