‼️ SOLD OUT! ‼️

Can't wait to see you all there!

Cleveland architect, Philip Lindsley Small, was enormously influential in shaping Cleveland and in setting the aesthetic standards for a generation. His architectural design work for the federal government and for the Van Sweringen brothers, the developers of the Terminal Tower and Shaker Heights, became the backdrop for everyday life. Small’s profound influence on Cleveland’s built environment will be the subject of a presentation.

AIA HSW learning units: In Process of Approval 

The presentation will be in the illustrated lecture format with an opportunity for Q & A to follow. Philip Small’s work in single‐family, multi‐family, public and private residential projects demonstrated his attention to aspects of architecture effecting the physical, mental and social well‐being of its inhabitants.  

His work in educational, recreational, cultural and commercial buildings was intended to engender positive emotional and physical responses by the large number people who continue to safely use these facilities. His architectural practice also included work on public water and sewage treatment facilities demonstrating a consciousness toward public safety and civic improvement.  

The presentation will include a discussion of Philip Small’s drawings and the design influences that shaped his urban planning and master planning projects, his building designs and interiors. His collaboration with Louis Rorimer will also be mentioned and discussed as it pertains to materials, products, finishes and furnishings. 

The learning objectives will be: 

1. To become familiar with the scope of buildings designed by the office of Philip Small. 

2. To understand the sources and influences that informed Philip Small’s design work and to consider how Philip Small’s work has informed and continues to inform new work. 

3. To examine the impact of Small’s work on the design of public spaces and the communities where it exists. 

4. To compare the different building types and styles like those designed by Philip Small and how the public can and does benefit from this variety. 

UPDATE! THIS WILL BE RESCHEDULED FOR A FUTURE DATE!

Presented by Valley
www.buildwithvalley.com

In person at the AIA Cleveland Office

Lunch provided!

Credits: 1 HSW

The world of prefabrication is growing and constantly evolving. While the focus had long been on complex systems like MEP, now the flexibility, efficiency and safety prefab can offer has led to a total mentality shift-- Why not prefab as many building components as possible and how do we do that successfully?

In this lunch and learn, we will discuss the growing possibilities with prefabrication of interior and exterior components, like panelized wall systems and drywall shapes, and the impact you can leverage for your designs and clients.

What we will cover:

• Understanding the Benefits of Prefabrication

• Preconstruction and Prefab

• Review Prefab Use Cases in Key Construction Sectors

• Compare Onsite vs Offsite Prefab

Join AIA Cleveland, APA Cleveland, and ASLA Ohio for Parkitecture: Spring Edition, a seasonal exploration of architecture, landscape architecture, planning, and nature in one of the Cleveland Metroparks’ most historic landscapes. This program will be held at Garfield Reservation and is timed to coincide with one of Northeast Ohio’s most beautiful seasonal moments—the blooming of the redbud trees.

The program will begin at 10:00 AM on the terrace of the new Program Center, where participants will gather around the firepit for a relaxed meet and greet with light breakfast foods and coffee while connecting with colleagues from across the architecture, planning, and landscape architecture communities.

From there, we will head outside for a guided walk around the restored pond and surrounding trails with a Metroparks naturalist. As we experience the early signs of spring emerging across the landscape, from blooming redbuds to seasonal changes in plant and wildlife activity, members of the Metroparks planning and landscape architecture team will discuss the design and planning of the site. The walk will highlight how ecological restoration, trail design, and landscape planning shape the experience of the park while supporting habitat and environmental health.

The program will conclude inside the Program Center with a discussion led by members of the Cleveland Metroparks planning and design team. They will share the story of Garfield Park’s transformation, from its origins as a city park designed by Ernest Bowditch in the spirit of the Olmsted picturesque tradition to its evolution as part of the Cleveland Metroparks system, and discuss the design of the restored pond, trails, and the new Program Center built on the foundation of the historic boathouse.

Blending architecture, landscape design, planning, ecology, and seasonal experience, Parkitecture offers a unique opportunity to learn from the professionals who shape our parks while enjoying one of the most beautiful times of year in Northeast Ohio. The program will conclude at approximately 12:30 PM.

Join AIA Akron and AIA Cleveland for a hard hat tour of the renovation underway in the historic 1899 building at the Akron Art Museum.

Led by the project design team from Perspectus Architecture and Process Creative Studios, participants will walk through the in-progress construction and explore how the team approached adaptive reuse within an active cultural institution. The tour will highlight key discoveries made during construction, the creative design responses required to address them, and strategies used to stabilize and preserve the historic structure while introducing new gallery, storage, and office spaces.

Attendees will also examine structural modifications supporting new gallery environments, including slab replacement, attic improvements, and partial floor removal, and learn about design considerations for portrait, performance, and interactive gallery spaces. The program will conclude with a happy hour at Akronym Brewing.

Attendees must provide and wear standard PPE (hard hat, high vis, closed-toe shoes, safety glasses) for the duration of the tour.

Attendees receive 1 AIA HSW LUs.

AIA Cleveland’s WIA+ Committee is proud to present, “The Women Shaping the Built Environment in Cleveland!”

Please join us for a night of networking and inspiration as we celebrate Women’s History Month by featuring the effort, intellect, and creativity of women who are shaping the Cleveland that we all love and explore.

The night will feature the work of local architects, interior designers, engineers, and contractors in an open gallery opening at 5:30. Appetizers and beverages will be provided.

At 6:00, there will be a mixed discipline panel of experts who will share their experience and expertise through inspiring stories and lessons learned, as we discuss what unites us as we work to improve and shape our communities. After the panel, the gallery will remain open for networking and further discussion with the professionals who will be displaying their work.

Please consider joining us for this night of celebration and inspiration, graciously hosted at the Union Hall of the Millwrights and Carpenters!

Join AIA Cleveland for an immersive, hands-on evening with the visiting sculptors and mold makers of Buffalo Architectural Casting.

For more than 30 years, Buffalo Architectural Casting has restored and replicated historic architectural ornament across the country, mastering plaster, stone replication, and today’s high-performance systems like GFRG and GFRC. For one night, they’re bringing that craft to Cleveland.

What to Expect

5:30 PM – Doors Open

Sign in, enjoy food and drinks, and connect with fellow architects.

Intro + Hands-On Casting

Cast your own piece of architectural ornament in a historic travertine finish. Learn about gypsum systems, reinforcement, anchoring strategies, and how ornament evolved as the skyscraper transformed American cities like Cleveland and Buffalo.

Presentation + Case Studies

Explore the history of architectural ornament, from antiquity to the rise of the steel-frame tower—and examine contemporary fabrication methods that support durability, fire performance, preservation fidelity, and façade safety.

Guided Sketching Session

Sketch large-scale sculptural works, including classical and Art Deco forms, to study proportion, detail, and stylistic language. Drawing becomes a tool for seeing: understanding how ornament integrates with structure and scale.

Cleveland is one of the cities where the skyscraper was born. As buildings rose, ornament adapted, becoming lighter, safer, and more integrated into new structural systems. Yet its meaning endured. From the Guardians of Traffic on the Hope Memorial Bridge to the lions, wreaths, and figures that adorn our façades, ornament continues to shape our city’s identity.

This is not a lecture you sit through.

You’ll pour. You’ll sketch. You’ll ask questions.

And you’ll leave with your own cast piece of architectural ornament—and a renewed appreciation for the craft embedded in our built legacy.

Space is limited. Register today.

This course reviews the requirements that cold-formed steel framing must meet to be compliant to the 2024 International Building Code.

It covers the standards and requirements for manufacturing tolerances, minimum thickness, protective coatings.

Participants will also review fire-rated partitions.

1 HSW

Sponsorship Deadline: Friday, March 6, 2026, at 5:00PM
Ticket Deadline: Friday, March 13, 2026, at 5:00PM 

Cleveland Restoration Society invites you to the Celebration of Preservation awards program!

Each year, the Cleveland Restoration Society and AIA Cleveland recognize outstanding historic preservation projects from the region during our annual Awards Program. Come party at the historic Ariel LaSalle Theater, a past award recipient, and celebrate the efforts of this year’s award winners.

Ticket includes appetizers and wine/beer. 

For more information, contact Peggy Sexton, Events Coordinator,
at psexton@clevelandrestoration.org.

In this session, we will explore the future of the solar industry and examine the positive impact that renewable energy and lower emissions have on the environment.

Topics of Discussion:

• How state and federal policies can either hinder or enhance the growth of the renewable solar energy market

• New technologies in solar panel manufacturing and battery storage

• How high energy sectors can leverage solar energy to their benefit

• Case studies of two municipalities engaged in solar initiatives:

  • Dayton: A 49 megawatt project spanning 250 acres, capable of meeting the energy needs of over 14,000 homes

  • Euclid: A rooftop solar array on City Hall installed several years ago, with insights into their future plans and the performance of the array over time

We will leave ample time for Q&A and open discussion.

Speakers:

Justin Sucato, CEO, YellowLite

Roger Sikes, Policy & Advocacy Campaigner, Solar United Neighbors

Christine McIntosh, Planning Manager, City of Euclid

Matthew Worsham, Special Projects Administrator, City of Dayton

2 continuing education credits for: BOMA, AEE, ASHRAE, AIA HSW, certificate of attendance available for self reporting for Professional Engineers, LEED and others.

$15 for members of AIA, ASHRAE, 2030 Districts, Cleveland State University, Greater Cleveland Partnership, USGBC, City of Cleveland

$20 for non-members

Students attend for free

This event is in person but also offered on Zoom.

Zoom link will be sent once registration is completed.

Is water becoming the world's most valuable resource? In our second session of the year, we will explore the efforts being made to safeguard our water supply and develop new technologies that enhance the way we use and protect our waterways.

We will examine the dangers posed by sulfide mining in the Great Lakes and the changes in federal policy surrounding this issue. A remarkable amount of positive work is currently being done to foster innovation worldwide. Here in Cleveland, we are working to better understand how new technologies perform in real-world scenarios.As a Clevelander, you are likely familiar with the history of our Cuyahoga River. We will provide an update on the progress made toward delisting the river as an area of concern.

Additionally, we will have the opportunity to learn about a new product created by students from Case Western Reserve University, designed to filter microplastics from our waterways. This session will feature case studies and equip you with fresh insights into how we can - and are - protecting our invaluable water supply.

Speakers:

Samantha Martin, Director of Communications and Engagement, Cleveland Water Alliance

Paula Maccabee, Executive Director and Counsel, WaterLegacy

Max Pennington,Co-Founder and CEO, CLEANR

Jennifer Grieser, Chair, Cuyahoga River AOC Advisory Committee and Director of Natural Resources, Cleveland Metroparks

2 continuing education credits for: BOMA, AEE, ASHRAE, AIA HSW, certificate of attendance available for self reporting for Professional Engineers, LEED and others.

Cost:

$15 for members of AIA, ASHRAE, 2030 Districts, Cleveland State University, Greater Cleveland Partnership, USGBC, City of Cleveland

$20 for non-members

Students attend for free

This event is in person but also offered on Zoom.

Zoom link will be sent once registration is completed.

Join us for an immersive Body of Work presentation by Sung Ho Kim, Co-Director of Axi:Ome, hosted within the firm’s studio at Tyler Village. This unique setting places attendees directly inside the working environment where architectural ideas are developed, tested, and translated into built work.

Sung Ho Kim’s studio functions as a physical manifestation of the design process itself. Attendees will be surrounded by an active landscape of architectural thinking, numerous physical models, drawings, studies, and digital assets on display, offering insight into how research, speculation, and rigorous inquiry evolve into real-world architectural outcomes. The presentation will explore Axi:Ome’s interdisciplinary approach to architecture, operating at the intersection of art, media, environment, and culture, and how this framework informs both conceptual research and built projects.

The program also highlights Kim’s ongoing cycle between education and practice. As Architecture Program Director at Kent State University, Kim continually moves between teaching, student research, and professional work, allowing each to inform the other. This reciprocal process strengthens architectural thinking and reinforces architecture’s responsibility to the public realm.

This event offers a rare opportunity to engage with architecture not only through images and discussion, but through direct immersion in the space where ideas are made, providing meaningful insight for architects, designers, planners, students, and anyone interested in the role of architecture as both a civic and cultural practice.

For more information, contact:

Greg Soltis
Director of Programming
AIA Cleveland
greg@rdlarchitects.com

Sponsored by CSI North Coast Chapter

Registration includes: Cost to play, Food (Tailgate package):
Touchdown Dill Dip and Kickin' Popper Dip, Cheesy Macaroni Bites, Spicy Peach Pork Sliders, Wing Trio (bone-in or boneless); 

Fountain Drinks, iced tea, coffee and water.

Direct questions to Brad Saeger at bsaeger@moodynolan.com

Sketch-n-Sip: Exploring Clay in Sculpture and Architecture invites architects and design professionals into the working studio of large-scale ceramic sculptor Alex and his team for an immersive evening exploring the shared language of form, structure, and material between sculpture and architecture.

The program will begin with an introduction to Alex’s practice and artistic philosophy, followed by a discussion of clay as a structural medium, its physical properties, limitations, and the challenges of working at scale.

Trained at Alfred University, Alex and his assistants will explain how large ceramic works are formed, stacked, and assembled, and how gravity, weight, cracking, and firing stresses must be carefully anticipated and managed. These lessons will be directly connected to architectural design principles related to massing, structural integrity, and material behavior.

Participants will then be guided through the studio to observe the sculptural process firsthand, from forming and assembly to kiln firing and finishing. The evening will conclude with a hands-on session in which attendees may sketch a featured large-scale sculpture, dramatically lit to emphasize form, depth, and shadow or experiment with working in clay themselves.

Designed to be both educational and experiential, this Sketch-n-Sip session encourages architects to reconnect with a material-based design process and rediscover clay as a powerful tool for exploring form, structure, and human experience.

Parkitechture will be a new, seasonally driven series of learning sessions where architects, urban planners, and landscape architects explore the shared ground between their disciplines through the lens of public park spaces. Each session will be co-led by a Metroparks naturalist, bringing real-world insight shaped by daily interaction with the buildings, trails, habitats, and visitors who animate these landscapes.

The inaugural session, Parkitechture: Winter Edition, will be held at the Brecksville Reservation Nature Center.

The program will begin with a presentation of the newly constructed restroom facility and Program Center, exploring how these additions integrate with the original WPA-era “trailside museum” and how the site’s architecture and circulation draw visitors toward the surrounding forest and nearby prairie. A guided visit to the historic trailside museum—the last remaining of the original three—will offer insight into its design, construction, and role in early park interpretation. The session will conclude with a beloved Brecksville winter tradition: the opportunity to hand-feed the wild birds that frequent the Nature Center.

Come reflect on the highs and lows of 2025 with this year's final Wellness in Design event!  

Join us as we hit pause with Emily Leu, our fellow designer and yogi, who will lead us through a guided meditation accompanied with some light stretches to loosen up that holiday tension. Afterwards, attendees can work through a personal reflection exercise to help close the curtain on this year & prepare for the next. Drinks and snacks will be provided courtesy of our event sponsors!

This event is open to all, not just AIA members, so bring a friend, co-worker, spouse, etc. We hope to see you there!

If you purchased tickets for the 10/09 event prior to the reschedule, your ticket will still apply for this new date.

Thursday, December 11, 2025 | 5:30 PM

Italian American Museum

Join us for the next lecture in the Body of Work series, featuring the work of acclaimed Cleveland architect Robert Maschke, FAIA.

Maschke will present projects in Gordon Square and Little Italy, exploring how his design process responds to neighborhoods with rich histories and ever-changing character. Following the lecture, guests are invited to a self-guided walking tour of his Little Italy projects.

2 HSW

About Body of Work:

Body of Work: An Architecture Design Lecture Series is a celebration of design as the heart of architecture. The series provides a forum where architects present their work through a purely aesthetic lens, sharing the philosophies, influences, and ideas that shape their creative process.

Each year, the series highlights:

• Historic voices brought to life by historians

• Contemporary architects shaping today’s design culture

• Visual presentations that reveal the beauty and form of architecture

• Dialogue and connection through Q&A, panels, and networking

The mission: to inspire a deeper appreciation of design excellence, showcase Cleveland’s architectural talent, and create a lasting archive—a collective Body of Work—that will enrich and guide future generations of architects.

Celebrate the end of the year with AIA Cleveland at this year’s Holiday Mentorship Mixer! This casual event will feature good food, seasonal beverages, and some festive activities! This will also be the kickoff event to next year's mentorship program. If you are not participating in the program, you are still welcome to attend.

If you are interested in participating in the mentorship program as an advisee or advisor, please reach out to the program coordinators (Emily Williams, Kiernan Weese, Maura Flaherty, and Kaitlin Boniecki) no later than November 21st!

Let’s toast to a year of new friends, new projects, and a strong architectural community!

Feeling extra festive? Wear your ugliest holiday sweater!

Attention Last-Minute Learners!

Still scrambling to finish your required HSW credits before license renewal? We’ve got you covered.

Join AIA Cleveland’s End-of-Year Procrastinators CEU Education Blitz on Tuesday, December 9, from 12–3pm. A rapid-fire, three-hour session designed to help you wrap up the year and your credits in one efficient afternoon.

Earn AIA-approved HSW credits while learning from industry experts on:

• Detailing Air Barrier 

• Smoke Containment Strategies for Elevators Hoistways & Lobbies

• Eliminating Concrete Moisture through Sustainable Design

Join us and head into the new year with your requirements done — no stress, no scrambling.

Procrastinators welcome. Productivity guaranteed.

Architecture, design, and construction have long been built on strong foundations—tradition, hierarchy, and time-tested workflows. But a new generation is stepping in with fresh eyes and bold ideas. Gen Z and Millennials are asking different questions: What does meaningful work look like? How can we design with purpose? Where do equity, sustainability, and technology fit into the blueprint?

In this Designalogues session, we’ll be joined by members of the Young Architects Forum (YAF)—Alex Oetzel, Seth Duke, and Abby Benjamin—to hear how emerging professionals are reshaping the industry—from the companies they want to work for, to the projects they want to build. Together, we’ll reflect on how these evolving values differ from the legacy systems many of us were trained in and discuss how we can evolve as a profession to create spaces—and workplaces—that reflect the future we all want to build.