Get ready to have a spooktacular time this Halloween by building your very own haunted house!  Haunted House Building + Storytelling = Spooky Fun!

We will read Iggy Peck and the Mysterious Mansion for design ideas and architectural surprises that will make your haunted house the talk of the town. Share your own story!  Bring your family and your imagination, and let's make this the spookiest and most fun haunted house ever! And don't forget to dress up in your favorite costume!

If your child is interested in architecture, this is a great entry to it through toy houses! We are going to present on different aspects of “dream houses” as seen through the lens of Barbie houses. It is interesting to see how Barbie houses have evolved from the 60's, 70’s, 90’s, and up to the present day. We will teach kids how to sketch a blueprint of their dream house using simple bubble diagrams. Then, your child will receive a box of materials to construct a room to build three-dimensionally! Families can have fun building together!   

Maestrxs de Arquitectura is a unique lecture series created by LA.IDEA DC to recognize Latin American architects for their professional journey and accomplishments in the U.S. and globally. This lecture aims to inspire the Latinx design community and extend our reach to a multicultural and interdisciplinary group of professionals. The funds generated by the event are destined to support the various educational, networking, and community outreach events we host in the DC metro area every year. Past Maestrxs de Arquitectura include Cesar Pelli in 2014, Rodolfo Machado in 2015, Alfredo Brillembourg in 2016, Juan Herreros in 2017/2018, Hernan Diaz Alonso in 2019, Tatiana Bilbao in 2021, and Francisco Gonzalez Pulido in 2022.

2023 Maestrx de Arquitectura:

Monica Ponce de Leon, AIA, NCARB, is the founding principal of MPdL Studio and dean of Princeton University School of Architecture.
Among her many honors, Ponce de Leon received the National Design Award in Architecture from the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian National Design Museum. She has also been honored with the Academic Award in Architecture from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the USA Target Fellow in Architecture and Design from United States Artists, and the Young Architects and Emerging Voices awards from the Architectural League of New York. Her highly acclaimed and broadly published work has received 13 Progressive Architecture (P/A) Awards, 14 awards from the American Institute of Architects, including the AIA Institute Honor Award for Architecture, as well as the prestigious Harleston Parker Medal from the Boston Society of Architects. In 2016 Ponce de Leon was inducted into the National Academy of Design.

Known as an educational force, Ponce de Leon is currently a professor and the dean at Princeton University School of Architecture. From 2008 through 2015, she was the dean of Taubman College at the University of Michigan. For over 12 years, Ponce de Leon taught at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard, where she became a professor and served as the Graduate Program coordinator and was director of the Digital Fabrication Lab. Prior to her appointment at Harvard, Ponce de Leon was an assistant professor at Northeastern University. She has been a visiting professor or scholar at various institutions across the United States, including SCI-Arc, Rhode Island School of Design, the University of Miami, as well as Georgia Tech. At Georgia Tech, she was the first Thomas W. Ventulett III Distinguished Chair in Architectural Design. In recognition of her extraordinary contributions in academia, in 2018 Ponce de Leon received ACADIA’s distinguished teaching award, and in 2020 received the Architectural Record Women in Architecture Award for Educator/Mentor.

Ponce de Leon has a Master of Architecture in Urban Design from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard, as well as a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Miami.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify an internationally known Latin American architect and learn about how their multicultural and diverse background has shaped their architectural career.
• Illustrate their extraordinary contributions as a renowned architecture professional, by exploring ties between academia and practice.
• Discuss how computational design, digital fabrication, and robotics can enhance the design process.
• Discover projects in institutional, cultural, civic, commercial, and residential sectors and their success in project delivery.

Organized by:

AIA|DC LA.IDEA Committee

Sponsored by:

Learn to think like an architect by learning the tools of the trade!

This Fall, The Washington Architectural Foundation continues its partnership with ArtReach GW to offer Archi-Builder.

Classes will be held at ArtReach GW’s studio at THEARC on Tuesdays from 6:00-7:30pm, September 13th through November 15th.

Design and build your museum! This program teaches students the design processes used by architects. Students will work in teams to learn techniques that transform early ideas into a final design. Presentation skills will be fostered to prepare participants to share their new skills and experiences with others. The end project is to build a scale model of their own architectural design. 

This session is meant for youth in grades 3-8.

This program is supported by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

This Fall, The Washington Architectural Foundation continues its partnership with ArtReach GW to offer Digital Design for Teens.

Classes will be held virtually on Wednesdays from 6:00-7:30pm, September 14th through November 1st.

This session is meant for youth ages 14 to 18.

Digital Design for Teens teaches valuable computer-aided design (CAD) skills to high school students. Part II is designed for students who have previously taken Part I or have other experience with CAD. Though many high-schools teach similar courses, the Washington Architectural Foundation and ArtReach GW team up to provide introductory education on digital drawing and 3D modeling for architectural, interior design, landscape architecture, civil and mechanical engineering purposes. Students will learn simple techniques they can practice outside of the classroom and apply for internships and educational opportunities. Digital Design for Teens is an excellent asset for any college applicant or job-seeker to have on their resume, and provides insight into the work involved in a modern design career. Please note desktop computers and laptops are preferred. Tablets are acceptable but not preferred.

This program is supported by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

Join us to celebrate the opening of our latest exhibition, Ricardo J. Rodríguez De Santiago: Present Futures.

With this exhibition, Ricardo J. Rodríguez De Santiago (@bytesandmortar) presents a collection of AI-generated images that raise questions on architecture, climate change, and politics in his native Puerto Rico. Using the power of AI, Ricardo creates imaginary worlds framed between pain and recovery to highlight Puerto Rican resilience in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Fiona.

Meet the artist and explore these thought-provoking artworks. Drinks and light hors d'oeuvres will be served.

The exhibition is organized by the District Architecture Center in collaboration with @BytesandMortar for the Suman Sorg Gallery.

_{Photo Credit
Shadows to Spectrum, courtesy of the artist.}

Join AIA|DC's Small Firm Exchange for our annual party, we'll be celebrating all of the committee's hard work over the past year and lookin forward to what's next!

The Small Firm Exchange (SFx) seeks to advance the mutual interests of architects practicing in small firms. The group advocates for the value of small firms within the AIA and out in public. It also promotes business development, marketing and leadership development. AIA|DC SFx focuses the national mission at a local scale, engaging and supporting small firms practicing in Washington DC.

With AI tools exploding in the marketplace and across all sectors, this discussion will present AI tools and trends and that can bolster small firms capabilities and strengthen design. We will hear from Jack Lynch, who'll share with us his published research on AI and how it applies to his firm. We will have AI tools for architects showcase their workflows via live walkthroughs, and an opportunity for Q&A. Attendees will leave with strategies helping small firms compete in the marketplace, and improve their services to clients.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn about trends in AI that support architects
• Find workflows that incorporate AI software
• Find potential areas of exposure that can lead to issues with AI
• Learn how to leverage AI to improve services

Presented by:

Jack Lynch

Project Architect, Hickok Cole

John W Lynch is a Project Architect at forward-focused design practice, Hickok Cole, where he specializes in multifamily projects with a background in master planning, project development, and consulting. A recent recipient of iLAB, the firm’s internal microgrant program, John and his research partner are seeking to define the future of vertical mixed-use development. As an early adopter, John champions innovation in the architectural profession and is currently studying the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on the design industry. His research has been published in Dezeen and Fast Company in addition to The Architect’s Newspaper, to which he contributed an opinion piece documenting his foray into the subject. John holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Washington, University in St. Louis, and a Master of Architecture from Columbia University.

Organized by:

AIA|DC Small Firm Exchange (SFx)

Sponsored by:

This presentation will provide an update to AIA members on zoning topics generally applicable to their architectural practices in DC, including a review of DC Zoning Regulations amendments over the last two years.

Specifically the presentation will:

• Review DC Zoning Regulations amendments over the last two years.
• Review changes in administrative interpretations of DC Zoning Regulations which have not been amended.
• Update attendees on changes in administration at DOB and the Zoning Administrators office.
• Review major applicable updates in inclusionary zoning.
• Review recent changes in RA-1 zoning - including requirement to go to BZA any time one unit or more is added.
• Update attendees on alley lot zoning, including the latent requirement to require an alley to be named before receiving a building permit, which is now being enforced.

Learning Objectives:

• Reinforce the Attendees' knowledge of DC Zoning
• Inform the attendees about important recent changes in DC Zoning Law and Interpretations thereof
• Inform the Attendees on Administrative changes in DOB - the permitting agency
• Review recent changes in RA-1 zoning - including requirement to go to BZA any time one unit or more is added.

Presented by:

Marty Sullivan

Marty began his DC Zoning Law career at zoning and real estate law powerhouse Wilkes Artis, in 1998. He joined a group of zoning attorneys that left Wilkes Artis in 2000 for Shaw Pittman, later Pillsbury (a group that has since moved to Goulston Storrs) and practiced there until 2005. After a brief stint in-house for a Maryland homebuilder, Marty opened his own zoning practice in 2008, and, with former Wilkes Artis colleague Tony Barros, formed Sullivan & Barros, LLP, in 2010.

Marty now heads the Zoning practice at Sullivan & Barros, LLP, which includes Associate Alexandra Wilson, Associate Andrew Justus, and Legal Assistants Anna Fraser and Leisha Mahajan. Marty’s practice is focused exclusively on District of Columbia zoning matters. He represents a variety of clients, including developers, investors, homeowners, and institutions. For over 22 years, he has worked closely with clients to create innovative solutions to maximize the return and enjoyment of their properties. He handles everything in DC zoning from the initial due diligence to Board of Zoning Adjustment (“BZA”) and Zoning Commission requests and appeals. Marty also works with the Zoning Administrator and the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (“DCRA”) to secure favorable interpretations. Marty is known for his extensive knowledge of DC Zoning and uses this, along with the relationships he’s developed over the years, to help analyze and craft the best possible development plan under the challenging DC zoning scheme, regardless of project size.

Marty evaluates properties and potential development projects and explains the options in plain English. Sometimes a client has no viable options, but they appreciate getting the bad news up-front before committing significant time and money to a losing effort. More often than not, they do have viable options, and Marty helps them navigate the zoning process with as little friction as possible, always keeping the client’s objectives in the forefront. The success of a project, and a zoning engagement, is not just about getting an approval; it is about getting the right approval, without spending unnecessary time and money.

In addition to winning hundreds of BZA cases, Marty has also successfully represented clients before the Zoning Commission, the D.C. Court of Appeals, and the Office of Administrative Hearings.

Prior to becoming an attorney, Marty was a CPA and worked for real estate developer Potomac Investment Associates/Natelli Communities, developers of the Avenel Community and many other TPC-related residential development projects across the country.

Organized by:

 Sullivan & Barros, LLP

A survey of most of the ways that art, both 2D and 3D, new and existing, is integrated into a project and analyzing the best strategies to assure that this aspect of your project keeps pace and runs smoothly. The program will run through the potential timing of when to address art (ASAP), who to involve and estimations of the time it will take to address. Specific topics will be through the lens of current market conditions involving reduced tenant footprints, increased branding and the dilemma of exiting collections. Special focus will be on the requirement of exterior artwork, murals, sculpture etc., primarily stipulated by Public Art Programs.

Learning Objectives:

• Exploring the potential Steps and potential pitfalls for including art in projects.
• Identifying all the possible factors involved in both interior and exterior art installation.
• Planning timing necessary to incorporate art on a projects.
• Producing a budget.

Presented by:

Jack Devine

Partner, Artists Circle

Jack and his team at Artists Circle have been helping those with art-related needs for 50 years. Jack has been involved in every aspect of the art world. From working with galleries, many, many artists, framers, art handlers and installers on the "source" end, to coordinating with clients, architects, project managers and construction teams to make sure projects are as surprise-proof as possible. He makes sure Artists Circle's focus on logistics is constant. Jack has worked on hundreds of interior projects and over 30 exterior sculpture placements and like most of his staff, and despite his wife's misgivings, is a certified MEWP operator. He has delivered talks to various real estate and design professionals but is especially proud of presentations to Jr. & Sr. BFA students on the topic of pragmatic aspects of maintaining a career in art. Two of Jack and his wife Joanna's four children are graduates of college art programs, Pratt Institute and Virginia Commonwealth.

Organized by:

Artists Circle