Event description:

Join us for a guided, behind‑the‑scenes tour of the Cannon House Office Building, one of Capitol Hill’s most significant historic landmarks, following its 15‑year modernization and preservation effort. Led by Julie Pelletier, AIA, NCARB - Architect of the Capitol - and select project team members, this two‑hour experience explores the building’s history, renovation scope, construction challenges, and lessons learned while working in an occupied Congressional facility. Participants will visit unique spaces including the Rotunda, Guastavino Tile Vault, historic hearing rooms, the Cannon Caucus Room, modern fifth‑floor addition, courtyard, and Cannon Commons. The tour highlights how preservation, safety, and contemporary functionality were successfully integrated.

Learning objective 1:
Describe the historical evolution of U.S. House of Representatives office space and the original design intent, construction methods, and civic role of the Cannon House Office Building, providing context for large‑scale federal preservation projects.

Learning objective 2:
Identify strategies for integrating historic preservation, restoration, and new construction within an active, occupied government building, including approaches to design development, regulatory coordination, and protection of character‑defining features

Learning objective 3:
Explain the logistical, technical, and safety challenges of executing a phased, long‑duration construction project in a high‑security facility occupied by Congress, including modernization of infrastructure, life‑safety upgrades and high profile events.

Learning objective 4:
Analyze lessons learned from a 15‑year modernization effort, drawing connections between preservation decision‑making, construction sequencing, material conservation, and long‑term building performance, with an emphasis on occupant safety, public welfare.

Julie Pelletier, AIA, NCARB, is a Registered Architect and long-time resident of the DC Metro Area. An avid interest in historic buildings steered her into architecture in 1998. Ms. Pelletier's career spans tenures at several prestigious DC firms, specializing in contextual design and historic preservation at all scales - from single family homes to municipal adaptive reuse projects. Since 2020, she has been employed at the Architect of the Capitol in and Owner's Representative capacity on the Cannon House Office Building Renewal - a Federal 10-year preservation and renovation project. She also serves on the Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission, reviewing Historic Area Work Permit Applications for historic property renovations in the county.

The labor market is already constrained and, given ongoing demographic shifts, conditions are expected to tighten further. To remain competitive, facility design must evolve by integrating automated systems that streamline physical movement, improve throughput, and reduce or eliminate routine, non-value-added tasks. This shift enables organizations to redeploy staff toward higher-value, human-centric activities that enhance service quality and outcomes. At the same time, rapidly advancing technologies are intersecting and compounding, accelerating innovation across operations. Our team brings deep, up-to-date industry insight and will share practical perspectives on how to apply these advancements effectively and sustainably in real-world environments for future success.

Learning Objective 1:
Recognize the current labor challenges, the future demographic trends and the implications of staffing healthcare buildings and clinical operations.

Learning Objective 2:
Understand the advancement of automation technology in industry and recognize how this will translate to facility design to enhance operational efficiency and to improve operational efficiency by reducing/eliminating menial, low value-added tasks.

Learning Objective 3:
Understand how automation can enable better use of human capital.

Learning Objective 4:
Appreciate the potential of emerging technologies and their implications to transform operational tasks.

Presenter Bios:

Jim Kruza, Sr. Director and Principal, has 32 years of experience in supply chain logistics optimization, including work in healthcare, distribution center design, material handling equipment purchase, implementation and start-up, logistics network design, financial assessment, and transportation management. His verticals of focus include healthcare, life science, pharmaceutical, CPG, and food and beverage.

Ryan Mair, Director, has over 26 years of experience in healthcare/life science design services related to materials management, waste management, environmental services/housekeeping, central sterile processing, materials handling, dock design, and logistics. Project experience includes master planning, programming, design, tender documentation, and construction administration of over 100 facilities worldwide. Systems design includes automated guided vehicles, autonomous mobile robots, electric track vehicle systems, pneumatic trash and linen systems, gravity chute systems, pneumatic tube systems, vertical transportation, etc.

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.