Call for Papers:

The Latrobe Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians welcomes paper proposals for a symposium that examines the broad subject matter of the architecture of food. We invite proposals from anyone with an interest in the built environment and its connection to food landscapes, including students, scholars, practitioners, and culinary enthusiasts. 

Potential themes may focus on: 

• food-shaped novelty buildings and roadside architecture 
• markets, halls, and suburban food courts 
• ethnic neighborhoods as food destinations 
• food and transportation planning 
• dining in institutional settings (i.e., government, schools, prisons) 
• concessions at sports venues and theaters 
• food banks, food pantries and faith-based organizations 
• urban farmsteads, community gardens and apiaries 
• food festivals, tours and media-based culinary experiences 
• food trucks, pop-ups, streeteries and food apps 
• Breweries, wineries and distilleries 
• interiors or behind-the-scenes spaces (i.e., dining rooms, kitchens, storage) 

The purpose of the symposium is to feature recent research in a format that encourages comment and discussion. Papers must be analytical rather than descriptive in nature and should place the subject in a comparative context of political, social, economic, technological, or cultural forces, as appropriate. 

All paper sessions will take place on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at The Catholic University of America School of Architecture and Planning. 

Submission Details:
Please send a one-page, 350-word abstract of a 20-minute paper and an abbreviated curriculum vitae by November 15, 2023, to the Latrobe Chapter at info@latrobechaptersah.org. 

All applicants will be notified of the selection by December 15, 2023. The deadline for final text is March 15, 2024. 

For further information, contact the Latrobe Chapter at info@latrobechaptersah.org. 

Symposium Details:

THE ARCHITECTURE OF FOOD

Fourteenth Biennial Symposium | Washington, DC | April 6, 2024

Boozy brunch, spongy injera dinners, empanada midnight snacks—modern residents of the nation’s capital enjoy a dynamic food center, noted for its variety of culinary experiences and foods authentic to the region, including half smokes, mumbo sauce, and crabcakes. Less explored is how this culinary geography intersects with the built environment, and how those intersections have changed over time. From farms and agricultural homesteads that supplied historic markets to ethnic food enclaves fostered by DC’s role as the capital, the city is an experiment in democracy, architecture and flavor. How has the Washington metropolitan area facilitated the production and dissemination of foodstuffs across the region? How have patterns of work shaped patterns of eating? How does a focus on food generate new types of research methodologies? 

Divine House
Cunningham Quill Architects
Anice Hoachlander Photography

Join Loewen Windows and Doors and The Sanders Company for a live webinar "The Future of Fenestration in Resilient Building Design". This course will explore the growing importance of resilient building design due to accelerating climate change and extreme weather events. We will discuss resilient design principles and fenestration's role in resilient design, including the importance of building product durability, energy efficiency, storm and hurricane protection, and how simple, passive and flexible systems are more resilient. The course will also explore the future of fenestration and emerging window technologies that will be able to respond to climate and occupant preferences.

Learning Objectives:

• Analyze the importance of resilient design and how to apply resilient design principles in the built environment.

• Examine fenestration's role in resilient design and considerations for specifying highly durable and energy efficient products.

• Identify high performance windows and door products that should be considered when designing for resiliency.

• Explore the future of fenestration and emerging window technologies that can respond to climate and occupant preferences.

Presented by:

Diane van Horn

Diane van Horn is the Mid-Atlantic Architectural Territory Manager for Loewen Windows and Doors. In her role Diane is responsible for architectural specifications, project reviews, design assistance and delivering Continuing Education courses. Diane has experience in fenestration products for both residential and commercial applications. In addition, Diane is a member of the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) where she earned her Construction Document Technologist (CDT) certification and serves on the Board of Directors for the New Jersey Chapter.

Organized by:

Loewen Windows and Doors

Truesdell Elementary School Modernization (DCPS), Image courtesy of VMDO-DC

Join AIA|DC's Committee on Architecture for Education (CAE) for networking and rapid-fire style presentations at the committee’s "Back to School" Fall Social.

This event will showcase current work related to the design of learning environments by firms in the DC metropolitan region. Presentations will highlight emerging trends through designs still on the boards, completed within the last year, or under construction.

Learning Objectives:

• Explore and understand how diverse spaces can support lifelong learning
• Describe new trends in school designs around the nation
• Explain and analyze existing school facilities for their inherent challenges
• Discuss and define 21st Century Learning Environments

Presented by:

AIA|DC Committee on Architecture for Education

The Washington DC Committee on Architecture for Education (AIA|DC CAE) is a forum to gather a broad range of stakeholders (designers, builders, learners, educators, administrators, and the public) interested in the design of great educational environments.

Sponsored by:

Lead the dialogue at A’24

Every year, AIA opens a Call for Proposals to solicit the best speakers and content for the AIA Conference on Architecture. We’re looking for ahead-of-the-curve educational content from a diversity of voices, career stages, and AEC industries.

The A’24 Call for Proposals: What to expect

The A’24 Call for Proposals is open from August 31–October 5, 2023. This year’s event includes a Call for Educational Sessions and a brand-new Call for Tours. Important deadlines are listed below.

Why submit a proposal? It’s your opportunity to inspire others, share your knowledge, network, and connect on a global stage. Lead the dialogue at one of the most anticipated events in architecture and design, and be part of a diverse, collaborative community shaping the future.

Need inspiration? Check out the A’23 schedule

Important dates

• August 31: Call for Proposals/Tours opens
• October 5, 11:59pm ET: Call for Proposals/Tours closes
• Mid-December: Notification of final acceptance

Cosentino City DC is a space designed to connect and learn about the different Cosentino material applications such as countertops, flooring, and cladding. It also allows you to network with professionals, enjoy cooking demos, guest speakers, and more.

At this event, we will host members of the AIA|DC chapter for a catered "Lunch & Learn" featuring our CEU on Exterior Cladding Innovation: Rainscreen Design with Ultracompact Surfacing.

Modern construction has come to understand that a façade, as part of an overall building envelope, is not only a visual statement, but also an important influencer in the protection of a wall’s structural components, the energy efficiency of the building, and the health of its occupants. This course explores a unique surfacing material known as ultracompact surfacing (UCS) and evaluates its mechanical properties, technical characteristics, and aesthetics to illustrate its endless design potential in exterior cladding, façade, and
rainscreen applications.

Learning Objectives:

• Define ultracompact surfacing and discuss the innovative production process that creates stone-like properties which contribute to project longevity and lower maintenance.
• Learn about innovative manufacturing strategies to reduce carbon footprint and how ultracompact surface sets itself apart from other surfacing material.
• Identify the traits and advantages of ultracompact surfaces in terms of strength, durability, UV resistance, absorption rates, abrasion resistance, and ASTM testing.
• Discuss proper rainscreen design and installation using ultracompact surfacing material.

Presented by:

Alexandor Mantoni

Organized by:

Cosentino City DC

Join AIA|DC’s Urban Design Committee for a tour of the newly constructed Lubber Run Community Center, led by key members from the design team. Featuring net-zero energy design and a landscape-focused approach to the surrounding park, Lubber Run Community Center offers a holistic response to an urban challenge – ultimately creating public space that is greater and greener for residents. This guided tour will offer insights on research methodology, design process, sustainable strategies, challenges and the lessons learned relating to this award winning project.

Photographs by Alan Karchmer

Learning Objectives:

• Identify key building systems and program elements relating to successful design of a community center
• Describe how public buildings are approaching complex issues relating to resilience & sustainable design today.
• Identify strategies for incorporating technology and best practices of design into design projects; and
• Describe how civic architecture can play a vital role in preserving and strengthening local communities, culture, and heritage.

Presented by:

Joe Celentano, AIA, LEED AP

Principal, VMDO Architects

Joe is a principal at VMDO Architects, where he is the Director of the Athletics + Community Studio. His almost 40-year background includes a long resume of work with college athletics facilities, including at the University of Virginia, the University of Richmond, and Roanoke College, among others. Joe has brought this athletics background to municipal work, including state-of-the-art community centers and park spaces. He most recently led the design team for Arlington County’s Lubber Run Community Center, a net-zero-ready facility that was the recent recipient of an AIA National Design Award.

Organized by:

AIA|DC Urban Design Committee

Sponsored by:

Join us for a two-day symposium in Washington, DC, where we'll navigate emerging trends and technologies reshaping urban design. Day one features rapid-fire presentations and panels. Day two offers immersive on-site tours and workshops across the DC region.

Day 1 Lectures and Panels:

CLIMATE RESPONSE: How Can Cities Increase Their Resilience to Climate Change? 

ADAPTING FOR TOMORROW: How Can Public Spaces Prepare for Future Challenges? 

LUNCH PANEL -  SPOTLIGHT ON DC PUBLIC SPACE BOOSTERS: Unmasking Lessons Learned Since 2020 

TECH IMPACT: How are Emerging Technologies Transforming Our Cities and Work?

THE URBAN SHIFT: How are Downtowns, Neighborhoods and Suburbs Changing?

SPOTLIGHT ON DC: Fostering Inclusive Growth in a Rapidly Changing Environment 

Day 2 Tours:

From Parking Lots to Places: The New Suburbanism at Pike and Rose, Montgomery County, MD

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) New HQ Tour & TOD

Union Market District

District Wharf

Pennsylvania Avenue with the National Capital Planning Commission

Anacostia + 11th Street Bridge Park

National Landing at Crystal City

National Landing at Potomac Yard + Virginia Tech Innovation Campus

View full program details.

A Model of Architecture for Society (MASS) Design Group was founded as a non-profit organization with the mission to research, design, build, and advocate for architecture that promotes justice and human dignity. MASS is a global collective of over 160+ architects, landscape architects, engineers, builders, writers, filmmakers, and researchers. Join Senior Principal Katie Swenson, to learn more about MASS’s innovative practice model and design methodology.

Approaching architecture as a purpose-built process requires a fundamental shift: to think not about what buildings are, but what they do and who they impact. Designers have a social and environmental responsibility to leverage the design and building process to heal and nourish our communities and imagine a more just and more equitable future where everyone flourishes.

That mindset shift - from deprivation to abundance - is rooted in MASS’s work, but also in their leadership practice, as a celebration of their collaborative team and the diverse perspectives and voices that make a collective model possible. It fosters a culture of inclusivity and diversity that is focused on breaking down barriers and making everyone seen and heard. By embracing abundance, architects and designers can prioritize humanity, seek out new opportunities for growth and development, and create work that is more fulfilling and impactful.

The Robert and Kay Lautman Lecture is a new annual program to honor two strong proponents of the Washington Architectural Foundation’s work. This program brings nationally and internationally renowned figures in the fields of architecture and art to lecture on the intersection between architecture, design, and art. The annual event will be recorded and made available to a wider audience online. We believe this special annual lecture will have the added benefit of highlighting WAF’s work in the community.

Robert Lautman was a renowned architectural photographer who served on WAF’s board. His wife Kay was well known in DC’s philanthropic community.

2024 Speaker:

Katie Swenson, Assoc. AIA

Senior Principal, MASS Design Group

Katie Swenson is a nationally recognized design leader, researcher, writer, and educator. Her work explores how critical design practice can, and should, promote economic and social equity, environmental sustainability, and healthy communities. Katie has over 20 years of experience in the theoretical and practical application of design thinking and is a talented global public speaker and thought leader.

A prolific writer, she authored Design with Love: At Home in America, and In Bohemia: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Kindness. Katie was awarded the AIA Award for Excellence in Public Architecture in 2021. Prior to joining MASS, Katie was the vice president of Design & Sustainability at Enterprise Community Partners, where, as a member of the second class, she led the Enterprise Rose Fellowship.

Katie also teaches at the Parsons School of Design at The New School, and lectures extensively on sustainable community development and affordable housing. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master of Architecture from The University of Virginia. Katie was awarded a Loeb Fellowship at the Harvard Graduate School of Design in 2019.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify various ways to foster a culture of inclusivity and diversity in an organization.
• Explain how to leverage the design and building process to heal and nourish communities through community engagement and accompaniment.
• Describe the importance of shifting from a mindset of scarcity to one of abundance to make space for more opportunities and shared successes.
• Discuss how sharing the stories and perspectives of many can help find solutions to create systemic change.

Organized by the Washington Architectural Foundation

Get ready to discover the history and culture of the Piscataway, the Native American tribe that lived in the Chesapeake area of present day DC.  Challenge your family to  build the iconic wigwam out of natural materials!

Wigwam comes from the Algonquian word wikewam for "dwelling.” There are different kinds of wigwams — some are more suited for warm weather, and others are built for winter. Different tribes have different styles of wigwams, but it is consistently a useful shelter.

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!