Wanda Lau

In its previous iteration, AIA’s headquarters building was always open to association members and the general public during business hours, but it definitely did not give welcome vibes. Even if one ventured up the looming concrete stairs from Washington’s New York Avenue Northwest and past the brick wall and iron gates, “you felt like you were going into this space that you were not supposed to be in...”

The goalposts are always moving in architecture, a profession whose potential and impact affect human health and well-being, community dynamics, economic prosperity, biodiversity, climate change, and more. Recently, the term “regenerative” has emerged in the industry lexicon, raising questions on its meaning and longevity as part of a line of other movements ...

A client with more than a passing interest in design is rare, but a client with a connection to a renowned 20th-century architect is next level. A physician couple relocating to Cary, North Carolina, had insight to the design process from a previous renovation they had undertaken and, more extraordinarily, from a personal tie to a pioneer of Modern architecture: one of their grandfathers was a protégé and then business partner of Mies van der Rohe.

As of October 2025, Central Ohio’s many architectural treasures include the rehabilitated Sullivan Building in Newark. Completed in 1915, the two-story, 2,595-square-foot structure was one of eight Midwestern “jewel box banks” designed by renowned Chicago architect Louis Sullivan ....

At first glance, one might think this modern home just outside Kansas City, Kansas, has retained its original 1957 design by renowned local firm Kivett and Myers. However, several additions had changed and compromised its integrity over time ...

Because AIA is behind the Framework for Design Excellence and the 2030 Commitment, it’s fitting that the organization owns one of the country’s first and largest net-zero commercial retrofit projects: the AIA Global Campus for Architecture & Design® (GCAD). Even with building experts on all sides of the project table, however, achieving GCAD’s performance ...

The town of Harbert, Michigan, sits on the shores of Lake Michigan, but the nearly 8-acre site of Prairie Road Retreat is more savanna than beachfront. Designed as a second home for three generations of a family comprising toddlers and septuagenarians, the 4,572-square-foot ranch by Chicago-based Searl Lamaster Howe (SLH) is neighbored by a maple grove to the west and conifer forests and wetlands to the east.

For years, visitors arriving at AIA’s headquarters encountered an iron gate perched atop concrete stairs and flanked by brick walls. But today, the entrance is less of a challenge to visitors and more of an invitation. The non-historic portions of the walls are now gone. A sloped wood walkway traverses from the street to an activated courtyard, forming a link bet...

The adage “we are what we eat” applies to buildings as well. Prudent product specification plays a critical role in the construction industry, which is responsible for more than half of the raw materials extracted globally and approximately 39% of greenhouse gas emissions—28% from building operations and at least 11% from embodied carbon, or the...

Shelter anchors Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, yet nearly 800,000 people experienced homelessness in the U.S. last year. Even if a person’s housing seems stable, circumstances can change quickly: They might lose the ability to work because of an injury or illness, then lose their job and health insurance. In the absence of public safety nets and familial support ...

From our interview with homeowners Cathylee and Steve Arbaugh
Cathylee: As we neared retirement, we began looking to move from the Chicago suburbs.
Steve: I spent a combined 40-plus years working as a buyer for national retail chains and then in brand marketing for startups to Fortune 100–500 companies. Cathylee was a salesperson and has worked in commercial and residential interior architecture and design for more than 38 years.

Continual learning is integral to the identity and success of many designers. But sometimes, a person’s current role or firm can’t meet their education needs. One option is to reenter higher education as a non-traditional or mid-career student.

Of the 162 buildings featured in the 2003 book “Best Addresses: A Century of Washington’s Distinguished Apartment Houses,” one in particular caught the eye of a real estate professional, a past client of Colleen Healey, AIA.

After design school, recent graduates sometimes find architectural practice daunting and disheartening. Prior firm experience can temper the transition, as can learning from instructors with a foothold in the profession.