Conference Recap
Educators, practitioners, and students gathered in Chicago, IL, on March 26-28, 2026, for the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»)’s 114th Annual Meeting: Convergence / Divergence. The conference was organized in partnership with the and the .ĚýSet against the backdrop of Chicago’s architectural wonders and rich history, the 114th Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół» Annual Meeting explored the past and future of architecture, pedagogy, design, and allied disciplines through shared research and exciting programs.
Day One
Ahead of the conference kickoff on Thursday, March 26, attendees had the chance to join the Pre-Conference Grant Writing Workshop, led by Corey Gracie-Griffin, Professor of Architecture at Penn State University. The workshop provided participants with an in-depth understanding of the larger role of external grants in the promotion and tenure process. Attendees also had the opportunity to join GROWSS in Action: Architecture for Shared Futures, a pre-conference tour of Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood. The tour explored four sites where architecture students, designers, and artists collaborated with the local community to design and build small structures, infrastructure, and landscapes that were featured in the Chicago Architecture Biennials, Open House Chicago, and the Chicago Sukkah Design Festival.
The conference officially began later that afternoon, with a slate of innovative research presentations and interactive special session discussions. The sessions featured a range of topics, including the future of conceptual framings in contemporary studio pedagogy; innovations in ecology; community preservation; and debates on the priorities and assumptions that shape the contemporary architectural curriculum in the era of AI.
Later that evening, Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»114 officially commenced with opening remarks delivered by Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół» President JosĂ© L.S. Gámez. The conference steering committee members Reed Kroloff (Illinois Institute of Technology) and Francisco J. RodrĂguez-Suárez (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign) welcomed attendees to Chicago with an overview of the conference theme CONVERGENCE / DIVERGENCE: Designing Futures in Architecture and Education.Ěý
The pair introduced the opening plenary: a panel discussion moderated by Lee Bey, architecture critic for the Chicago Sun-Times. The panel featured architectural thought leaders Carol Ross Barney (Illinois Institute of Technology), Eleanor Gorski (Chicago Architecture Center), and Kimberly Dowdell (Amrize) as they shared insights on the evolution of architectural education, preparing students for a diverse workforce, the intersection of architecture and the civic public sector, and much more. The evening concluded with an opening reception, where attendees excitedly anticipated the events to come.
Opening Plenary featuring Carol Ross Barney, Eleanor Gorski, and Kimberly Dowdell, moderated by Lee Bey.
Day Two
Conference attendees during the Thompson Center Walking Tour.
During the special focus session, Envisioning Next Set of NAAB Accreditation Standards, attendees were invited to provide feedback on current NAAB Conditions to help inform the next set of accreditation standards. The interactive exchange of expertise continued with Transforming Architecture Education for a Sustainable Future – A Unified Approach, where participants collaborated to envision a cross-organizational sustainability education platform.
That afternoon, the Tau Sigma Delta Honor Society Grand Chapter invited Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół» conference participants to join a luncheon where the organization shared membership updates. During the lunch break, conference attendees had the opportunity to join the Thompson Center Walking Tour. Organized by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), this hard hat tour of the James R. Thompson Center provided attendees with a behind-the-scenes look into the construction of the new Google Headquarters’ renovated state-of-the-art, all-electric, LEED Platinum-certified office.
Following an afternoon of riveting research and scholarly discussion, attendees came together for an evening of celebration at the 2026 Architectural Education Awards Ceremony & Topaz Keynote. The Architectural Education Awards honor architectural educators for exemplary work in areas such as building design, community collaborations, scholarship, and service (click here to view the 2026 winners). During the ceremony, Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół» First Vice President June Williamson announced the award winners, and Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół» President JosĂ© L.S. Gámez presented the awards. “These awards celebrate the richness and diversity of architectural education by honoring excellence in teaching, scholarship, and design,” said Williamson as she kicked off the festivities.
2026 AIA/Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół» Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education recipient Sarah M. Whiting.
The 2026 AIA/Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół» Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education was awarded to Sarah M. Whiting, who delivered the evening’s keynote address. Whiting began her speech by acknowledging the legislative challenges impacting the architectural education community. “Admittedly, this isn’t an easy moment for anyone who’s an educator in this country, she said. “ I urge all of you to act, to write your legislators and to your newspapers, and to underscore the incredible value and importance of higher education in this country, and to emphasize that architecture is indeed a profession.” With an illustrious career of academic leadership, including her current role as Dean of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design (GSD), Whiting shared her insights on nurturing and empowering the next generation of architects through pedagogy.
Day Three
The final day of the conference began with the exchange of pedagogical practices, community design experiences, innovative greenhouses, and more. Participants also had the opportunity to join insightful panels and workshops on the experiences of Black students and faculty at architecture schools, strategies for sustaining impactful community design centers amid ongoing changes, and tips for faculty to leverage their professional experiences and networks.Ěý
On Saturday afternoon, attendees were invited to join a variety of afternoon tours, a workshop, and to explore Chicago.Ěý
The Housing and Community Development on Chicago’s West Side tour, organized by the AIA Housing and Community Development Knowledge Community, visited affordable mixed-use developments, along with the National Public Housing Museum. The Collaborations with Architecture Organizations Workshop welcomed guests to the Chicago Architecture Center (CAC) for a luncheon and group discussion on the many shared interests and partnership opportunities that link public-facing architecture organizations and schools of architecture. Attendees also had the opportunity to take a walking tour of The Chicago Towers, which featured an in-depth discussion on the Tribune Tower’s history and building process.Ěý
The Housing and Community Development on Chicago’s West Side tour.Ěý
Illinois Institute of Technology’s (IIT) S.R. Crown Hall.
The conference ended at Illinois Institute of Technology’s (IIT) S.R. Crown Hall for the evening’s activities. Designed by the famed architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the building is home to IIT’s College of Architecture. After touring the College’s studio spaces and admiring the student projects on display, attendees gathered in the main hall for the closing ceremony.
The event began with opening remarks and acknowledgements from the conference organizers. “[This conference is] one of the important resources that our organization can provide for you, which is the space to come together to talk about important topics and the quality of education that we all are invested in,” said Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół» President JosĂ© L.S. Gámez.
During his opening address, Gámez presented Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»â€™s lineup of upcoming events, including the 2026 International Conference in Brisbane, Australia, and the 2026 Intersections Research Conference: Urban Design Matters in New York City. Gámez also announced the Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół» 115th Annual Meeting, which will take place in Atlanta, GA, on March 18-20, 2027, with the theme INSIDEANDOUTSIDE (learn more here).
Tau Sigma Delta President Dr. Greg Luhan then presented the 2026 Tau Sigma Delta Gold Medal to Grafton Architects, represented by Yvonne Farrell, who presented the Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół» 114th Annual Meeting closing keynote. Co-founded by Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara, Grafton Architects is an award-winning studio that has completed projects across Europe, South America, and North America. During her keynote address, Farrell highlighted “Convergent Spaces,” as she highlighted artifacts like the Nebra skydisk and concepts from Alexander von Humboldt to introduce the idea of “convergent intelligence.” Farrell also spoke on the impact of teaching and education on Grafton Architecture’s trajectory as she showcased the firm’s university buildings across the globe. “All our architectural lives, [Shelley McNamara and I have] been involved in exhibitions in parallel to making projects and with teaching. In the hope of communicating the vital importance and impact of architecture,” she said. “Parallel to building school extensions, new schools, varieties of projects, and building up the courage to work within the construction industry, we were also teaching. We still teach. Teaching has always been important to us intellectually and culturally. Architecture and education together are two fantastic disciplines, contributing to life and to culture.”
Yvonne Farrell of the 2026 Tau Sigma Delta Gold Medal recipients: Grafton Architects.
Following the presentation, the Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół» 114th Annual Meeting officially concluded with a closing reception as attendees reflected on ways that convergence and divergence impact their practice and pedagogy.
