August 5, 2026

Chapter News

AIAPV/PVAF Golf Outing Drives Support for the Future of Architecture

Blue skies, great company, and a shared commitment to the future of the profession made the 2026 AIAPV/PVAF Annual Golf Outing a tremendous success.

Held on May 29, 2026, at the University of Maryland Golf Course in College Park, the annual outing brought together architects, industry partners, and supporters for a day of friendly competition and networking—all while raising more than $10,000 for the Potomac Valley Architecture Foundation (PVAF).

After several days of rain, the weather couldn't have been better, setting the stage for a memorable event that will have a lasting impact on the architectural community.

The funds raised will help PVAF continue its mission of investing in the next generation of architects through scholarships, leadership development, mentorship, and educational outreach. As the charitable arm of AIA Potomac Valley, the Foundation supports initiatives that strengthen the profession while promoting design excellence, sustainability, and community engagement.

We extend our sincere appreciation to everyone who participated, volunteered, donated, and helped make this year's outing such a success. Your support ensures that PVAF can continue providing opportunities for students and emerging professionals while expanding programs that inspire future architects and promote the value of great design.

A special thank you to our Platinum Sponsors, Ernest Maier and Quikrete, whose generous support helped make the event possible. We also gratefully recognize our Hole Sponsors: Bates Architects, Dana Insurance and Risk Management, GFT, Nitterhouse Masonry Products, Oldcastle APG Mid-Atlantic, SK&A, and ThinkMakeBuild.

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View event photos

Photo credit: Tom Nyein

     
 
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Potomac Valley Events

Ventilated Rainscreen Facades: Design Strategies for Air Quality, Moisture Control & Energy Performance

August 19, 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Webinar | 1 LU/HSW | REGISTER

Ventilated rainscreen facade systems improve building durability, moisture management, and thermal performance. This course explores how ventilated cladding assemblies enhance building performance and design flexibility.

Risk Mitigation for the Building Envelope

September 1, 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Webinar | 1 LU | REGISTER

This presentation explores proactive risk mitigation strategies for building envelope design throughout both the design and construction administration phases. The course examines inherent risks associated with improper detailing, material selection, coordination failures, and poor construction practices that can lead to water and air infiltration, condensation, structural deterioration, energy inefficiency and long-term durability concerns. The session also emphasizes the critical role of commissioning, field-testing, and performance verification in ensuring the building envelope meets intended safety, durability, and operational standards.

Aug 12 | Emerging Professionals Committee (Virtual) 6:30 PM (Change from the regularly scheduled 3rd Wednesday meeting for August.)
Aug 12 | Custom Residential Architects Network (CRAN) Committee (Virtual) 1:00 PM
Aug 14 | Committee on the Environment (COTE) (Virtual) 11:00 AM

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Member News

Wilmot Sanz Celebrates 60 Years!

As the United States celebrates its semi quincentennial this summer, the Wilmot Sanz team is celebrating a milestone anniversary of our own: 60 years of healthcare design. To mark the occasion, we're reflecting on our firm's founding and how healthcare has evolved over the past six decades. While we celebrate the past, our focus remains on what's next—for our firm, our people, and the future of healthcare design. Join us as we celebrate 60 years of healthcare design and explore the people, projects, and ideas that continue to shape our future.

Read the full story > 

See also: Celebrating 60 Years by Looking Ahead

New Member Offer

New members who join between July and September can take advantage of prorated membership dues for the remainder of the year, saving at least 50% on their 2026 membership. Terms and conditions apply.

In addition, qualifying new members also receive special pricing on registration to the 2027 AIA Conference on Architecture & Design®, the industry’s premier AEC event. Terms and conditions apply.

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Featured Project

Union on Knox

WDG
College Park, MD

We conclude our spotlight series on AIAPV’s 2025 Excellence in Design Award winners with Union on Knox designed by WDG. This mixed-use student apartment community earned LEED Gold certification and transforms a difficult site into a vibrant, student-centered community blending topography, urban context, and student life to support success, engagement, and growth. The jury recognized the project with a Merit Award.

Above Image: Knox Road. Photo: ©2025, Anice Hoachlander / StudioHDP


(l to r) Marc Feinstein, AIA (2025 AIAPV President) with Matt Lam, AIA, Mickey Finn, AIA, David Osorio, Bob Keane, AIA, and SungJin Cho, AIA—WDG  Photo: ©2025 Montgomery Planning 

Union on Knox, completed in 2024, is a mixed-use student apartment community bridging the University of Maryland’s campus downtown College Park. The 359,000-SF development includes 340 apartments, 24,000 SF of retail, and a 331-space garage. Anchored by Sterling Place, a pedestrian retail corridor, the project overcomes a 20-foot grade change with a grand public stair that links campus and city. Featuring active storefronts, student-focused amenities, and LEED-Gold design, Union on Knox creates a vibrant, connected community.

View from UMD Campus Entry. Photo: ©2025, Anice Hoachlander / StudioHDP

Lobby Grand Stair. Photo: ©2025, Anice Hoachlander / StudioHDP

Originally planned in two phases, the project was combined through acquiring and redeveloping existing retail and parking. This created Sterling Place, a 40-foot-wide pedestrian corridor between Knox and Lehigh Roads. Sterling Place hosts storefronts for local businesses, including some displaced by other projects, bringing a new retail style to College Park and extending the vitality of Baltimore Avenue. Sterling Place’s walkable retail supports neighborhood life, while a transparent, active street edge welcomes students, residents, and visitors. Union on Knox transforms a difficult site into a vibrant, student-centered community blending topography, urban context, and student life to support success, engagement, and growth.

Sterling Place Retail. Photo: © 2025 LCP Media / Natalia Scrimgeour

JURY: “Though simple in its architecture, it is generous in its creation of an urban commons—its presence cultivating chance encounters, solidarities, and shared rhythms that make a campus alive.”

Learn more >

Explore further >

View all 2025 AIAPV Design Award Winners >

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Partner Content

When Designing Your Dispute Resolution Strategy, Consider the Courthouse

By Curtis A. Orshoski, Esq. and Cassidy M. Flood, Esq. | Lee/Shoemaker PLLC

When negotiating contracts, design professionals tend to focus primarily on scope and compensation, giving comparatively little attention to the proposed dispute resolution provisions. This is a mistake. Overlooking dispute resolution provisions when negotiating contracts can create unintended consequences and limit strategic options in the event of a claim. Although many people in the construction industry advocate for the use of arbitration to resolve construction disputes, the prudent design professional should carefully consider whether litigation may better protect their interests.

Understanding Arbitration

Arbitration is a private, binding method of dispute resolution conducted outside the public court system. Rather than having a judge or jury decide the case, the parties present their evidence and legal arguments to one or more neutral arbitrators, who issue a written decision known as an arbitration award. The process is typically governed by the parties’ contract, which may specify the applicable rules, the organization administering the arbitration, the scope of available discovery (if any), and the method for selecting the arbitrator. In most cases, the arbitrator’s decision is final and binding, with only very limited grounds for appeal or judicial review.

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Events, Education & Opportunities

Building Emerging Professional Friendly Firms: Stories, Strategies, and Regional Insights

August 6, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Washington, DC | 1.5 LU | REGISTER

Have you ever wondered what makes a firm truly supportive of emerging professionals?

Join us for Building Emerging Professional Friendly Firms: Stories, Strategies, and Regional Insights, an engaging panel discussion exploring how firms can foster mentorship, professional growth, licensure support, leadership development, workplace flexibility, and employee well-being.

Bringing together firm leaders, hiring professionals, and emerging architects, this conversation will highlight real-world strategies and practical takeaways for creating workplaces where emerging professionals can thrive. Whether you're an emerging professional looking to evaluate potential employers or a firm leader interested in strengthening your workplace culture, this session will offer actionable insights you can put into practice.

Free to attend – please register.

AI in the Flow of Work: Turning Project Data into Executive Decisions

August 13, 3:00 - 4:00 PM
Free Webinar | 1 LU | REGISTER

AI’s real value isn’t better answers—it’s reducing the time between insight, decision, and action. This session explores three shifts reshaping the next 12–24 months: copilots evolving into connected workflows, insights becoming embedded governance, and disconnected point tools giving way to unified platforms. Using real-world examples, we’ll examine how AI can help firms surface risk earlier, streamline approvals, and improve project readiness while maintaining trust, consistency, and control. Attendees will leave with practical considerations for turning project data into faster, more confident executive decisions.

Q3 S&L Fireside Chat on Liability Issues

August 17, 2:00 PM
Virtual | REGISTER

Join the AIA State & Local Affairs team, Elizabeth Wolverton, the AIA Trust, and Kevin Collins of Victor Insurance for a discussion on how evolving state and local laws are shaping liability and professional risk for architecture firms. Through practical examples and recent legal developments, you'll gain a better understanding of today's liability landscape and strategies for managing risk in your practice.

Passive House DC Chapter Meeting

August 20, 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Virtual | REGISTER

Attend and network with others working to transform the building industry across the US. Get the latest, regional, national and international Passive House news. Hear reports on ongoing efforts and help brainstorm new ones. Please invite friends or colleagues who may be interested. Zoom link is provided with registration.

Passive House Washington DC is part of The Passive House Network, in affiliation with the International Passive House Association, and the Passive House Institute. Questions welcome: [email protected]

Guides in Action: Recruitment & Retention

August 20, 4:00 PM
Virtual | REGISTER

Explore equitable strategies for hiring and retaining diverse talent in architectural practice. This interactive discussion highlights Chapter 4 of the Guides for Equitable Practice and how organizational culture, systems, and leadership impact both the recruitment pipeline and long-term engagement. Space is limited and registration is required for those planning to attend. 

AIA Maryland 2026 Design Awards Celebration

September 17, 5:00 PM
Mitchellville, MD | REGISTER

Tickets are now on sale for the 2026 AIA Maryland Excellence in Design Awards Celebration. Join us as we award architects, teams, and projects redefining our skylines and communities—from bold commercial builds to thoughtful historic preservation, standout interiors, and forward-thinking unbuilt architecture. Signature cocktails, premium beverages, gourmet small plates, and passed hors d'oeuvres included. Complimentary on-site parking is available for all guests.

AIA CRAN Symposium 2026: Legacy

September 23 - 26
San Antonio, TX | REGISTER

The CRAN Symposium 2026 will explore LEGACY—the lasting influence of place, design, and people who shaped San Antonio’s rich and vibrant residential architecture. Three days of curated seminars, inspiring home tours, special networking events, and an innovative vendor showcase.

Firm Management Symposium 2026

October 1 - 2
Washington, DC | REGISTER

The Firm Management Symposium (FMS) is a new AIA event, October 1–2, 2026, in Washington, DC, delivering focused, high-value learning on the fundamentals that drive firm success: winning work, delivering results, and getting paid. Designed for firm owners and emerging leaders seeking business training without the time and cost of a traditional conference, FMS equips firm leaders with the skills needed to strengthen their practice in today's rapidly evolving industry. 

Public Architecture Symposium 2026

October 20, 8:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Washington, DC (GCAD) | REGISTER

Building Public Trust: Advancing Integrity & Collaboration in Civic Architecture brings together public architects, civic leaders, and industry professionals to explore architecture's role in creating equitable, resilient, and future-ready communities.

ECONOMIC UPDATE Q4 2026 ABI INSIGHTS

October 21, 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Virtual | 1 LU | REGISTER
 
Join AIA Chief Economist Richard Branch for a quarterly conversation about the AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI). The ABI is a leading monthly economic indicator that uses proprietary AIA data to predict nonresidential construction activity 9–12 months ahead. Get ahead of emerging challenges and opportunities and inform your strategic planning with key insights into the industry’s latest economic data and trends.

Women's Leadership Summit 2026

November 1 - 3
Kansas City, MO | REGISTER

Registration is open for the Women's Leadership Summit 2026, taking place November 1–3 in Kansas City. Members save more than $240 on registration. Experience the architecture profession’s premier leadership event designed to accelerate women into positions of influence, visibility, and impact. Across three inspiring days, you’ll gain the network, insights, and momentum to grow your career and lead with impact.

This year's summit features keynote, long-distance swimmer, Diana Nyad about assembling a high-performance team, and enjoy TED-talk-style conversations at the WLS Storytelling Stage on pivotal moments, lessons, and real world successes. 

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From AIA

AIA Trust Climate Risk Factsheet for AIA Members

Strengthen client conversations. Support better design decisions. Stay aligned with where the profession is going. The Climate Risk Factsheet helps architects design with tomorrow's climate in mind.

AIA's Climate Action Pledge Programs: Return on investment for firms

Whether your firm already participates in the 2030 Commitment or Materials Pledge—or is considering joining—this new resource explores the value these programs provide for individuals, firms, and building owners.

National Government Advocacy Committee Report - July 2026 

The National Government Advocacy Committee report for July 2026 is now available for viewing.

Check Out AIA Vibe

AIA Vital Interactions for the Built Environment 2026 (VIBE) is designed for firm leaders, specifiers, and project architects exploring technology, sustainability, and practice innovation. The event offers opportunities for meaningful conversations, networking, and new ideas in the historic Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix (October 7-9). Learn more >

SFX Insider – July 2026

In July, the state reps and boards discussed practice models. Check out The Insider report, "Practice Models Explored" for key takeaways.

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Calls, Competitions & Deadlines

Last Chance: Apply for AIA People-Based Awards

Deadline for Applications: August 6, 2026 at 5:00 PM

Applications for eight of AIA's people-based awards close August 6 at 5pm ET. Recognize architects, firms, educators, and public leaders whose work is shaping the profession. Awards closing August 6 include: Gold Medal; Architecture Firm Award; Whitney M. Young Jr. Award; Young Architects Award; Associates Award; Honorary Membership; AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion for Architectural Education; Awards for Excellence in Public Architecture. 

Next to Lead

Deadline for Applications: August 7, 2026

Applications are closing soon for the 2026–2027 Next to Lead cohort. Next to Lead is AIA's leadership development program for racially and ethnically diverse women in architecture who aspire to become volunteer leaders within AIA. Through a ten-month experience that combines virtual learning, in-person workshops, mentorship, and networking, participants gain the skills, confidence, and connections to take the next step in their leadership journey. Up to 18 participants will be selected for the next cohort, which begins in September 2026. The program is offered at no cost to participants and includes complimentary registration for key AIA leadership events, along with travel support for select programs.

Call for Nominations: AIAPV 2026 Kea Medal

Submission Deadline: August 15

The Kea Medal, awarded biennially, recognizes professionals, volunteers, and colleagues whose exceptional efforts have elevated public awareness of the role of architecture. Chapter members are invited to submit nominations for consideration in one of three categories: a) Service to the Profession; b) Leadership; and c) Architectural Advocacy.

If you know of someone whose contributions deserve recognition, now is the time to nominate them! The 2026 Kea Medal will be presented during the Chapter’s Design + Leadership Awards ceremony in October.

Submit Kea Medal Nomination >

AIAPV 2026 Student and Emerging Professional Design Competitions

Submission Deadline: September 14

Calling all architecture students and emerging professionals! Start preparing your entries now for AIAPV's 2026 Student and Emerging Professional Design Competitions. These programs offer an opportunity to showcase your creativity, tackle real-world design challenges, and earn recognition and prizes at AIAPV’s Design + Leadership Awards celebration this October.

2026 AIAPV Student Design Competition: Reimagining Urban Spaces in the DMV

This competition, sponsored by the Potomac Valley Architecture Foundation (PVAF), invites any Undergraduate or Graduate student enrolled in an Architecture program in Maryland, DC, or Virginia to submit a previously completed studio project that transforms an underutilized urban space in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, D.C. into a vibrant, sustainable, and community-centered environment. Projects completed during studies may be submitted up to 1 year after graduation.

•    Student Design Competition details can be found HERE.

2026 AIAPV Emerging Professional Design Competition: Revitalizing Urban Spaces in Maryland

AIA Potomac Valley invites individuals and teams (up to four members) to enter the 2026 Emerging Professional Design Competition, focused on revitalizing neglected urban spaces across Maryland—from vacant lots in Baltimore to abandoned buildings in Frederick and waterfronts in Annapolis. Participants will submit a digital file of a 36"x48" board featuring site analysis, a compelling design proposal with drawings and 3D renderings, and a community impact strategy. Entries will be judged on innovation, sustainability, feasibility, site integration, and visual communication.

•    Emerging Professional Design Competition details can be found HERE.

Submissions for both of these competitions are free and must be uploaded through the online portal by Monday, September 14, 2026 at 11:59 PM EDT.

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