Research is the future of the architecture profession. The research we do both in firms and in schools will not only provide solutions to the problems we know about but will also help us identify the questions we don’t even know to ask, yet. AIA National’s 2017 Board Knowledge Committee is charged to develop a national research agenda for the AIA, including convening a Research Summit in St. Louis during the last week in June. Thought leaders in the architectural research field from all over the country spent two days helping to firmly establish a research roadmap for the AIA to support the development of a research culture in the profession, to create a research vocabulary for architects to share, to identify the research needed and to connect researchers with research projects. AIA Virginia supports AIA’s research agenda and our participation in the Research Summit will help Virginia architects as we review, evaluate, and develop our own research initiatives.
Researchers at the Summit represented both academia and practice and worked to define what research meant in the architectural profession, to discuss disruptive innovations that are going to affect architects in the short and long term, and to brainstorm on ways for the AIA to support research. One of the big takeaways is strengthening the connection between researchers within academia, researchers within practice, and architects who would like to make use of innovative practices and insights for their practices. AIA Virginia shares these goals and is currently restructuring our research recognition programs to reflect the importance of research in the profession.
AIA will publish a full report about the 2017 Research Summit on the AIA National website soon and, will be conducting a membership survey focused on architectural research. Please take a couple minutes to take this survey when you receive it. Keep an eye out for further updates in future AIA Virginia newsletters.
If you would like to be a part of the review and development of programs focused on architectural research at AIA Virginia, please contact Marshall Dreiling at mdreiling@aiava.org