This walking tour of Southwest Washington, DC, led by Joseph Himali, a public historian, licensed real estate agent, and lifelong Washingtonian, will discuss one of the first neighborhoods in the District to be developed. 

We will discuss the architectural styles and how development began in Washington in the 18^th Century. In addition, there will be discussion about the materials and construction methods used in early Washington, DC buildings.

This tour will discuss this history of the neighborhood and how the architecture and built environment of Southwest Washington, DC was used a political propaganda tool of the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.  It will discuss the redlining and restrictive covenants that were used to limit access to affordable housing for marginalized communities.

We will also review the ideas of Le Corbusier and other proponents of the “radiant city” ideals and how they were implemented in the urban renewal schemes employed in the redevelopment of Southwest during the mid-1900s. We will see unique architectural styles and interior configurations that led to new architectural styles in Washington, DC and around the country.

We will discuss the concept of the “Super Block” and the removal of alleys in the city and how that affected the people who lived there. Additionally, we’ll discuss the integration of landscape architecture in the design of the neighborhood.

The tour features some of the finest mid-century modern architecture in Washington, DC including work from Cloethial Woodward Smith, Charles Goodman, and the buildings that earned I.M. Pei his first awards. 

Learning Objectives

• Discuss the redevelopment of the mixed-use development of the Southwest Waterfront
• Summarize the impact of the “Super Block” in architecture and the integration of the landscape with the architecture of the buildings.
• Describe the history and impact of Cloethial Woodard-Smith who was the most influential woman architect of mid-century America.
• Analyze the impact of the Urban Renewal scheme on Southwest.  

This tour is organized by Best Address.

Join us after the panel for a relaxed Happy Hour and Networking session! Connect with fellow urban enthusiasts, architects, planners, and policymakers as we continue the conversation on how cities and metropolitan regions are reclaiming urban spaces to address climate resilience. Share insights, exchange ideas, and build connections inspired by visionary projects from Paris, Boston, Washington, D.C., and beyond. Let’s shape the future of our cities together!

Make sure to register through this link for the Commons in Transition (Panel Discussion): https://dupontunderground.org/events/commons-in-transition-panel-discussion

 

Construction teams are using virtual design and construction processes to improve traditional workflows. Many of these tools help to open the door for more collaboration in the design and construction process. In this presentation, we will take an in-depth look into coordination software, techniques, and workflows. Model coordination goes beyond just clash detection, as a building’s mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and fire protection systems are examined closely through several means to ensure the finished product will maintain the architectural integrity and meet code requirements. We will review a typical process by examining how model data is gathered, verified, reviewed, and used, and how potential issues are solved in a collaborative space.
 

Learning Objectives: 

• Examine BIM Coordination goals for a project.
• Identify the steps taken by a general contractor during model coordination to review code and maintenance requirements.
• Recognize the unique needs of modeling mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems in construction.
• Analyze the use of visualizations from construction model data to enhance the building user’s experience.

HSW Justification: 

The intent of the session is to give designers a more complete understanding of the virtual design and construction processes used by construction teams, so that they can be a collaborative participant. Using these processes, potential issues can be resolved. 

Presented by: 

Laura Hanyok, AIA, CM-BIM
Laura Hanyok has implemented and supported technology in building design and construction for twenty years in a variety of roles. She worked as a practicing architect for over a decade before taking her design perspective into a virtual design and construction role with a general contractor. Laura now works as a Construction Consultant for CADD Microsystems. Laura uses her industry experience to help others utilize technology to create collaborative environments for successful projects.

Sponsored by: 

CADD Microsystems, An ARKANCE Company
 

You are welcome to submit multiple proposals. Please submit one proposal form for each presentation or tour. Proposals are due by May 1, 2025, at 4:00 pm.

DesignDC: Green is the New Black - Resilient Design for an Uncertain World

As the world confronts the challenges of climate change and environmental degradation, DC’s architecture and design practitioners continue to evolve. The theme of "Green is the New Black" calls upon innovative solutions to shape the built environment in a way that is sustainable, and forward-thinking. How can architecture lead the way to foster a more resilient city—and planet—during uncertain environmental and socioeconomic times?

We invite architects and design professionals across the industry to submit entries for lectures and tours that explore new approaches and existing best practices that highlight responsive design strategies and the integration of green technologies into architecture.

Special consideration will be given to sessions and tours that address one or more of the following areas:

Tips and Tricks to Start Building a Resilience Practice

• How can your fellow practitioners start the process of greening their practice? What codes and regulations should they be aware of?
• What are effective ways to talk to clients about the benefits of, and economic arguments for, green design?
• What tools already exist for benchmarking, metrics, and funding green projects?

Resilient Design in a Volatile Climate

• How can architecture prepare for and withstand extreme weather events? Case studies that anticipate climate-related challenges including extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and fluctuating temperatures are welcome.
• How can design firms remain resilient and nimble during times of growing uncertainty and shifting priorities?
• How can practitioners design for cultural sustainability?

Sustainable Materials and Energy-Efficient Design

• How can the lifecycle of a building be reimagined for sustainability? How can architects design for adaptability, reuse, and resource-efficient deconstruction to ensure that buildings serve generations?
• What are best practices for the use of sustainable materials and cutting-edge technologies to create spaces that minimize their carbon footprint while maximizing occupant comfort?

DesignDC Timeframes and Logisitcs:

Proposals are due by May 1, 2025, at 4:00 pm.

Sessions (lectures) selected from this Call for Proposals will be presented live and in-person at the District Architecture Center on October 1, 2025. Selected sessions must total 60 minutes in length, with ~50 minutes of instruction followed by ~10 minutes of Q&A. 

Tours will be given in-person on October 2, 2025, from 2:00-4:00pm.

All presenters and tour guides will receive complimentary conference registration. Presenters and guides are not required to be members of AIA|DC.

John Francis Education Campus, a DC Public School, serves 680 students from Pre-K through 8th grade within nearly 140,000 square feet of learning space. The campus includes academic areas, a full auditorium, a high school-sized gymnasium, a two-story library, and a central dining commons. 

The project honors the original 1920s and 1950s architecture while introducing modernized spaces that align with Francis’s educational and cultural goals. Designed as a model for sustainable, high-performance architecture, the campus blends seamlessly with its historic structure, creating a 21st-century environment that inspires students to become environmental stewards. By connecting students with the local community and environment, Francis embodies innovative education and sustainable design at the heart of Washington, DC.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify sustainable design elements utilized in school modernizations that have positive impacts on students' cognitive development.
• Discuss the challenges to introducing 21st century educational spaces into historic, 1920's era school buildings.
• Identify the different uses that urban school sites need to accommodate, and how each of these uses compete for what is often limited space.
• Explore the rich, diversity of spaces supporting contemporary elementary schools in historic settings.

Presented by:

Mary Rankin, AIA, LEED AP, WELL AP, Principal & Managing Director, Perkins Eastman DC
Kristina Vidal, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Senior Associate, Project Architect, Perkins Eastman DC

Join us for an insightful panel discussion that will delve into how professionals can effectively transition their valuable public sector experience to thrive in the private sector. Discussion topics will include the following:
 

• Transferring Skills: Identifying and articulating transferable skills from public to private sector roles.
• Adapting to Change: Strategies for adapting to the cultural and operational differences between sectors.
• Networking: Building and leveraging professional networks to facilitate career transitions.
• Success Stories: Real-life examples of successful transitions and lessons learned.

Our panel, moderated by AIA|DC President Alison Pavilonis, AIA, includes;

Robert Peck, Hon. AIA, former Commissioner of Public Buildings at GSA, now Principal | Co-Leader, Government + Defense Practice Area at Gensler

Stephen Ayers, FAIA, former Architect of the Capitol and now Interim CEO at AIA

Anna Franz, FAIA, former Chief, Space and Facilities at the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts and now Chair of the Department of Architecture and Urban Sustainability at UDC and Director of the University's Architecture and Community Planning Program.

During the international Conscious Cities Festival -- where designers, researchers, technologists, decision makers, and local communities converge to explore the intricate relationship between the built environment and human flourishing -- the Conscious Baltimore chapter and the International Arts + Mind Lab are working together to facilitate an enriching and compelling conversation that will aim to answer the question: 

How can we shape the built environment with greater intention and how might that look in Baltimore, Maryland?

On March 21 from 2-3:30pm, we will bring a diverse group of researchers and practitioners together to join this conversation. Experts working nationally will speak alongside local leaders about efforts to consciously shape places that enrich lives and help people flourish. Through this event, we will aim to understand the importance of intentional, meaningful, and conscious design; illustrate how community builders are applying these approaches to their practice; and celebrate the opportunities for cultivating just and welcoming communities with intentional design. Free registration is available here.

Presented by: 

Colin Ellard: Professor of Psychology and Director of the Urban Realities Laboratory, University of Waterloo
Ava Richardson: Director of Sustainability, Baltimore Office of Sustainability
Heidi Thomas: Principal, Creative Director + Worker Owner of EnviroCollab

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This will be a hybrid in-person and virtual event. It is being held in the Creative Arts Center on the 2nd floor of the Enoch Pratt Free Library's Central Branch (400 Cathedral Street Baltimore, MD 21201)

Maximizing Envelope Performance with IMP-Integrated Components explores an advanced insulated metal composite panel building envelope system, components that have been engineered to integrate with the system – including windows, daylighting panels, sunshades, accent fins and louvers – and how the IMP system and integrated components combine to create a high-performance building envelope.

A high-performance building envelope should result in better than average:
Thermal efficiency | Moisture control | Occupant health and safety | Durability | Operating cost | Life cycle cost

And achieving a high-performance building envelope should never compromise:
Views to the exterior | Quality daylighting | Appropriate ventilation | Aesthetics | Construction schedule | Budget

Presented by: 

Stacey Crown

Stacey lives in Annapolis, MD and is the Business Development Manager at NIPG for the states of MD, VA, DE and Washington, DC; representing both their Centria and Metl-Span lines,

Stacey has a diverse background in sales. She spent 20 years in the marine, architectural and RV industries as a coatings and chemicals manufacturer and the last 10 years in the technology sector.

Learning Objectives:

• Establish the definition of a high-performance building envelope and explore the most common barriers to its achievement.
• Distinguish advanced insulated composite panel systems through 10 defining characteristics.
• Understand how key envelope components including windows, daylighting panels, sunshades, louvers, and through-tube bypass framing are engineered to integrate with advanced IMP systems to overcome barriers to achieving a high-performance envelope.
• Explore several examples of high-performance building envelope design using integrated components.

Sponsored by: 

Is your teen interested in Architecture? This workshop is a great way for teens to learn the basic tools of architecture, such as site visits, sketching, design, and model-building.  DAC offers the workshop in the spring and fall.

Who: Teens in middle and high school 

When:  May 31, 10 am - 3 pm

*Please bring a lunch and water bottle, and wear weather appropriate clothes. We will have lunch from 12 pm - 12:30 pm and go on a local site visit. 

WAF provides scholarships for all its classes.  If you are facing a financial hardship please contact hsohng@aiadc.com for a code that will provide a 50% discount. We ask that you only use this option if you are facing financial challenges. 

Find this event and all other Youth Events on our Youth Programs page. 

DAC is inviting middle and high school students to participate in a collaborative design challenge:  build a model of a greenhouse for a local DC community.  Architects will guide students to collaborate in small groups, where they will be judged in the following categories:  sustainability,  buildability,  affordability, innovation, and best overall solution. This is a great opportunity for participants to work in teams and learn about sustainability, climate change, and farming. All students will receive a mini-greenhouse and certificate to take home. 

In partnership with Lederer Gardens, DC Department of Parks and Recreations

Who: For students in grades 6-12

Sponsored by: