PA Symposium Call for Session Proposals
Public Architecture: Dignity, Enterprise, Vigor, Stability
June 5, 2024; Washington, DC
The Public Architects symposium, 6/5/24, held in conjunction with AIA Conference on Architecture & Design 2024 in Washington, DC, will examine how public policies impact communities and the architects who practice in them at multiple scales. Today’s public architects juggle multiple responsibilities - designing and building for safety, affordability, wellness, sustainability, and resilience - while adapting to epic changes in business practice and the global economy. The symposium will gather experts working on public architecture projects and programs to share knowledge and best practices in both implementing and developing public policies aimed at the repair, adaptation and regeneration of our built environment.
The theme of this year’s Symposium was inspired by the GSA Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture as articulated by Daniel Patrick Moynihan in 1962:
The design of Federal office buildings, particularly those to be located in the nation’s capital, must meet a two-fold requirement. First, it must provide efficient and economical facilities for the use of Government agencies. Second, it must provide visual testimony to the dignity, enterprise, vigor, and stability of the American Government.
We are seeking proposals that will inspire both public architects and public architecture projects, and to provide tools, information and knowledge that support organizations and personal success. We encourage presentations in partnerships between public clients and designers that share lessons learned throughout the life cycle of development.
Questions to consider for your proposal:
- How are your organizations’ sustainability, resilience, or decarbonization policies affecting project designs and outcomes?
- What creative funding strategies are you applying to achieve success in your capital program or project goals?
- How are changes in the workforce and telecommuting practices affecting your organization’s policies and the design of buildings and places?
- What design innovations (including AI) are being spurred by the engagement of your community?
- How are attitudes toward historic buildings changing to adapt to cultural changes in your community? How can we better use historic buildings’ fabric and renovate to allow for future flexibility?
- How is your organization promoting health and well-being through planning and design?
Submissions must be submitted by 5:00 PM ET, Friday, January 19th, 2024
