Please join us for a meaningful evening of cocktails and bold conversations, explore the themes of:

Stewardship, Preservation & the Evolution of Modern Living

Stewardship is at the core of each project on the Georgetown House Tour, and our panelists will explore how this responsibility of stewardship and protection of these historic spaces passes from generation to generation.

Panelists include:

• Melvin Hooks, Showroom Manager, B&B Italia
• Wayne Adams: Principal, BarnesVanze Architects
• Erica Burns: Principal, Erica Burns Interiors
• Joe Richardson: Founding Principal, Richardson & Associates

This session is a must-attend for architects committed to advancing sustainable design through the strategic use of hybrid steel and mass-timber systems. These systems combine the structural efficiency, durability, and fire resistance of steel with the environmental benefits and aesthetic warmth of timber. Attendees will explore how to address complex challenges such as fire safety, acoustic performance, and code compliance while maximizing material efficiency and reducing environmental impact. The webinar will also introduce forward-looking strategies for seamless material integration, flexible design approaches, and reduced lifecycle emissions. Participants will leave with actionable insights to design healthier, safer, and more adaptable built environments.

Presented by:

Larry Flynn

Larry Flynn brings over 30 years of experience in the design and construction industry, including 17 years as a journalist and editor covering commercial buildings and national infrastructure. For the past 20 years, he has held national roles at the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), focusing on outreach to architects and engineers through education, resources, and business development. As Architectural Liaison and Resource Specialist at AISC’s Architecture Center, Larry now curates tools and experiences that spark creativity and support architects in designing innovative, resilient buildings using structural steel. 

Sponsored by: 

American Institute of Steel Construction
 

Learning Objectives: 

• Define key components and benefits of hybrid steel and timber systems.
• Identify fire safety unique to these systems.
• Identify acoustic considerations unique to these systems.
• Analyze case studies to apply hybrid solutions in real-world projects.

HSW Justification: 

This course supports HSW by addressing fire safety, acoustics, and sustainability in hybrid systems, helping architects design safer, healthier, and more resilient buildings through practical strategies and real-world insights.
 

The Historic Resources Committee is hosting a mixer at SmithGroup to celebrate the relaunch of the committee to re-engage with preservation professionals in DC.

Sponsored by: 

Lecture and panel on Urban Design.

Presented by:  

Anna Meussig

Anna is a Partner and Senior Project Director at Gehl where she leads Gehl’s US partnerships in the public sector. Anna works with municipal agencies, business improvement districts, and others to realize a vision of public life as a driver of shared prosperity, community belonging, and climate action. A skilled listener and facilitator, Anna brings 15 years of experience leading complex processes with multiple stakeholders to deliver transformational urban projects. Specializing in public realm action plans and design for the transit environment, Anna sees street culture and shared mobility as the building blocks to healthy, vibrant public life in cities. She brings expertise in evidence-based storytelling and creative engagement that translates community voice and behavioral insights into design principles that shape the built environment. She holds a Master in City Planning from MIT. Before Gehl, she founded a public art nonprofit and served on the board of Brooklyn's Green Hill Food Cooperative.

Sponsored by:

Learning Objectives: 

• Recognize the importance and impact of Urban Design.
• Explore the urban design approach of Gehl.
• Present potential strategies on how cities can better utilize their public and private open space.
• Engage in a meaningful discourse across multiple disciplines.

Please join the COTEdc committee for our April committee meeting.  This month’s committee meeting will be hosted by ZGF and will share event updates for our May event which is coupled with DC Climate Week, as well upcoming building tours during the summer.  In addition, Arathi Gowda, Principal with ZGF and recent AIA Fellow (!!), will be our April “Friend of the Committee”.  Arathi will share her experience serving on the COTE National committee.  

If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Patrick and Miranda at the following emails so we can plan the head count: patrick.keeney@wsp.com and m.ford@perkinseastman-dc.com

When: Thursday, April 17^th 5:30-6:30pm.  Please be sure to arrive promptly by 5:30pm to allow the meeting to progress on time. 

Where: ZGF Architects – 600 14^th St NW #800, Washington, DC 20005

Join Architects and Sustainability Specialists from Perkins Eastman for a tour of DC Public Schools' Bard High School Early College! Opened in 2022, the school is DC's first adaptive reuse, net-zero energy ready modernization. Located at the current site of the former Malcolm X Elementary School, the full modernization of the Bard High School Early College was completed in two phases, which included renovating a portion of the existing facility, as well as constructing a new addition. The goal for this modernization was to provide a cutting-edge facility that promotes the intellectual challenges of a college education and facilitates academic excellence.

Inspired by the idea of creating a diverse “learning landscape,” the design of the new Bard High School is comprised of an array of innovative indoor and outdoor places that afford a wide range of educational activities and that connect literally and metaphorically to Bard’s mission and vision. To achieve this, our team developed organizational and design principles drawn from extensive interaction and conversations with faculty and administrators. These principles created a vision for a campus that will inspire Bard students to succeed in the 21st Century.

Registration for this event is external and is being hosted by DC Climate week. ​By registering for this event, you agree to share your registration information with the organizers of DC Climate Week.

Are you wondering how changes at the federal level will affect the environmental endeavors of the design and construction industry? The built environment is responsible for as much as 40% of annual global carbon emissions and has direct impacts on our natural environments, community wellness, and human health. Over the past few decades, both public and private efforts have aimed to reduce this impact. AIA|DC’s Committee on the Environment invites you to attend this panel discussion bringing together experts with experience in private architecture and engineering firms, academia, legislative advocacy, and local DC and federal government programs. Conversation will focus on how we can continue making positive change, including adapting strategies and messaging apart from political affiliations, collaborating on shared efforts, and discussing how others beyond the federal level can carry on the mission for climate action.

We are excited to present this event in coordination with DC Climate Week!

Presented by: 

Susan Piedmont-Palladino, Architect and Director of the WAAC

Linda Toth, Arup and on DC GBAC

Ben Evans, USGBC Federal Legislative Director

Brendan Owens, Former Chief Sustainability Officer at DoD

Michele Mihelic, AIA National, Sr. Director, Codes & Standards, Advocacy & Policy

Learning Objectives:

• Understand why architects are important to the mission for a sustainable and equitable future, and how we can drive climate action impacts/change.
• Discuss how to adapt our communication so that design impacts and value are recognized by all stakeholders.
• Examine how sustainability, resiliency, and climate change mitigation impact security and economic measures, such as emergency utility and shelter disruption, workforce instability, insurance risks, tax impacts, and short vs long term costs.
• Discuss ways the building industry can work together, including on state and local policy measures, grass roots advocacy, codes & standards, and taking advantage of the global reach of private American industry.

Canstruction 2025 will take place at the National Building Museum Sunday, November 23rd, 2025 to Monday, December 1st, 2025.

About Canstruction: 

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 which are displayed for a week in the Great Hall of the National Building Museum. 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.
 

Join representatives from the Washington Architectural Foundation and Capital Area Food Bank as we discuss Canstruction 2025!

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 which are displayed for a week in the Great Hall of the National Building Museum. 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.

Come join us to celebrate the opening of our latest exhibition, My Ly Design: The Architecture of Art, and the end of Architecture Month 2025!

This exhibition explores the transformative power of placemaking art, inviting viewers to engage with the spaces that shape our communities. With a deep-rooted passion for urbanism and sustainable environments, My Ly approaches each project as an opportunity to create unique and meaningful connections through design. This exhibition showcases her ability to craft spaces that not only serve a function but also foster a sense of vitality, belonging and identity.

Drawing from her extensive background in architecture, urban design, and art, My's work blends creative vision a strong focus on community engagement. Her projects, both large and small, emphasize the importance of collaboration and inclusive design in shaping vibrant public and private spaces. As an award-winning designer, My's work in placemaking has been recognized for its ability to transform environments into active, living art.

Through this exhibition, My Ly Design invites viewers to reflect on public space and how creative design can impact social dynamics and cultural identity in the built environment.

Drinks and light hors d’oeuvres will be served.