The A’23 was a lively event with a healthy turnout, excellent programs and fantastic tours. The Moscone Center works very well for these conferences, and it was nice to visit the building again to appreciate its architectural qualities and to be able to walk a short distance to view Mario Botta’s SF MOMA building. And best of all, San Francisco is a great place to visit in spite of the challenges and building vacancies that have received so much national attention.

I have been to several national AIA conferences, but this was my first time attending the AIA Business Meeting as a representative for AIA Wyoming. It was nice to meet up with Dan Stalker at the meeting and listen to the candidates give their speeches prior to the vote. It was interesting to feel the difference in energy watching the candidates speak live as opposed to watching their campaign videos on my computer. The voting process was all digital and was easily done on your cell phone. Following the voting, it was interesting to hear members of the various AIA chapters voice their concerns, insights and hopes for the future of their chapters and let AIA National know what is happening across the country. It was great to watch Dan Stalker, as a representative of AIA Wyoming, request that AIA National include the Strategic Council in future AIA Leadership Summit meetings. There were a number of other issues discussed, but one in particular that caught my attention was repeated requests that AIA National consider reducing the cost of future National Conferences. I had the privilege of discussing this issue and a few others with Latoya Kamdang (voted in as At-Large Director 2024-2026) as we waited in a long line at the lunch kiosk. I suggested we work on getting architects paid what they are worth so they can afford to attend conferences, in addition to considering ways to make conferences more affordable. She seemed intrigued by the idea.

Following the business meeting, I attended the remainder of the conference and would like to share a few of my personal highlights. It was a privilege to listen to The Right Honorable Jacinda Arden, past Prime Minister of New Zealand, who presented as a Keynote Speaker. She discussed her time as Prime Minister in an interview with AIA President Emily Grandstaff-Rice and showed some architectural projects she had been influential in bringing to fruition.

I was fortunate to attend a few tours and have included some photographs of these projects. First, I attended a tour of the San Francisco City Hall. It has recently been renovated and is topped by one of the highest domes in the world. It is a four-story, 500,000 sq. ft. structure that takes up two full city blocks. Its gold-leaf embellished dome hearkens to the dome of Les Invalides in Paris. We started in the basement, rolling on creepers to see the retrofit seismic foundation isolators and climbed to the top of the dome spire to observe fantastic views of the city. Venturing in the crawlspace and structural cavity of the dome was a bit dusty, as well as a good workout.

My next tour was the Southeast Community Center in Bay City. I was intrigued by this project as it was designed by the architectural staff of the city as opposed to soliciting proposals from various firms. This was a departure from their typical duties in the building, planning and zoning organization of the city. They did a nice job creating a community center, daycare facility and public park, as well as integrating with the diversity of the neighborhood. They also had to deal with the challenges of meeting budgets and public scrutiny in the process.

My final and favorite tour was of the SF State University Student Union Building, completed in 1968 and designed by Paffard Keatinge-Clay, who spent a small amount of time working for both Frank Lloyd Wright and LeCorbusier. I believe you can see their influence on him. Paffard did not win this commission the first time around, as the original firm selected for the project got removed in the political scheme of things and opened the door for his second shot at the project. Nevertheless, it is a fantastic project that captures your attention both inside and out with exquisite concrete detailing and symbolic representations that still resonate strongly today.

I expect that A’24 in Washington, D.C., will prove to have an equally impressive set of tours, programs and keynote speakers to inspire those who attend. Save up and take some well-deserved time off.