DesignDC 2026 Call for Proposals - Architecture as a Tool for Change

You are welcome to submit multiple proposals. Please submit one proposal form for each presentation or tour. Proposals are due by July 31, 2026, at 4:00 pm.

Architecture is shaped by change and has the power to shape the city in return.

AIA|DC invites session proposals from architects and design professionals for our 2026 conference exploring the theme "Architecture as a Tool for Change.” Please submit entries for education sessions and tours that explore new approaches, existing best practices, and design strategies in response to the significant evolving design challenges in the DC metro area.
This conference will highlight practical lessons, emerging ideas, and collaborative approaches that are transforming the profession and improving outcomes for our communities.

Whether your session explores innovative practice, regulatory reform, emerging technology, or lessons learned from a challenging project, we encourage proposals that demonstrate how architecture can serve as a catalyst for positive change. Priority will be given to sessions that focus on:

Policy and regulatory change in Washington, DC, including permitting, planning, zoning, preservation, sustainability, and development policies.
Working with regulatory agencies, including insights into successful collaboration with review bodies such as the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB), National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), the National Park Service (NPS) and other agencies involved in project approvals.
The impact of artificial intelligence on architecture, including design workflows, project delivery, practice management, ethics, visualization, and emerging opportunities and challenges.
Permitting and project delivery, with strategies for navigating permitting delays, coordinating agency reviews, and improving project timelines.
Lessons from successful projects, highlighting case studies that overcame significant design, regulatory, technical, financial, or community engagement challenges.

We welcome proposals from architects, designers, planners, engineers, landscape architects, developers, public officials, educators, researchers, contractors, owners, and other professionals whose work demonstrates architecture's capacity to both overcome challenges and create meaningful change.

Strong proposals will:
Share practical, transferable lessons.
Address current and emerging issues affecting the profession.
Include diverse voices and multidisciplinary perspectives.
Encourage audience engagement and discussion.
Demonstrate measurable outcomes or actionable insights.

Sessions can include:
Individual presentations
Panel discussions
Interactive workshops
Facilitated conversations
Site and building tours

DesignDC Timeframes and Logisitcs:

Proposals are due by July 31, 2026, at 4:00 pm.

Sessions (lectures) selected from this Call for Proposals will be presented live and in-person at the MLK Library on October 27 and 28, 2026. Selected sessions must total 60 minutes in length.

Tours will be given in-person on October 29, 2026.

All presenters and tour guides will receive complimentary conference registration. Presenters and guides are not required to be members of AIA|DC.

This proposal is for a:

Session/Tour Leader Information:
(This will be the primary contact person for your session, and will be responsible for conveying information to any co-presenters and panelists.)

Name

First NameLast Name

Email

example@example.com

Phone Number

Area CodePhone Number

Title

Company

Session Title

Session Description: Please write a 2 - 3 paragraph description. This will be used in DesignDC promotional materials.

Learning Objective #1 - One sentence only. After attending this presentation, participants will be able to:

Learning Objective #2 - One sentence only. After attending this presentation, participants will be able to:

Learning Objective #3 - One sentence only. After attending this presentation, participants will be able to:

Learning Objective #4 - One sentence only. After attending this presentation, participants will be able to:

Please provide the name, designation (AIA, LEED, etc.), title, company, and email address of each speaker:

Please provide a short biography (90 words max) for each speaker participating in this session. Highlight those aspects of their background that equip them to speak on the specified topic.

Please indicate the disciplines relevant to your session:

Please describe how your session addresses the conference theme:

Photo for Advertising

Browse Files

Please provide a photo or rendering of your project, site, or presentation content. No headshots, please.

Photo Credit and Caption

Required for Tours Only:

Site Name and Meeting Location/Address

Tour Maximum Capacity

Required: I agree to secure permission to tour the site and have a member of your staff onsite during the tour to assist your tour guide and check people in. AIA|DC will provide you with a registration list ahead of time.

In consideration of the opportunity to participate as a speaker at DesignDC 2026, I grant the AIA|DC (and its subsidiaries, affiliates, representatives, successors, and assigns) the right to use my name, biography, photographs, and presentation content for promoting the DesignDC conference.

I warrant and represent that, to the best of my knowledge, nothing in my presentation violates any proprietary or personal rights of others (including, without limitation, any copyright or privacy rights); is factually accurate, and contains nothing libelous or otherwise unlawful.

I further warrant and represent that my presentation is my own original work, that I have the authority to enter into this Agreement, and that I am the sole copyright holder or that I have obtained all necessary permissions or licenses from any persons or organizations whose material is included or used in my presentation.