The AIA National Photography Competition, produced by AIA St. Louis, was founded to capture and honor architects, design professionals and architectural students whose amazing talents are showcased in their photographic interpretation of the designed environment.

The competition is open to all architects actively registered in the United States, AIA Associates, and architecture students at an accredited architecture school. Licensed architects do not have to be an AIA member to enter.

All Architects are welcome and encouraged to submit photos!

• Award-winning images will be posted on the AIA St. Louis website and social media.
• The top award-winning images will be highlighted in the digital edition of the Architectural Record Magazine and website.
• The top Award-winning images will be exhibited at the AIA National AIA26 Conference on Architecture & Design in San Diego near the Architectural Record Magazine booth.
• Cash awards for top award-winning images. 

Rules & Regulations:
2026 AIA National Photography Competition, Produced by AIA St. Louis Prospectus - CLICK HERE

Competition Schedule:

• January 1, 2026 - Competition Opens
• April 15, 2026 - Submission deadline
• May 16, 2026 - Jury Date

 Entry Fees: Each entry allows you to enter up to five (5) images

• AIA Members - $40
• Associate AIA Members - $30
• Architecture Students - $20
• AIA Emeritus - $20
• Non-member registered architects - $50

Judges:

• Kimberly Dowdell, AIA - HOK (2024 AIA National President)
• Jason Keen - Jason Keen Photography
• Marcus Carter - OBJECT TERRITORIES
   

Awards: 

Cash Prizes

•  First Place - $500
• Second Place - $400
• Third Place - $300
• Fuller Award - $200 - The subject of the Al Fuller Award must be located in the United States.
• Student Award -  $200 - Awarded to an AIAS member and/or a student at an NAAB accredited school. 

Judge's Commendation Awards - 10 images will be selected as Merit Awards.

Honorable Mentions - The judges may select up to 30 images as honorable mentions.

Image Requirements:

• File Size - Each image must not exceed 20 MB in size.
• Resolution - Each image should be at least 2816 pixels in its longest dimension.
• File Format - Each image must be entered in JPG or TIFF format.
• File Naming - Each image title and photo number must be included in the file in the following format: ImageTitle_Photo#.filetype (Ex: Country House_Photo3.jpg).  File names should not include punctuation and must include the extension of .JPG or .TIFF 

Purchase Entries: CALL FOR ENTRIES OPENS JANUARY 1ST 

With the purchase of an entries, you are able to submit up to five (5) photographs.  To enter more photos into the competition you will have to purchase additional entries.

Join SEA-MW's SE3 (Structural Engineering Engagement and Equity) Committee for an engaging discussion on the book “Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men”.  Caroline Criado Perez investigates the shocking root cause of gender inequality and research in Invisible Women, diving into women's lives at home, the workplace, the public square, the doctor's office, and more. Built on hundreds of studies in the US, the UK, and around the world, and written with energy, wit, and sparkling intelligence, this is a groundbreaking, unforgettable expose that will change the way you look at the world.

This event is free and open to all, but spaces are limited! Due to security reasons, RSVP is required.

We encourage participants to read the book before the event, however you do not have to read the whole book to participate. All are welcome.

Registration closes on Monday, January 19th, 2025 at midnight. 

Ada Karmi Melamede is one of the most accomplished architects in the world but very little is known about her outside her home country of Israel. ADA – MY MOTHER THE ARCHITECT is a deeply moving portrait of an extraordinary women directed by her daughter, filmmaker, and former architect Yael Melamede.

Ada is a true pioneer who, like many successful working mothers of her time, was forced to make impossible choices, Despite personal sacrifices, Ada’s work gave physical form to some of Israel’s highest democratic ideals, most notably in the acclaimed Supreme Court building in Jerusalem, the Open University, Ben Gurion University, the Institute for Democracy and numerous other civic institutions around the country. ADA explores the impossible tensions between professional ambition and private life, and the ongoing challenge of holding onto ideals in a country increasingly drifting away from them.

Conversation with director Yael Melamede following the screening.

December 9 screening moderated by Susan Wertheim, former Chief Architect at the National Gallery of Art.

December 10 screening moderated by Mary Kay Lanzillotta, FAIA, a preservation architect and partner of Hartman-Cox Architects.

Join AIA|DC and leaders in the architectural community to celebrate the 2025 Chapter Award, Washingtonian Residential Design, and Unbuilt Award winners! We’ll honor the projects that demonstrate design excellence, the value of great design, and illustrate the wide variety of services performed by architects and designers. Enjoy the renovated Royal Norwegian Embassy while you network and toast to another great year of DC architecture. 

Refreshments provided.

Celebrate the season with professional architects and design professionals - connect, indulge in treats, and holiday cheer. 

Join us for our last event of the year! A combined Technical Presentation and Holiday Happy Hour!

In celebration of Bechtel’s 125th anniversary, SGH partnered with A2 Design, Inc. to install the historic WaaTeeKaa railcar as part of a commemorative exhibit located at the Bechtel HQ in Reston, Virginia. The railcar, measuring 52 feet long, 9 feet wide, and 14 feet high, features a wood-framed structure supported by its original trucks. The exhibit includes a concrete access
platform with integrated stairs and ramps, sheltered by a cantilevered steel canopy with a 3,000 sq ft glass roof.

SGH provided structural engineering and building enclosure consulting for evaluation and renovation of the existing railcar and design the new steel and PV glass canopy and concrete access platform.

Schedule:
6pm-7pm Presentation at District Architecture Center
7pm-9pm Happy Hour at Penn Quarter Sports Tavern

Presented by:

Gillian Love, P.E.
Gillian Love is a Senior Project Manager in the Washington, DC office of SGH. She received her BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park and her MS in Structural Engineering from the University of California, San Diego. Gillian is a licensed Professional Engineer in DC, MD, and VA. Her over 17 years of experience in structural engineering consulting spans design of new structures, renovation and repair of existing buildings, and investigation of structural failures. She aims to provide creative and coordinated structural solutions to meet the needs of her diverse clients and project teams.

Rachel E. Shanley, P.E.
Rachel is a Senior Project Manager in the Waltham, MA office of SGH. She is a member of SGH’s Structural Design practice and is a liaison for our multidisciplinary structures-enclosure teams that tackle integrated repairs and rehabilitation of historic buildings. She works on projects involving new structural design, building renovations, condition assessments, historic preservation, and investigation of existing buildings. Her experience includes all phases of structural design and construction administration.

Christopher J. Brandmeier, P.E.
Christopher J. Brandmeier is a Senior Consulting Engineer in the Washington, DC office of SGH. He provides both structural engineering and building enclosure consulting services for a range of domestic and international projects. As a member of the Building Technology division at Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH), his focus is the design and investigation of glazed enclosure systems. Christopher has broad experience in both new and rehabilitation design with various roofing and below-grade waterproofing systems.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify challenges associated with new Energy Code requirements when engaging in an adaptive reuse project.
• Recognize the importance of considering construction means and methods during the design process to provide constructable details and stay on schedule and budget.
• Evaluate factors affecting building enclosure performance when changing interior use and/or surrounding regional climate.
• Specify robust quality control mockups for unique use of conventional materials.

Join the AIA|DC Board of Directors for an engaging, town hall–style conversation exploring the state of the profession amid today’s economic, political, and social challenges.

Former AIA|DC Board President and AIA President-Elect Yiselle Santos Rivera will moderate this dynamic discussion, which will provide insight into current economic trends, challenges, and forecasts impacting the architecture profession and offer perspective on the legislative landscape—highlighting how current federal and local policies are shaping practice, identifying challenges and opportunities ahead. Learn how architects can stay informed and effectively advocate for the values central to our work.

At a time when much of what we stand for—sustainability, design equity and justice, accessibility, preservation, and professional involvement—faces increasing pressure, this session aims to empower members to engage meaningfully and champion AIA’s mission.

Presented by:'

Yiselle Santos Rivera, AIA President-Elect 2026
Michele Russo, Vice President, Research and Practice at The American Institute of Architects (AIA)
Alexander Cochran, Chief Government Affairs Officer at The American Institute of Architects (AIA)
Erin Waldron, Senior Director, Federal Affairs at The American Institute of Architects (AIA)

Learning Objectives:

• Identify current economic trends and forecasts influencing architectural practice, and evaluate how these factors affect firm strategy, project delivery, and client engagement.
• Analyze recent and emerging legislative and regulatory actions impacting the built environment, including those related to sustainability, housing, accessibility, and design equity.
• Describe effective methods and opportunities for architects to advocate for the profession at local and national levels in alignment with AIA’s mission and priorities.
• Recognize the architect’s role as a civic and community leader, and apply strategies for staying informed and engaged in shaping policy discussions that influence design and the public good.

While commissioning of many building systems has been around for many years, Building Enclosure Commissioning (BECx) is relatively newer and less understood to the design and construction industries. This presentation will provide a primer on the practice of BECx and its benefits with real world case studies and then dive further into the various approaches as defined by industry standards and code. Attendees will be able to describe the process of BECx with an understanding of the potential value the process may bring to a project and identify the various codes and standards bodies that have incorporated BECx into them. This course will also describe the various stages of BECx and the deliverables typically produced and provide a better understanding of the general function and performance requirements of the building enclosure.

Presented by:
Matt Hogan, AIA, CPHC, BECXP

Matt has 15 years of industry experience as an architect and consultant. Currently, Matt performs building envelope consulting and testing, condition assessments, forensic investigations and mentors building-envelope team members. Matt is a registered architect (RA) in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a Certified Passive House Consultant and a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). He holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Virginia Tech and a Master of Architecture from the University of Oregon.

Learning Objectives:

• Attendees will be able to describe the process of BECx with an understanding of the potential value the process may bring to a project.
• Attendees will be able to Identify the various codes and standards bodies that have incorporated BECx into them.
• Attendees will gain an understanding of the general function and performance requirements of the building enclosure.
• Attendees will be able to describe the various stages of BECx and the deliverables typically produced.
   

Location:
HDR - Arlington
3001 Washington Blvd
Suite 200
Arlington, VA 22201-2117
Text or call 202-844-9461 for entry

Guest Speaker:

Susana Andrade Erpestad
Global Director of Federal Architecture and Senior Vice President, HDR
As an architect and business leader, Susana Andrade Erpestad, MBA, AIA, ACHA, LEED AP BD+C, EDAC serves as HDR’s Global Director of Federal Architecture and Senior Vice President. She has been influential in evolving HDR’s global architecture practice, from her design work on life-changing healthcare projects to her strategic efforts in growing the firm’s Federal Architecture practice. Based in HDR’s Arlington, VA office, Susana is responsible for the revenue capture and the delivery of services in this market while shaping and enabling teams, accounting for hundreds of professionals who provide innovative, environmentally responsible, sustainable, and equitable design solutions to dozens of US and foreign government agencies. Over her 20-year career, Susana has demonstrated her deep understanding of both the design and business aspects of architecture. Her ability to seamlessly integrate creativity, technical knowledge, and strategic thinking have contributed to making her a highly effective and successful female leader in the industry. Since joining HDR in 2010, she has grown with the company and has excelled at building and leading teams, fostering client engagement, delivering complex projects, mentoring staff, and increasing market share. Her strategic thinking and analytical skills are also key drivers of her success.

HDR's Susana Andrade Erpestad is 2023 Women Who Mean Business - Washington Business Journal 

 

Based on the book, The Three Little Pigs an Architectural Tale, families will plan and construct the three little pigs’ houses. Using engineering principles, they will try to “save the pigs” from the wolf.