The P.R.I.C.E. of Change | 2021 Virtual Conference on Architecture

Our 2021 Conference theme, “The PRICE of Change” will key in on the: Pandemic | Racial Inequity | Climate | Economy.

Through dynamic speakers, general sessions, and virtual tours, we’ll tackle these topics and challenge each conference attendee to ask themselves “what PRICE am I willing to pay to truly become a change agent in my profession and to society holistically?”

Thank you for your interest. The conference concluded on 8/27/2021.  

All registered attendees will have 30 days of access to view the sessions! This gives you the ability to complete the Continuing Education on your own until 11:5PM/Central on Monday, September 27.

Thank you to our Conference Committee members for their hard work and dedication to providing TN members access to nationally renowned speakers, amazing tours and education during a year of CHANGE! Conference Chair: Valentina Puppione Cochran, AIA | Aaron Cole, AIA | Elle McKenna, AIA | Colby Mitchell, NOMA | P. Jeanne Myers, AIA | Robert Paulus, AIA | Cayce Smith, AIA | Dawn Snyder, AIA | Rob White, AIA

Keynote Speakers

Ifeoma Ebo
LEED AP, NOMA
Jonathan Moody
AIA, NOMA, NCARB, LEED AP,
FITWEL AMBASSADOR
Sekou Cooke
RA
Katie Swenson
AIA

Pascale Sablan,
FAIA, NOMA, LEED AP

Robert Gay / Lucy Begg AIA
Thoughtbarn

Virtual Tours

The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design
Loghaven Artist Residency
Shiloh Falls Waterfront Private Residence

Conference Sponsorship Opportunities

Limited availability – Reserve your sponsorship today to showcase your company!

Platinum Sponsor


Gold Sponsors


AIA TN Virtual Conference Agenda  

Note: Central Time Zone is listed first and then Eastern Time Zone. | Continuing Education will be requested for all sessions listed below and updated as approved by AIA National. | All sessions will be online this year.

IMPORTANT: Can’t make the sessions due to a conflict?  All registered attendees will have 30 days of access to view the sessions! This gives you the ability to complete the Continuing Education on your own until 11:5PM/Central on Monday, September 27.

8:57 AM/CDT
(9:57 AM/EDT)

Welcome & Opening Remarks

by Richard-Allen Foster, AIA | AIA TN President 

8:57 AM/CDT
(9:57 AM/EDT)

9:00 – 10:30 AM/CDT
(10:00 – 11:30 AM/EDT)

Opening Keynote

The Price of Change – Identity in the Design Process | 1.5 AIA LU|HSW

Jonathan Moody, AIA, NCARB, NOMA, LEED AP | Moody Nolan 

In the Fall of 2020, the National Organization of Minority Architects released its magazine with the title “Confronting the Dual Pandemic”. NOMA asked the question; “How does the human “fight or flight” response work when you’re being attacked on multiple flanks by two formidable adversaries?” We should all be constantly questioning how we define normal and essential. 2020 caused disruptions around the ways we think about these ideas with regard to public health, climate, and racial inequality. As we begin to re-think normal, those issues have not gone away. Identity can be a thread that ties all of these elements together.

9:00 – 10:30 AM/CDT
(10:00 – 11:30 AM/EDT)

10:30 – 11:30 AM/CDT
(11:30 AM – 12:30 PM/EDT)

General Session

Product Transparency for the Future of Healthy Buildings | 1 HSW/LU

presented by Chad Coyne, Area Vice President, Finelite | Sponsored by SESCO Lighting

10:30 – 11:30 AM/CDT
(11:30 AM – 12:30 PM/EDT)

11:30 AM – 1:00 PM/CDT
(12:30 – 2:00 PM/EDT)

Lunch | Break

11:30 AM – 1:00 PM/CDT
(12:30 – 2:00 PM/EDT)

1:00 – 2:00 PM/CDT
(2:00 – 3:00 PM/EDT)

Virtual Tour

The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design | 1 HSW/LU

Hosted by Joshua Gassmann, RA, LEED AP BD+C | Lord Aeck Sargent   

1:00 – 2:00 PM/CDT
(2:00 – 3:00 PM/EDT)

2:00 – 3:30 PM/CDT
(3:00 – 4:30 PM/EDT)

Afternoon Keynote

Shifting Power through Design  | 1.5 AIA LU|HSW

Ifeoma Ebo, NOMA, LEED AP | Creative Urban Alchemy, LLC

Historically the urban landscape has been used as a tool to establish inequitable power/social relationships. The same tools that have been used to shape inequity can also be used to center equity and justice in our world. This lecture will used history, theory and projects centering community engaged design to explore landscapes of contested power.

2:00 – 3:30 PM/CDT
(3:00 – 4:30 PM/EDT)

3:30 – 4:30 PM/CDT
(4:30 – 5:30 PM/EDT)

General Session

Your Practice Questions Answered 1 LU

Listen in on a conversation among Ann Casso, Hon. AIA of the AIA Trust and the Practice Coach attorneys as they answer practice questions every architect has at some time about their operations. Over the course of this session, they will discuss how to set up a firm, insurance matters, contract documentation and negotiation, and copyright matters.

Panelists include:
Jacqueline Pons-Bunney, Esq.
Peter Stacy, Esq.
Martha Bringard, Esq.
Leila Sadeghi, Esq.
Ann Casso, Hon. AIA

3:30 – 4:30 PM/CDT
(4:30 – 5:30 PM/EDT)

4:30 PM/CDT
(5:30 PM/EDT)

Wrap-up

by Richard-Allen Foster, AIA | AIA TN President  

4:30 PM/CDT
(5:30 PM/EDT)

8:55 AM/CDT
(9:55 AM/EDT)

Welcome

by Richard-Allen Foster, AIA | AIA TN President

8:55 AM/CDT
(9:55 AM/EDT)

9:00 – 10:30 AM/CDT
(10:00 – 11:30 AM/EDT)

Morning Keynote

Finding Orientation | 1.5 HSW/LU

by Lucy Begg & Robert Gay | Thought Barn

Over the last decade, Thoughtbarn has experimented with several different modes of practice, across architecture, public art, fabrication and construction, in search of ways to expand the agency of architects. In this lecture we’ll share a series of projects completed in Austin, TX, which illustrate
how we have sought to deepen our impact on our rapidly-evolving home city’s development through this critical consideration of the tools and resources we use, and roles and risks we take on, as professionals.

9:00 – 10:30 AM/CDT
(10:00 – 11:30 AM/EDT)

10:30 – 11:00 AM/CDT
(11:30 AM – 12:00 PM/EDT)

Coffee break….or hang around to join the GR Team talking all things advocacy!

10:30 – 11:00 AM/CDT
(11:30 AM – 12:00 PM/EDT)

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM/CDT
(12:00 – 1:00 PM/EDT)

Virtual Tour

Loghaven Artist Residency Virtual Tour | 1 AIA LU/HSW

hosted by Brandon Pace, FAIA and Michael Davis, AIA | Sanders Pace Architecture  

Hosted by architects from Sanders Pace Architecture, attendees will be led on a virtual tour of the campus of the Loghaven Artist Residency, a 2021 recipient of the AIA National Architecture Award. In this tour participants will learn about the history of this 90-acre site and the original log cabins originally built as rental cabins in the 1930’s which have been rehabilitated as artist spaces. The tour will also include the McDonough House, an operations building with shared artist functions, and two new purpose-built artist studio spaces.

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM/CDT
(12:00 – 1:00 PM/EDT)

12:00 – 1:00 PM/CDT
(1:00 – 2:00 PM/EDT)

Lunch | Break

12:00 – 1:00 PM/CDT
(1:00 – 2:00 PM/EDT)

1:00 – 2:00 PM/CDT
(2:00 – 3:00 PM/EDT)

Virtual Tour

Shiloh Falls Waterfront Private Residency Virtual – 1 HSW/LU

hosted by Valentina Cochran, AIA, and Robert Paulus, Associate AIA

Designed by architects, Samuel Mockbee and Coleman Coker, the Shiloh Falls House, was built on a steep, sloping site near the Shiloh National Park in Tennessee, this house is situated 120 feet above the water. It follows the natural contour of the site and culminates in a living room with a floor-to-ceiling wall of windows that looks east and south over a wide panorama of the river. Valentina Cochran and Robert Paulus will lead attendees on a virtual tour of the Shiloh Falls House. This session covers the history and personalities behind designing the Shiloh Falls House using glass, galvanized aluminum and wood to bring out the best environment for the homeowners while making the least amount of impact surrounding environment.

1:00 – 2:00 PM/CDT
(2:00 – 3:00 PM/EDT)

2:00 – 3:30 PM/CDT
(3:00 – 4:30 PM/EDT)

Afternoon Keynote

 Ocean Marie: Hip-Hop Architecture Speculations (1.5 HSW/LU)

by Sekou Cooke, RA | Sekou Cooke Studio 

This seminar will create an open and frank conversation about the history, current state, and projected future of an emergent architectural movement. Sekou will reflect on his own experiences with Hip-Hop Architecture, analyze the landscape of the profession, and suggest new ways for integrating hip-hop cultural principles within architectural education and practice.

2:00 – 3:30 PM/CDT
(3:00 – 4:30 PM/EDT)

3:30 – 4:30 PM/CDT
(4:30 – 5:30 PM/EDT)

General Session

Cyber Security Threats & Protections: When It Comes to Cyber Breach, It’s About ‘When’ Not ‘If’ – 1 LU

What are the cyber risks? There are two common types of cyber breaches, but there are many ways that these types of breaches happen. It can happen through a hack or an employee mistake. Maybe an outside actor has planted ransomware or has been monitoring your emails? There are even a few cases of employees being an inside actor of a cyber breach. It’s important to know what the risks are so you can prevent and prepare for them.

This presentation is a podcast featuring Dale Crow, Senior Vice President at Risk Strategies.

3:30 – 4:30 PM/CDT
(4:30 – 5:30 PM/EDT)

4:30 PM/CDT
(5:30 PM/EDT)

Wrap Up

by Richard-Allen Foster, AIA | AIA TN President

4:30 PM/CDT
(5:30 PM/EDT)

8:55 AM/CDT
(9:55 AM/EDT)

Welcome

Richard-Allen Foster, AIA | AIA TN President   

8:55 AM/CDT
(9:55 AM/EDT)

9:00 – 10:00 AM/CDT
(10:00 – 11:00 AM/EDT)

Morning Keynote

I Was Asked to Stand | 1 AIA LU

by Pascale Sablan, FAIA, NOMA, LEED AP | Adjaye Associates | Founder & Executive Director of Beyond the Built Environment

I Was Asked to Stand lecture educates and empowers the participants to understand the cause and possible solutions to the disparity in the lack of representation, documentation, and acknowledgement of the great works of women and diverse designers. The presentation focuses on the history of the problems, how we can proactively change our profession, and future aspiration to continue the fight for equality.

9:00 – 10:00 AM/CDT
(10:00 – 11:00 AM/EDT)

10:00 – 11:00 AM/CDT
(11:00 AM – 12:00 PM/EDT)

General Session

Building Reuse for More Sustainable & Resilient Communities – 1 HSW/LU

by James Lindberg | The National Trust for Historic Preservation

Nearly 40 percent of the buildings in the United States are at least 50 years old. Reusing older buildings can reduce carbon emissions and support healthy, sustainable, and equitable communities. Hear about important research on the benefits of building reuse and learn how innovative policies and incentives can make more building reuse projects possible.

10:00 – 11:00 AM/CDT
(11:00 AM – 12:00 PM/EDT)

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
(12:00 – 1:00 PM)

General Session

Unlock a more Sustainable Practice with AIA’s 2030 Commitment (1 HSW/LU)

presented by:

Barbra BatShalom, Assoc. AIA
Executive Director, Sustainable Performance Institute

Matthew Welker, Assoc. AIA
Sr. Director, Sustainability and K&P Operations Strategy, The American Institute of Architects

AIA’s 2030 Commitment is a voluntary program dedicated to firm-wide and data-driven practice transformation in the fight to drive down building-related carbon emissions over the next decade. As one of the first programs to focus on portfolio-wide performance, rather than exemplary one-off projects, AIA’s 2030 Commitment has spurred consequential global impact from more than 900 firms of all sizes: small, medium, and large. In 2019, only 27 firms met the program targets; however, participants collectively (and impressively!) avoided nearly as much carbon as taking five coal-fired power plants offline for a year.


In this course, you will explore the basics of the 2030 Commitment, one surprising reason that firms join the program, and how carbon-neutral goals can lead to a stronger company. speakers will introduce a new 2030 Commitment resource—AIA’s “Creating a Sustainability Action Plan that works!”—and explore case studies from high-performing 2030 Commitment signatories. Along the way, they will demystify myths about the program and describe the benefits to any size firm in becoming part of the 2030 Commitment.

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
(12:00 – 1:00 PM)

12:00 – 1:30 PM/CDT
(1:00 – 2:30 PM/EDT)

Afternoon Keynote

Design with Love | 1.5 AIA LU/HSW

by Katie Swenson, AIA | MASS Design Group

The question of the architect’s role within the community has continued to grow and change in recent years. How do we look beyond not only designing projects, but delivering on a mission to research, build, and advocate for architecture that promotes justice and human dignity? This presentation explores the notion that the best results for all stakeholders occur when a project is conceived and built with purpose. A purpose built approach begins with immersion, a deep engagement with all partners and project stakeholders that allows us to collectively identify the specific mission of a project and its intended outcomes, and ends with impact.

12:00 – 1:30 PM/CDT
(1:00 – 2:30 PM/EDT)

1:30 PM/CDT
(2:30 PM/EDT)

Closing Remarks

by Richard-Allen Foster, AIA | AIA TN President

1:30 PM/CDT
(2:30 PM/EDT)

See the description for Meet-Up Times at each location

Let’s Meet Up!

If you are comfortable in participating, please join us at our After Hour Meet-Up! Attendees are invited to a local restaurant to hangout and socialize with each other after the conference for some refreshments! Appetizers will be available and every attendee will receive two tickets for a beverage of your choice, and a chance to win a PRIZE!

Memphis Attendees – Loflin Yard – 4:30 – 6:30 pm/CDT

Middle TN Attendees – Jackalope Brewing Company – 4:30 – 6:30 pm/CDT

Chattanooga Attendees – Flying Squirrel – 5:00 – 7:00 pm/EDT (UPDATED)

East TN Attendees – Hops & Hollers – 4:30 – 6:30 pm/EDT

See the description for Meet-Up Times at each location

AIA TN Mixed Tape Spotify Playlist

Listen while you work – compilation of upbeat songs to pass the day away.

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