It’s been less than 3 weeks since I returned from A’18 in New York City. I’m a bit embarrassed to say that this was my first national AIA conference, but also confident that it won’t be my last. Having spent the initial 4 years of my architecture career in NYC, I now welcome, some 25 years later, every opportunity that comes along to return to this great city. And NYC was a great host for what I understood to be the approximately 25,000 architects in attendance. The Javits Center was a surprisingly spectacular venue and the AIA put on a tremendous show that was as stimulating and diverse as the City itself. Here a few of the highlights, thoughts, and experiences I brought home:
Myriad tours were available throughout the entirety of the program, offering hands-on experiences of a diverse cross-section of New York places of interest. So many tours were available that you had to pick and choose carefully, certainly no chance of doing them all. Subjects featured important architecture, both historic and new, significant resiliency efforts, behind-the-scenes opportunities, and more generalized city tours. I took a bus tour focused on the built work of AIA Gold Medalists that was live narrated by Fred A. Bernstein. Fred’s an architectural critic that writes for The New York Times, Architectural Record, the Wall Street Journal, Metropolis, etc., and a tremendous tour guide. The tour was unscripted, opinionated, and jovial and Fred is likely unparalleled in his knowledge of NYC architectural history as well as the architecture explosion of the past decade or so. I was on the upper deck of an open-air, double-decker bus and could have used some sunscreen (who would’ve thought), but would’ve willingly extended the 3-hour tour for three more.
Of course, business was conducted as well, most of which occurred on the afternoon of the initial day. A limited number of candidates for elected national office gave speeches and were made available to delegate groups for questions and answers. Polls opened for voting the following morning and our membership elected a spirited and capable group of officers to lead us on in the next couple of years. Following the candidate speeches on the conference’s initial day was the business meeting, where a variety of resolutions were passed using a strict parliamentary procedure and Robert’s Rules of Order. What evolved was a fascinating scene of back and forth on several of the resolutions regarding very specific language, mostly centered on inclusion and diversity. Rest assured that AIA leadership across the nation is engaged, committed and passionate about issues that affect the profession in many ways. While the meeting stretched on from its 5:30 p.m. end time to nearly 7:00 p.m. (pushing many folks into dinner reservations), and was at times a bit tedious, I found it to be an open and intelligent discussion about the future of the profession and left invigorated.
The educational opportunities were overwhelming, the exhibit hall was impressive, and the entire event had a look and feel to it that was appropriately creative and professional. A’19 is scheduled for Las Vegas, a complete pivot from NYC but offering its own unique opportunities and experiences, and it’s already on my calendar.
I recently saw this video from another architect who experienced the Conference on Architecture for the first time, and in a video he posted on LinkedIn, he talks about the tremendous value of national meetings and why he believes conferences “should be part of everyone’s professional diet.”
Eric Reinholdt is an architect with more than 20 years of experience, but until recently, he’d been reluctant to attend conferences. This year, inspired by his “need to connect with others,” he attended the American Institute of Architects Conference on Architecture in New York City. It opened his eyes to what he’d been missing.
While this may have been both my and Reinholdt’s inaugural AIA national conference, I’ve attended our own Architecture Exchange East many times, and it stacks up well to the national scene. Scheduled for November 7-9, 2018 in Richmond, consider attending AIA Virginia’s annual conference and engaging with your colleagues from across the Commonwealth. Much like the national event, ArchEx offers a variety of tours, educational sessions, networking and social opportunities, and prominent speakers, along with a revamped exhibit hall concept that was a hit last year. Hope to see you there.
Eric Keplinger, AIA
2018 AIA Virginia President
