All are welcome to join the Fellows Public Program Committee and the Emerging Architects Committee for a sunset Happy Hour at Fox Architects rooftop terrace in the West End. Catch up on what both committees have been doing, mingle with current DC Fellows and Emerging Architects and offer good luck to this year's Fellow nominees (they will have just wrapped up their final submissions for the 2025 jury). Happy hour fare and beer and wine will be provided as we all enjoy a fall sunset in DC!

Please enter through the lobby at 1255 23rd St, NW. In the case of inclement weather, we will meet at Fox Architects at 1240 22nd Street (around the corner)

Evolving our future in an uncertain world: design, technology, practices, examples, and reflections~

We are overwhelmed and even paralyzed with bad news: human conflict, climate change, ecosystems degradation and more. Exploring design in this new and evolving world, we will examine leading edge environmentally innovative institutional, commercial, residential, and master-planning projects designed by Maclay Architects and other firms. We will dive into key practices, technologies, innovations, performance and evaluation methodologies and impacts, outlining new directions for the future. Since 1971, Bill has focused his work on renewably powered, ecologically focused healthy buildings, and educated others through lectures, courses and writing articles and a book: The New Net Zero. Ecological design is his focus and passion. Please join us for this groundbreaking discussion!

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. 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.

Presented by:

Bill Maclay, FAIA, LEED AP, Maclay Architects- As principal and founder of Maclay Architects, Bill Maclay is a nationally recognized innovator and leader in ecological, regenerative and Net Zero design. Since his first solar project in 1971, Bill has been at the forefront of designing innovative projects that serve as replicable and cost-effective models for the future. He is a passionate practitioner, author, speaker, teacher, and advocate for a nurturing future, offering transformative thinking to his clients, other professionals, and the public at large. Bill’s book, “The New Net Zero” is recognized as a leading resource on Net Zero building design and construction. It offers a renewably powered vision for the planet with concrete strategies and technologies for implementation. His and Maclay Architects’ work demonstrates that Net Zero and carbon reducing practices are feasible, essential, and cash flow positive to implement at every scale. In all of these endeavors, Bill brings passion, commitment, and expertise to nurture a thriving planet and future in collaboration with others. 

Learning Objectives:

• Identify case studies of projects that have incorporated leading edge sustainable innovations into their design, and the positive effects of these innovations on the environment.
• Illustrate new design practices, technologies, innovations, and performance and evaluation methodologies that can be utilized to reduce climate change.
• Explain and examine how to make sustainable design choices while addressing affordability and consumers interested in energy efficiency and long-term savings.
• Describe the various considerations when designing an eco-friendly building, such as air, water, and vapor barriers; embodied energy; residential and commercial net-zero standards; monitoring and commissioning; insulation options; costs; and more.

Organized by the Washington Architectural Foundation

The area around the Kennedy Center and the Whitehurst Freeway is a highway nightmare and separates and fragments the experience of neighborhoods in the Nation's Capital from one another.

The "Repairing and Connecting" Concept Plan for the Kennedy Center area proposes a new vision of a park landscape to connect the National Mall and Rock Creek Park as a continuous experience from south of M Street NW to the Lincoln Memorial. It proposes, in addition to new park space, maintaining aspects of the existing road infrastructure that is today a vital commuter link to Northern Virginia.   The vision, developed by Perkins Eastman working in conjunction with the National Capital Planning Commission, offers expanded access for diverse modes of mobility (walking and biking in addition to vehicles), new open space and locations for monuments, new development opportunities and a new front door for the east side of the Kennedy Center, today marred by a tangle of highway ramps and concrete that separates one of the most important national monuments from the Nation's Capital.  

Presented by:

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Matthew Bell, FAIA FCNU, PERKINS EASTMAN- Matthew Bell, FAIA FCNU is Professor at the University of Maryland and Principal at Perkins Eastman Architects. His work in DC includes buildings and master plans for McMillan, RIA/Brookland Manor, the new Cleveland Park Library, and the mixed-use Collection 14 on 14th Street NW. Bell’s professional work has received awards from the AIA, the Congress for the New Urbanism, the USGBC, and the Urban Land Institute, among others. He has degrees in architecture from the University of Notre Dame and Cornell University and serves on the Historic Preservation Review Board in Washington, DC.

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Christian Calleri, AIA, PERKINS EASTMAN- Christian Calleri is an Associate Principal at Perkins Eastman and has led designs for community centers, academic buildings and large-scale master plans including McMillan/the Reservoir District, a new mixed-use waterfront in North Africa and a large-scale strategic plan for the Gallery Place/Chinatown Task Force. His built work includes projects at the University of Virginia, the University of Michigan, and the Catholic University of America. He received his undergraduate degree in architecture from SUNY Buffalo, and an M Arch from the University of Maryland. He on the board of the DC|Mid-Atlantic chapter of the Congress of the New Urbanism.

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Thomas Luebke, FAIA, Commission of Fine Arts- Thomas Luebke has served as Secretary of the U. S. Commission of Fine Arts, the federal design review agency for the nation’s capital, since 2005. He is an architect with more than thirty years’ experience in design, planning, and historic preservation in both public and private sectors. He is the editor of Civic Art: A Centennial History of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, and Palace of State: The Eisenhower Executive Office Building. He is a Phi Beta Kappa and honors graduate of Washington University in St. Louis and graduated with a master in architecture degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Design. He was named a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 2011, and he was awarded the Thomas Jefferson Award for Public Architecture by the Institute in 2015.

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Elizabeth Miller, FASLA, AICP, National Capital Planning Commission- Elizabeth Miller is a project director with the National Capital Planning Commission. For two decades, Elizabeth has managed the Commission’s signature urban design and planning initiatives, most recently the National Mall-Kennedy Center-Foggy Bottom Repairing and Connecting Study, and the Pennsylvania Avenue Initiative. Prior to joining NCPC, she worked in the private sector and local government in South Florida. A Certified Planner and an ASLA Fellow, she received her Master of Design Studies with a concentration in Real Estate Development from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Florida.

Learning Objectives:

• Illustrate how design choices can positively influence key sustainability metrics such as carbon footprints and overall sustainability performance.
• Describe the importance and benefits of expanding park space in a community, including the social and environmental benefits.
• Identify the challenges in attempting to maintain aspects of an existing road infrastructure, while also expanding the accessibility of a building, and how to overcome these challenges.
• Gain in-depth knowledge on design strategies used to promote cultural welfare amongst a local diverse population while accommodating accessibility requirements.

Join DC Noma, AIADC, and LA.IDEA for an evening of celebration and unity highlighting Hispanic Heritage culture and architecture!

Passive House is a standard for energy efficiency in buildings that reduces the building's carbon footprint and results in highly energy efficient buildings with overall carbon emissions that are close to zero. The Passive House Institute of the United States (PHIUS) was started in 2007 and sets the standard for passive house design requirements for buildings in North America. Key design principles for passive house design include continuous insulation, elimination of all thermal bridges, airtight building layers, highly energy efficient windows and doors, and ventilation and heat recovery. Renewable energy sources such as solar panels, green roof systems, and geothermal heating/cooling are heavily relied upon to meet PHIUS requirements.

This presentation will focus on the new 34Fifty Apartments, located at 3450 Eads Street, NE in Washington, DC. The project is the first passive house, net-zero ready affordable housing project in the District of Columbia. The design team worked together to develop tailored details for the building envelope to meet architectural and structural requirements while also adhering to passive house design. The presentation will also cover the various design aspects and features of the building, and lessons learned in design and construction that can be utilized for future passive house projects.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe Passive House design and various design aspects that are required to achieve certification. Identify the benefits that Passive House design provides for energy efficiency and the environment and applications for building owners and developers.
• Discuss various architectural and building envelope detailing that is required to meet Passive House design requirements.
• Discuss various structural detailing that is required to meet Passive House design requirements.
• Identify design strategies and collaboration required early on in the design process to achieve Passive House design and deliver buildings that meet the needs of the occupants while adhering to Passive House design requirements.

Presented By:

Walid Choueiri, PE,SE | SK&A Structural Engineers

Walid Choueiri, PE, SE joined SK&A in 2000 as an entry-level structural engineer fresh out of undergrad. As he grew in experience, education, and accreditation, his roles and responsibilities at SK&A grew as well. In 2011, he joined firm leadership as a Principal, and in 2022 was elevated to Sr. Principal and member of the firm’s Executive Committee. In this role, Walid provides oversight and leadership of the firm’s technical operations, contributes to firm management, and continues to lead and mentor Design Group project teams in our client-focused delivery of services.

Stephanie Farrell, AIA, LEED AP BD+C | Torti Gallas + Partners

Stephanie Farrell is a Principal at Torti Gallas involved in a range of project types, including residential, mixed-use and senior living for both affordable and market rate housing. Ms. Farrell is responsible for the oversight and management of the entire project from conceptual design and entitlement though the development of construction documents, the supervision of construction document teams, coordination of engineering documents and specifications, and the management of construction administration services.

Michael Hindle, MFA, CPHC | Passive to POSITIVE

Michael Hindle is founder and principal of Passive to POSITIVE, a Building Enclosure and Energy Efficiency consulting firm specializing in PASSIVE HOUSE, Zero Energy, Low Carbon and Resilient Design. He is also co-founder and principal of Common Ecology, a regenerative and permaculture-based design company, focused on regenerative community redevelopment projects.  Michael became one of the nation’s first Certified Passive House Consultants (CPHC) in late 2009.  He has consulted on Passive House, zero-energy, and Living Building Challenge projects that include single-family and multi-family residential, mixed-use, and small commercial projects from Washington DC to New Hampshire.  He has experience in both new construction and retrofits, and is committed to low toxicity, low Global Warming Potential, and carbon sequestering building methods.

David Stringer, PE | SK&A Structural Engineers

David Stringer, PE joined SK&A in 2013 and is currently a Project Manager with the firm. David is responsible for structural analysis and design, the preparation of project drawings and specifications, shop drawing approvals, and periodic field observation of project construction. He supervises, delegates, and mentors project engineers; collaborates with architects, developers, and contractors; attends project meetings; and reviews project finances and billings. David’s project experience includes mixed-use, office, residential, hotels, schools, parking garages, and various tenant modifications to existing structures.

Jason Travis, AIA, NCARB | Torti Gallas + Partners

Jason Travis is an experienced Architect with a portfolio of mixed use and residential buildings throughout the United States. His project experience includes new construction and renovations of multi-family residential, mixed-use, data centers, commercial, retail and governmental buildings of various sizes. His responsibilities/roles on projects have included project manager, project architect, planner, team lead, mentor, consultant coordinator, BIM modeler, drafter, designer, detailer, code reviewer, QA/QC and construction administrator.

Organized By:

SK&A Structural Engineers
 

Join DAC in partnership with the Danish Embassy in Washington, DC, for a Danish-American dialogue on resilient communities and how to build for the future.

With rapid urbanization, demographic changes and climate changes globally, our cities and buildings are facing immense challenges. This calls for innovative design solutions in order to secure communities strong enough to handle the urban challenges. But how do we achieve these goals?

Through a cross-cultural dialogue and case examples, we explore how Danish architectural firms - known for their focus on sustainability - and American architects are balancing the variety of aspects needed in comprehensive urban development, that strengthens resilient communities.

Learning Objectives:

• Gain in-depth knowledge on the design process and choices made specifically by Danish architects when trying to maximize sustainability.
• Illustrate examples of international sustainable design and their positive impact on the environment and local cultures.
• Identify the challenges architects face in urban development while seeking to make sustainable design and material choices.
• Understand the benefits of international cooperation and dialogue as they apply to sustainable design and eco-friendly urban development.

Speakers include:

Anna Muessig, Gehl- Anna is a Partner and Senior Project Director at Gehl where she leads Gehl’s US partnerships in the public sector. Anna partners with municipal agencies, business improvement districts, and others to realize a vision of public life as a driver of shared prosperity, community belonging, and climate action. A skilled listener and facilitator, Anna brings 15 years of experience leading complex processes with multiple stakeholders to deliver transformational urban projects. Anna leads teams that translate community voice and behavioral insights into catalytic projects. She holds a Master in City Planning from MIT. Before Gehl, she founded a public art nonprofit and served on the board of Brooklyn's Green Hill Food Cooperative.
 

Daniel Baumann, Henning Larsen- Daniel Baumann, Partner and Design Director at Henning Larsen, co-leads the firm’s US studio in New York City. With nearly 15 years at Henning Larsen's offices in Copenhagen, Munich, and New York, he has directed several award-winning projects across Scandinavia, Europe, and North America. As a key member of the global leadership, Daniel maintains a commitment to design excellence and international knowledge-sharing. In the New York office, he oversees complex projects with an iterative, research-based, and co-creative process, coordinates large teams, and manages decision-making. His design philosophy emphasizes a contextual approach, with each project being uniquely tailored to its site, microclimate, program, density, and user experience at eye level, resulting in innovative and practical solutions. In 2018, Daniel—a Danish-German dual citizen—relocated to New York City to help steer Henning Larsen’s ambitions in North America. He leads significant international projects, including innovation districts, mixed-use masterplans and buildings, commercial offices, multifamily and student residences, and civic projects.

Tanya T. Eagle, AICP, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, PERKINS EASTMAN- With fifteen years of experience in the sustainable design and planning industries, Tanya leads sustainability efforts and manages third-party market standards across Perkins Eastman. Tanya creates and manages firmwide sustainability initiatives and policies, leads material health initiatives across the firm, and guides project consultation across global offices. Tanya is currently the co-chair of the AIA Materials Pledge Working Group and helped develop the recently released AIA Materials Pledge reporting framework. Tanya advocates for the intersection of health, wellness, and the built environment, and has extensive experience speaking at leading industry forums such as the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design, NeoCon, and Metropolis symposiums. She is active in industry leadership groups, and is passionate about sharing practical steps toward a sustainable future.

Moderated by: 

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Lance Davis, FAIA, LEED FELLOW, MSU Fellow- Lance Davis is the sustainability architect for the U.S. General Services Administration in Washington, DC. He is also the program manager for P100, the Facilities Standards for the Public Buildings Service. He has a Bachelors of Architecture from Mississippi State University where he is a Fellow. He is also a Fellow of the AIA and a LEED Fellow. He is past chair of the USGBC's LEED Steering Committee,is appointed to President Biden’s Climate Smart Infrastructure Working Group, and a former member of ASHRAE’s Task Force for Decarbonization. He helped author the book Sustainability Matters and is featured in the book, The Rise of Living Architecture.  

Organized by:

The District Architecture Center & Embassy of Denmark in Washington D.C.

Equity by WIELD in collaboration with the Design Excellence Committee invites fellow committee members and AIA|DC members to join us at our general body meeting and collaborative happy hour at The Square! 
 

Photo Credit: Garden City Elementary School, Fielding International
 

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 globe.
• Explain and analyze existing school facilities for their inherent challenges.
• Discuss and define 21st Century Learning Environments.     

Organized By: 

Committee for Architecture in Education

Sponsored By: 

In this presentation, we’ll discuss porcelain pavers as a durable and innovative paving option. Characteristics of
high-quality porcelain will be presented in contrast to a lower quality product. We will identify porcelain paver advantages while increasing your knowledge of uses and limitations from applications ranging from on-grade entrance ways to elevated plazas. A variety of installation methods will be examined as it pertains to each application type. It is our hope that at the conclusion of this presentation you will have gained a better understanding of porcelain pavers uses and characteristics, as well as how they compare to current materials in the market.

Learning Objectives:

• Compare and contrast the advantages of porcelain pavers to other types of materials.
• Explore the considerations for specifying porcelain pavers for a variety of applications.
• Identify installation best practices and considerations for porcelain pavers.
• Explore a variety of size and color options available for product specification.

Presented By: 

Brent Bevenour - Porcelain Technical Sales Director
 

Organized By:

Hanover Architectural Products