Having never been to an AIA Knowledge Community conference, I didn't know exactly what to expect when I initially decided to attend last week's CAE Conference in Detroit. I'd been to Convention and Grassroots, and other component-level programming, but I'd never had an opportunity before to engage with a specialized field like architecture for education.
Looking back, I was surprised not only by the quality of the programming and overall planning and coordination of the event, but the lens through which it allowed me to really understand the impact that architecture can have beyond our own profession. Being involved as I have been with the AIA, AIAS, and other collaterals, this idea was something I've heard, and preached, many times before, but I'd never experienced first-hand the perspective of those outside our own ranks on what it is we do and the role it can play in the lives of our clients and the end users of our products.
Detroit served as a stunning example of the incredible opportunity for architecture to make a difference, and the full range of ways that impact can manifest. In visiting a broad range of educational facilities and communities, we experienced spaces and engaged in dialogues with groups ranging from elementary schools, to arts-focused high schools, to private institutions and a world-class research university. In each instance we heard from teachers, administrators, and most importantly, students, about the way that the spaces they inhabited influenced the learning that took place there. From historical campuses like Cranbrook, to state-of-the-art facilities like the Detroit School for the Arts, each unique environment held a dynamic and profound character, all made possible by the architects who crafted their vision and those of their clients into a real, tangible, and vibrant space.
This experience has opened the doors for me in ways I never expected when I was awarded the CAE Emerging Professionals Scholarship, and I look excitedly forward to more opportunities to engage with not only the CAE, but the many other fascinating specialized practice groups that exist within the profession. I'm deeply thankful to the AIA for the opportunity to learn and grow as a young architect, and look forward to the chance to share my new knowledge and perspective with my peers.
#CommitteeonArchitectureforEducation