Reflections on the 2025 AIA Leadership Summit

A selfie outside Senator Tammy Duckworth’s office, in the Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. Photo by Adelina Koleva, AIA.

In February I had the privilege of attending the 2025 AIA Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. – an event that stands out not only for its impressive scale but also for the important conversations and advocacy it fosters within the architectural community.

Hosted at the Grand Hyatt, the summit offered a unique platform for AIA chapter executives to sharpen their leadership skills while engaging in important policy discussions with lawmakers. It’s one of those rare opportunities where you get to connect the dots between local and national leadership and to influence change. I came away feeling deeply inspired and more grounded in my role as AIA UK Vice President.

Touring the AIA Global Headquarters ongoing renovation.

AIA Headquarters Tour: A Glimpse of the Future

My first conference day kicked off with a tour of the AIA National Headquarters, which was particularly interesting for me, as it was my first visit. The building is currently undergoing a major renovation, which, as I learned, is one of the first fully decarbonized major renovations in the U.S. The project is being led by San Francisco’s EHDD architecture firm, with Turner Construction managing the build. The transformation of this 50-year-old structure is aimed at maximizing energy efficiency while reducing its carbon footprint.

The new facade features solar shades that not only reduce heat but also generate electricity. The fritted glass design was optimized to provide shading based on the site's solar path, ensuring efficient energy use. This approach highlights a modern, innovative take on sustainable design, demonstrating advanced computational techniques in architectural design.

Another thing that caught my attention was learning that the Secret Service has offices in the same building. With this in mind, additional cybersecurity and backup power systems are being integrated to ensure uninterrupted communications, a reminder of the complex nature of public buildings in Washington, D.C.

For anyone interested in staying updated on the project, I recommend checking out the latest news on the AIA Global Campus for Architecture and Design HERE.

From left to right: Barbara DiGregorio, Becky Gill, Alex Lopez, Adelina Koleva, unknown delegate, Jeremy Gentile.

Building Connections: Networking & Collaboration

One of the most rewarding aspects of the summit was the opportunity to connect with individuals from across the country and internationally. A few months ago, I connected with David Zuniga, a representative from Arizona, on LinkedIn. David had been actively exploring opportunities in the UK, so it was great to finally meet him in person. During the conference, he received the exciting news that he had been accepted into the prestigious Bartlett School of Architecture in London—a well-deserved accomplishment!

Posing with the AIA International delegation. From left to right: Yew Kee Chong, Shannon Ho, Barbara DiGregorio, Adelina Koleva, Thierry Parret, Vikki Lew, Adam Pantelimon.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Barbara DiGregorio, my counterpart as CE Vice President. We teamed up throughout the summit, keeping each other company, and addressing various issues impacting international architects. We also had the chance to connect with the AIA International group over dinner at Seven Reasons, a modern, Mexican-inspired restaurant.

During the dinner, we were joined by several AIA International leaders – people who were only names for me until now:

• Yew Kee Chong, President of AIA International

• Thierry Paret, Strategic Council Representative, AIA International

• Adam Pantelimon, AIA Canada Society Chapter Representative, AIA International

• Shannon Ho, Vice President of AIA Hong Kong

• Vikki Lew, AIA International & AIA HK COTE Chair

It was an enjoyable and lively evening filled with laughter and shared stories. I was glad to finally meet the International team!

Posing with Barbara DiGregorio, 2025 AIA Continental Europe Vice President, on the main conference stage.

Throughout the summit, I had the privilege of making many other inspiring connections, particularly with members of the AIA Illinois chapter. One of the highlights was a chance encounter with Evelyn Lee, the 2025 AIA National President. While I can't recount every conversation, the overall experience was incredibly enriching and reaffirmed the importance of networking and collaboration.

Posing with Barbara DiGregorio and the AIA Illinois delegation outside the Calder sculpture inside the main lobby of the Hart Senate Building.

Leadership Development

Although I was jetlagged and didn’t manage to attend as many sessions as I’d hoped, I still came away with plenty of insights. The conference offered 20 expert-led sessions on topics such as advocacy, leadership, and management.

One of the most thought-provoking discussions I participated in revolved around bridging the generational gap within our profession. During the Leadership Development: Aligning Profit with Purpose session, I joined a table where senior members were expressing concerns about younger generations lacking practical experience. I could empathize with their point of view, as I’ve found myself facing similar frustrations when my students didn’t seem to meet my expectations. Having been on both sides of that dynamic, I understood the challenge of recognizing potential that goes unnoticed.

The Grand Hyatt main conference hall during the first keynote lecture by Dr. Christine Porath on mastering community in the workplace. Photo by Adelina Koleva.

I shared my perspective, drawing on my own experiences as both an educator and a practitioner. While it's true that younger generations may not be trained in traditional methods, they bring valuable new skills to the table—such as coding and technological proficiency—that are increasingly essential in today's evolving landscape. I mentioned that, for instance, some of my fourth-year students already know programming, something I only started learning a few years ago. However, they lack the experience of working on real-world projects, which is where I have benefited from practical exposure.

This sparked an engaging conversation about the importance of a two-way exchange of knowledge. The older generation offers practical, hands-on expertise that is invaluable, while younger professionals bring fresh perspectives and technological skills that can drive innovation. Both sides must be open to learning from one another to build resilient, forward-thinking organizations. It was encouraging to see how this idea resonated with others in the room, and I left the discussion feeling optimistic about the potential for a more collaborative future in the profession.

AIA Illinois, AIA Continental Europe, and AIA United Kingdom take a photo in Senator Richard Durbin’s conference room. Photo by Adelina Koleva.

Advocacy

One of the highlights of my experience was participating in Hill Day, where Barbara and I joined the AIA Illinois delegation on their advocacy missions to the House and Senate. The Illinois group was exceptionally organized, and I was impressed by the professional manner in which they approached their meetings and campaigns.

Despite being newcomers, Barbara and I were welcomed with open arms and were able to contribute to the discussions. The Illinois team ensured that we felt part of the process, helping us navigate our schedule and giving us valuable insight into their advocacy work.

We had a seat at the table to engage in discussion on pressing issues facing architecture in America.

My advocacy schedule included the following members of Congress:

• Sen. Richard Durbin, IL-S

• Sen. Tammy Duckworth, IL-S

• Rep. Nikki Budzinski, IL-13

• Rep. Bill Foster, IL-12 (my home district)

• Rep. Brad Scheider, IL-10

• Rep. Mike Bost, IL-12 (my home district)

During our time on Capitol Hill, we met with the office of U.S. Senator Richard Durbin, an influential figure in shaping policy in Washington. Together with AIA Illinois, we advocated for critical issues impacting the built environment, such as housing availability, disaster preparedness, and design freedom. Although international architects may not always have a direct influence on U.S. domestic policy, we can still offer valuable global perspectives on challenges that transcend borders.

The main points for advocacy were as follows:

• Design Freedom for Federal Architecture: Advocating for the Democracy in Design Act to protect local community control and prevent unnecessary federal design mandates.

• Update Fee Limitations for Federal Contracts: Requesting updates to the current 6% fee cap on cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts, which disproportionately affects small and mid-sized firms.

• Support for More Housing: Advocating for the reauthorization of the HOME program with an increased administrative cap and advocating for a funding increase for the Community Development Block Grant Program.

• Support for Community Resiliency: Urging Congress to increase funding for FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant programs and resilience-focused legislation like the Resilient AMERICA Act and The Shelter Act.

• Tax Incentives for Architects: Supporting business-friendly tax policies that encourage R&D investment, private-sector affordable housing, and tax parity for businesses of all sizes, with a focus on improvements to the R&D tax credit and the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.

For more information on this year’s advocacy issues, please get in touch with AIA UK and we can share the Congressional Meetings Guide.

A visitor from the UK on Capitol Hill. Photo by Adelina Koleva, AIA.

Conclusion: The Power of Leadership

Reflecting on my time at the 2025 AIA Leadership Summit, I’m reminded that true leadership isn’t about being the loudest or the most outspoken. It’s about conviction, persistence, and the ability to connect the dots between disparate ideas, people, and policies. It’s about seeing the bigger picture and finding practical solutions that make a difference.

Washington, D.C. is undoubtedly a challenging environment right now, with an atmosphere that feels uncertain and unprecedented. However, I’m optimistic that the work we do as architects and leaders can contribute to a brighter, more sustainable future. The work may be tough, but it’s necessary, and I’m excited to continue being a part of it alongside like-minded individuals who are committed to making a real impact.

Finally, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to AIA UK for providing me with this invaluable opportunity. I am hopeful that my participation in the conference will contribute to positive outcomes for our membership and the broader architectural community.

The Lincoln Memorial – one of the most inspiring locations in Washington, D.C. Lincoln hailed from Springfield – the capital of Illinois, my home state. Photo by Adelina Koleva, AIA.

A plaque commemorates the office formerly occupied by Barack Obama – a former Illinois Senator representing my home state. Photo by Adelina Koleva, AIA.

Written by Adelina Koleva, AIA

Transforming Architectural Visualization: Mixed Reality at KPF and Arkio in Action

Photo by Anna Mytcul, AIA.

For centuries, architecture has grappled with the challenge of representing space in a way that faithfully translates into built reality. At AIA UK’s recent event, it became clear that Mixed and Virtual Reality have the potential to redefine not just visualization, but the way architects design, communicate, and experience space. Led by Anna Mytcul of KPF and Johan Hanegraaf of Arkio, the session offered a compelling look at how these emerging technologies are fundamentally altering architectural thinking.

Photo by Cristina Mock, AIA.

Anna’s presentation showcased how VR and MR introduce a more intuitive and immersive dimension to architectural design. By integrating these tools into public consultations and client meetings, architects can bridge the cognitive gap between two-dimensional drawings and three- dimensional space, fostering a deeper level of engagement and understanding. Her case studies from KPF illustrated how these technologies are already being used to create more interactive, dynamic design reviews that go beyond static renderings or physical models.

Photo by Cristina Mock, AIA.

The event’s hands-on session, led by Johan Hanegraaf, was a highlight, providing participants with an opportunity to experience Arkio’s capabilities firsthand. This intuitive XR tool enables architects to sketch, manipulate, and inhabit their designs in real-time, eliminating the historic lag between conceptualization and spatial experience. By merging the physical and digital realms, Arkio allows for a new kind of architectural interaction—one that is more fluid, iterative, and collaborative than ever before.

For many attendees, this event marked their first encounter with XR as a practical design tool rather than a speculative novelty. Beyond the excitement of experiencing VR and MR in action, the session underscored an important takeaway: XR is not merely an add-on to architectural practice; it is quickly becoming an essential medium for ideation, iteration, and presentation. As these technologies continue to evolve, they will undoubtedly play a crucial role in shaping the future of architectural design and discourse.

AIA UK looks forward to continuing the conversation and fostering innovation at the intersection of architecture and emerging technologies.

Written by Anna Mytcul, AIA and Johan Hanegraaf

My MRA Experience: Bryan Oknyansky on Licensure

Before the MRA, I was resigned to never being a qualified (equivalent to “licensed” as we say in the US) architect in the UK. I heard too many stories from skilled, talented and experienced American architectural professionals that started on the traditional 3-part UK Architectural Registration Board (ARB) path to qualification that ended with a lot of money and time spent only to be denied a qualification through an opaque determination process. And then, to this day, the only silver lining of Brexit is that the UK was able to negotiate directly with the US on reciprocity via the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA).

I was sceptical of this process as it was expensive and administered through the same organisation that administered the aforementioned traditional qualification process. I had a desire to be the, or one of the, first to become qualified through the MRA route. Alas, I waited to see how others faired before setting the costly process in motion. Eventually, after about a year had passed, I took the plunge and started the process to become the 14th applicant for qualification under the MRA.

At first glance, there seemed to be minimal criteria to submit information for consideration during the qualification process – a CV and a reflective career summary with specific references to learning outcomes and competencies found within appendices in the ARB qualification handbook. Given my past experience with the traditional 3-part qualification route, I felt I had to go above and beyond with the information I provided in response to the qualification requirements – better safe than sorry.

Eventually, a meeting was scheduled following payment of the MRA fee, a sort of pow wow with tribal elders, which is something I feel is more appropriate to gain an architectural qualification than a standardised test. The proctor’s requirement to make no indications as to how the meeting was going for the applicant notwithstanding, they wanted to get to know me, ask me about how architectural education and licensing works in the US, and learn that the professional and ethical values prized by NCARB are virtually identical to those prized by the ARB. It was great to be finally done with tip-toeing around the use of the title “architect” in the country I’ve come to call home for 14 years at that point.

Written by Bryan Oknyansky, AIA, ARB

2025 Annual General Meeting

The 2025 President Mark E Breeze gives the ‘Year Ahead’ presentation

This year’s Annual General Meeting was held on 16 January 2025 at the Herman Miller London showrooms. Following a tradition starting in 1994, Herman Miller - our long-standing sponsor - treated us to an educational presentation by MillerKnoll representative, Mark Catchlove, called The Rise of Relationship-Based Work.  The 2024 President, Taylor Rogers, AIA, followed with a comprehensive Year in Review Presentation.  

The formal part of the AGM dealt with the election of the 2025 Officers and Board of Directors, an annual Membership report and mandatory review of the financial accounts.  The complete list of new Officers and Directors can be found here.  Finally, the newly elected 2025 President, Mark E Breeze, AIA, gave a Year Ahead Presentation for the upcoming year, which are:

• Architecture and the climate emergency

• More events on approaches, technologies, policies, and actions

• Shaping architectural debates

• More talks, events, and discussions on the issues shaping the profession

• Strengthening our inclusive community

• More in-person, free, social, relevant events for all

We closed the meeting by honouring 30+ year AIA UK Board Director, Michael Lischer, for his dedication to our Chapter.  We wish him all the best on his new adventure back across the pond  - we will miss you, Michael!

Written by Anna Foden, Associate AIA

Mark Catchlove’s presentation The Rise of Relationship-Based Work

Honoring founding board member Michael Lischer’s 30+ years of contribution to the chapter

Movie Night - New England Modernism

Chris Musangi introduces New England Modernism. Photo by Lana Kustrak.

The grey and dark London winter days call for a visit to the cinema, and those who joined us for our first screening of 2025 definitely had some warmth added to the cold February days. We kicked off this year with a sold-out screening of ‘New England Modernism,’ a compelling documentary that traces the evolution of Modernist architecture in the American Northeast.

The film masterfully chronicles how the United States experienced a dramatic transformation in architectural design between the 1930s and 1970s. Through carefully curated archival footage and stunning contemporary photography, we witness how European Modernism took root in New England soil, beginning with pioneering works like William Lescaze's Field House in New Hartford, Connecticut, and Albert Frey's Ralph- Barbarin House in Stamford.

The documentary's narrative heart centers on the remarkable concentration of talent that emerged in New Canaan, Connecticut during the 1940s. Here, the legendary "Harvard Five" - Marcel Breuer, Landis Gores, John Johansen, Philip Johnson, and Eliot Noyes - established what would become a crucible of Modernist innovation. Their presence attracted other visionary architects including Victor Christ-Janer, Andrew Geller, and Edward Durell Stone, whose collective work would reshape the architectural landscape of New England and beyond.

What makes this film particularly poignant is its exploration of preservation versus progress. While celebrating these revolutionary designs that still inspire architects worldwide, it also confronts the ongoing challenges these architectural treasures face from redevelopment pressures. The documentary serves as both a celebration of this remarkable period and a call to protect its legacy.

The film was well received and the debate that followed was engaging. Some sentiments were that it would be important for the public to see this documentary, a coffee table book of all the featured buildings and their architects would be nice, and it was interesting to see modernist buildings from the context of high-end residences, as opposed to social housing as is common in the UK.

One of the questions asked during the discussion was about the length, which was longer than our usual screenings, and if this documentary was a series. As a follow up, Director Jake Gorst responded: 

“Regarding the length, this film was originally going to be a miniseries, but due to a 2-year COVID production shutdown and discussions with the executive producer it was decided that we would make it one solid feature-length documentary. It is lengthy, but we have been marketing it as a “deep dive” into the history of modernism in New England. Believe it or not, we’ve had people complaining about things we left out! 

I had actually trimmed about a half hour out of the original cut to get the film to the length it is now. And I’m taking those deleted sequences and incorporating them into a short film called ‘Curating Modernism’ about various forms of preservation, which we will release later this year.“

Special thanks to Jake Gorst of Mainspring Narrative Films for making this film available to the AIA UK before its London Premiere in June this year. (Watch out for news about Curating Modernism on Mainspring Narrative’s website HERE.) Many thanks for your continued support of our movie night series, and we look forward to having you join us for our next screening: ‘Green Over Grey,’ on Tuesday 18 March.

Written by Chris Musangi, AIA

Photo by Lana Kustrak.

Movie Night - The Pavilion on the Water

The Pavilion on the Water producer Giorgio Guernier speaks to attendees.

We returned to the BFI for our Autumn movie screening in early November. Unfortunately due to programming conflicts and cinema availability, in the Autumn of 2024 we were only able to screen one movie. We started the Autumn screenings and ended the 2024 screenings on a high note, with a screening of The Pavilion on the Water.

The film, directed by Stefano Croci and Silvia Siberini, offers an intimate exploration of renowned Venetian architect Carlo Scarpa's profound connection to Japanese culture. Through careful cinematography and thoughtful pacing, the documentary weaves together Scarpa's architectural vision with his deep appreciation for Japanese aesthetics. It's particularly poignant that Japan, which served as such a wellspring of inspiration throughout his career, would also be where his life's journey ended in 1978.

What makes this documentary especially compelling is its ability to capture the essence of artistic genesis. The filmmakers approach their subject with a gentle melancholy, acknowledging not just the loss of Scarpa himself, but also the rarity of witnessing true artistic brilliance emerge. Yet there's also celebration here – a recognition that through his masterful works, Scarpa's vision continues to captivate and inspire new generations of architects and designers.

The debate at the end of the movie was lively, and was made especially so as we were honoured to have the film producer Giorgio Guernier attend the screening, where he took over leading the discussion and answering questions after the movie.

Many thanks to all who attended our screenings in 2024, and we look forward to welcoming you back and having many more of you join our screenings in the upcoming year.

Written by Chris Musangi, AIA

Chris Musangi introduces The Pavilion on the Water.