The Association of Architecture Organizations conducts year-round programming for its members, as well as select events for the general public. The primary function of these activities is to provide educators and representative from architectural organizations with a forum for joint learning, resource sharing, and networking.
In addition to regularly scheduled conference calls among the members, AAO hosts two annual events. Each summer, members are invited to a significant architectural site or study trip where they meet up with the AAO Board of Directors. These weekends include private tours of architectural landmarks and related highlights, social events, and a Board meeting open to all members.
Each fall, we present the AAO Conference. This 2.5-day meeting is the year’s largest annual gathering of architectural organizations, with representatives attending from all across the United States and several foreign countries.
AAO 2012 Conference (Dallas, TX)
November 8-10, 2012
More than 130 delegates came to Dallas, TX to discuss connecting people and place for the AAO 2012 conference. We covered topics from the impact of urban parks to community change through design partnerships to toolkit sessions that offered information on strategic planning and fundraising. We hope all participants left with a renewed sense of energy and new ideas to apply to their work.
Click here to learn more about the AAO 2012 conference.
Cranbrook Members' Retreat (Michigan)
The 2012 annual AAO Members’ Weekend offered a memorable visit to the Cranbrook Academy of Art. The Academy’s Director, Reed Kroloff, hosted us with fascinating tours of the campus buildings as well as a highlights tour of sites throughout downtown Detroit – the beautiful, the distressed, and some of the community projects that are leading the way forward.
Design in Action 2011 Conference (Philadelphia, PA)
October 9-11, 2011
In fall 2011, we turned our attention to collaboration, focusing on the ways architectural organizations, community designers, and educators work together to best promote and advocate for quality design in our communities, investigating how our projects – big or small, traditional or experimental – speak to one another and illuminate the larger aims we share.
Click here to learn more about the Design in Action 2011 conference.
AAO Members' Weekend (Anchorage, Kotzebue, and Kivalina, Alaska)
August 18-21, 2011
Our annual AAO Members’ Weekend offers terrific opportunities to catch up with colleagues and spend time with the AAO Board of Directors, always in a unique architectural settings or the hometown of a fellow AAO Organizational Member that plays the role of local host. In summer 2011, we traveled to Anchorage, where directors from the Alaska Design Forum organized a very memorable stay. Click here to see photos from the trip and learn more.
U.S.-Level Competition
UIA Golden Cubes Awards
Winter and Spring 2011
Thank you to everyone who applied to the U.S. level of the Golden Cubes Awards! The jury was thrilled with the depth and breadth of design education projects submitted to this inaugural competition. Congratulations to the four National Nominees and five projects that received Jury Special Recognition. Click here for the full press release announcing the winners, and click here to view details and photos of the US nominees and special jury recognition.
Design in Action 2010 Conference (Chicago, Illinois)
November 15-16, 2010
Thank you 2010 Conference Delegates! More than 160 delegates from across the United States and five countries converged on Chicago for a two-day conference of inspiring ideas and practical solutions. Keynotes were delivered by Next American City's John Cary, Architect Magazine Editor-in-Chief Ned Cramer, and British Council for School Environments' Director Ty Goddard. Practical learning sessions were directly guided by more than 20 AAO and A+DEN members, either sharing case studies of their work or lending "how to" advice for newcomers to the field. Once again, our Annual Conference served as a catalyst for international dialogue and practical learning on important issues confronting our industry.
AAO Members Weekend at Taliesin East (Spring Green, Wisconsin)
August 13-15, 2010
A collegial group of 17 AAO community members was treated to a special weekend of private events, including dinner with the Taliesin Fellowship, tours of several Frank Lloyd Wright buildings on the campus, and an exclusive review of top students’ designs generated by a unique studio held at Taliesin. The weekend began with a wonderful dinner in a restored and repurposed old schoolhouse in the Wisconsin countryside outside Spring Green.
