Keynote Address (8:00 – 9:00 AM): 1 CEU
This year’s Keynote speaker is Illya Azaroff, FAIA. Mr. Azaroff is an Architect, Geographer and internationally recognized leader in disaster mitigation, adaptation, regenerative design and resilient planning strategies with over 30 years experience. He is a full tenured professor at New York City College of Technology (CUNY) leading sustainability courses. His research and professional work serve a mission to build resilient capacity and advance goals for a sustainable, regenerative future while giving underserved communities greater voice and visibility. He often works with cities, governing bodies and design teams around the world to build resilient capacity.
Schedule and Course Descriptions (more information being added!)
Session 1 (9:15 – 10:45 AM): 1.5 CEU each
- Etna: World’s First EcoDistrict (Climate Track) – HSW
- Following the devastating flooding of Hurricane Ivan in 2004, Etna has transformed itself to be a regional leader in stormwater management and became the World’s first certified EcoDistrict in 2019. Leaders from Etna (including a local architect) will be joined by the planning and design professionals who helped them achieve these milestones and talk about the journey. The presentation will discuss the Etna EcoDistrict planning process, and how the values established are being translated to the building-scale with the Etna Center for Community.
- Beyond Architecture — Managing Risk with Sound Business and Employment Practices (Business Track) – Michael Cremonese, John Cromer (Burke Cromer & Cremonese)
- The first part of this session will identify the ways that architects may unwittingly assume risk that they cannot manage or control and will explore (1) potential risks that may not be evident when negotiating a contract, (2) factors to weigh before saying yes to a project, and (3) strategies for risk mitigation. The second part of this Session will focus on navigating and managing employment issues by exploring (1) general employment laws, (2) avenues to manage risks associated with employment matters, and (3) strategies for success.
- AI in Architecture
- The Current and Future State of Behavioral Healthcare Architecture – HSW
- Between 2019-2020, approximately 20% of adults in the United States were experiencing a mental illness. That is the equivalent of over 50 million Americans. The pandemic has only exacerbated the situation and many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a time. 90% of Americans say that the US faces a mental health crisis and broad majorities say that individuals, families and their health care providers should play a major role in addressing mental health problems, outpacing the share who see a role for government, employers, schools or religious organizations. As designers of healthcare facilities and spaces, we need to better understand the current and future state of behavioral health and how design can play a positive role in mitigating this crisis.
Session 2 (11:00 AM – 12:30 PM): 1.5 CEU each
- The Nuance of Net-Zero: Why it’s not enough (Climate Track) – HSW – Vincent Mazzella, Abhishek Pal (Willdan)
- For nearly two decades, ‘net-zero’ has been a rallying cry for architects pursuing sustainable design. In 2006, solar and wind energy represented a negligible part of the grid, but in the past 15+ years renewable but intermittent solar and wind have been the fastest growing sources of energy. As we approach 2030, we ask ourselves: is net-zero the right goal or does our goal require more nuance? The challenge is that the grid must always strike a balance between energy generation and energy consumption, not just on average over the course of the year. Historically we have maintained this balance by adjusting power plant generation to match the demand; increasingly, we will be turning to buildings to help maintain the balance. This session will offer considerations for building-grid interactions.
- Top Risks, Metrics and Strategies to Overcome Economic Uncertainty (Business Track)
- It’s easy for firm leaders to get lost in the noise of economic uncertainty. Mortgage rates keep rising. The stock market is trying to recover. Inflation seems hesitant to hit the brakes. And material costs are unreliable. It feels impossible to find solid ground and prepare for what’s next.
- Total Control: What it Looks Like Under the Lights – HSW – Scot McTaggart (Dagostino Electronic Services)
- Join this presentation to get an in-person look at the various ways to achieve the precise level of control needed over lighting colors and temperatures to deliver the exact atmosphere desired, including a short live look at how different settings affect a scene. Lights on stage will be changed to affect the atmosphere and color perception of a room, of an interior design, and ultimately of the purpose of the space being created. For the sustainability-minded, all options discussed will continue the trend of low-power usage, low maintenance effort and still support traditional programming for multiple scenes. Lastly, attendees will see the technological improvements that keep these options from turning into headaches, through automations and integrations, helping to make the building truly smart.
- Leveraging Networks as Citizen Architects to Motivate Resilient Community Development
- In this session, graduates of the 2022 AIA Leadership Institute will share their findings on removing barriers to resiliency among community members. A roundtable discussion follows that will include guest panelists from the study who have participated in community development from the perspectives of grant-seeking, public service, and urban planning / engineering.
Lunch 12:30 – 1:00 PM
Lunch & Learn & Dessert 1:00 – 2:00 PM
Expo 2:00 – 2:30 PM
Session 3 (2:30 – 3:30 PM): 1 CEU each
- Visitor Experiential Automated Design at Phipps Botanical Gardens (Climate Track) – HSW
- This course shares research results of a platform to automatically generate interactive passive ventilation enclosure. Compared to two prevailing passive interactive enclosure systems, double skin facades (DSF) and daylight interactive facade, the ventilation leading interactive enclosure provides greater occupant and energy benefits. The results were validated through simulation and visitor feedback from Phipps Botanical Gardens patrons.
- Incorporating Environmental, Social, and Governance Principles into Your Practice (Business Track) – Carlos Kelly, Julia Wattick (Branch Pattern)
- In this presentation, we will explore various case studies that highlight how and why owners and developers are incorporating ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles into their business practices. Each case study will illustrate a unique aspect of ESG, including but not limited to: reducing carbon footprint, promoting workplace diversity and inclusion, and implementing sustainable supply chain practices. As architects, successful projects need to advance these greater corporate goals and commitments made by our clients.
- Improving Project Workflows through GIS Technology
- This unique and exciting session will focus on the benefits of utilizing GIS (Geographic Information Systems) technology for various project management, business operations, and professional development strategies. Whether you have no GIS experience or are an everyday user, as an audience member you can expect to learn how GIS extends far beyond just a map and can used as a tool to improve processes across your organization. The session is intended to have two parts; a slideshow providing GIS background and a portion of live demos focusing on various applications and how they relate to real situations in the AEC industry.
- Managing Stormwater at Redevelopment Sites in Pittsburgh – HSW – Kyla Prendergast (City of Pittsburgh, DCP)
- This course will outline the process for designing and implementing stormwater management facilities at previously developed sites in the city of Pittsburgh. The course will include: timeline considerations, cost considerations, an overview of the City’s performance points system for rainwater, how the County’s plumbing code impacts stormwater management design, how to meet the City’s Title 13 stormwater requirements, and brownfield site considerations.
Session 4 (3:45 – 4:45 PM): 1 CEU each
- Six&Kane: Using Passive House to Revitalize Rural Communities while Addressing Climate Change (Climate Track) – HSW – Gary Mosier, AIA (Mosier Studio)
- Overview of a project that successfully achieved EnerPHit Plus Certification on a small town Main Street. It is the first EnerPHit Certified Commercial/Office Building in the US. The course will feature discussions of design decisions, construction details, and the PHI certification process. The Director of the West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund, the building’s owner and developer described the project as taking money off Wall Street and investing it on Main Street to achieve Passive House performance in a 130 year old vacant masonry building.
- Training the Next Generation of Architects (Business Track) – Katelyn Rossier (mentorDINO,LLC)
- Architectural education and profession are always adapting to the changing world. However, they don’t change in the same manner. Not only have skills learned in school changed but so have the expectations of the profession of each generation. As these differing expectations are not properly communicated to create transparency, it creates stressors within the profession. Learn more about the gap stressors putting strain on project teams and a possible solution for your firm to get your staff the training they need at an affordable rate and no additional stress on your existing staff. Let’s propel the next generation of architects to a new level.
- AIA Pennsylvania Small Firm Exchange Forum: LIVE! – Lee Calisti, AIA (lee CALISTI architecture+design), Jeffrey DeNinno, AIA (DeNinno Architects, LLC), Bob Shelton, AIA (Shelton Design/Build), Max Mavrovic (Mavrovic Architects PC)
- Join the AIA Pennsylvania Small Firm Exchange (SFxPA) in person to share with and learn from your peer’s practice and business development successful strategies. The class will be the first LIVE version of the successful online forums that have taken place over the past several years. Whether you seek inspiration or practical tips for your business, this forum will get you covered! Through a highly interactive format, attendees are invited to participate by sharing personal stories and asking questions to the panelists and other attendees. Come prepared to learn and discuss successful strategies that can improve the life of a small business and its owners. The panelists and the attendees will answer questions like:
- How does your business model and marketing strategy translate to your routine business development cycle? Which tools are you using successfully?
- What has been the most effective approach in building and managing your “book of business”?
- How do you successfully manage clients’ expectations?
- How do you keep yourself and your staff engaged and motivated?
- Why do you remain a solo practitioner?
- Join the AIA Pennsylvania Small Firm Exchange (SFxPA) in person to share with and learn from your peer’s practice and business development successful strategies. The class will be the first LIVE version of the successful online forums that have taken place over the past several years. Whether you seek inspiration or practical tips for your business, this forum will get you covered! Through a highly interactive format, attendees are invited to participate by sharing personal stories and asking questions to the panelists and other attendees. Come prepared to learn and discuss successful strategies that can improve the life of a small business and its owners. The panelists and the attendees will answer questions like:
- The Effect of Visual Patterns on the Brain—A Brief Intersection Between Science and Design – Kimberly Manno (K’yamo Amano Designs)
- Visual patterns in our environments have an immense power to influence our daily experiences. With even the simplest understanding of pattern recognition through a neuro-biological and neuro-psychological lens, we can begin to have an greater awareness of this phenomenon, and work to apply these insights towards a more conscious and intentional process of design.