Community impact

Designing a better world starts at home, in our communities. Explore the lasting impact AIA24 will have on Washington, D.C. neighborhoods, businesses, and communities.

Bringing value to the D.C. community & beyond

Every year, the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design travels to a new city for the AEC industry’s premier event. It’s more than just a conference—it’s an event that’s designed to give back to the community in a variety of ways—one of AIA’s values and the core of everything we do.

We’re using this event as a catalyst for community impact, providing a platform for 15,000+ attendees to contribute to community growth and innovation locally and globally.

$18M estimated economic impact

With an influx of 15,000+ conference attendees, AIA24 is set to provide a significant economic impact to the Washington, D.C. community. Attendees travel from all over the U.S. and 50+ countries to stay in and explore the D.C. area—providing an estimated $18 million boost to the travel, hotel, tourism, and restaurant sectors.

While the Walter E. Washington Convention Center serves as the event hub, AIA24 sends attendees throughout the city to explore the local community and neighborhoods through tours, parties, open studios, and other events. Attendees stay at hotels (17,500+ rooms throughout the capital), patronize local establishments, dine in restaurants, visit cultural landmarks, and enjoy everything the city has to offer, which helps keep businesses open and staff employed—supporting an estimated 6,115 local D.C. jobs.

Tours that give back

The AIA24 program includes dozens of tours of iconic local architecture, showcasing a project’s place and contribution to community. New this year, several tours include the opportunity to give back.

Communities by Design (CxD) tours

Two guided tours, including one exclusively for students, explore Washington, D.C. neighborhoods at the heart of the city’s development conflicts and the community projects reshaping those areas. On-site conversations with citizens and project stakeholders will provide insights on policies and lessons learned using the ‘CxD’ process that attendees can bring back to their own communities and use as citizen architects.

D.C. Central Kitchen tours

How can space amplify a nonprofit’s mission? Tour the new headquarters of D.C. Central Kitchen and take advantage of a built-in opportunity to participate in service projects.

AIA will also partner with D.C. Central Kitchen on catering opportunities; the proceeds from which will support their work to fight hunger in D.C.

AIA Global Campus tour

This behind-the-scenes hard hat tour looks at how the campus renewal project will inform progress toward a zero-carbon, equitable, resilient, and healthy built environment and provide a space of gathering and learning for the community around it.

AIA Global Campus for Architecture & Design

Creating opportunities for students & emerging professionals

Supporting architecture’s next generation starts at home. AIA is proud to offer these new opportunities at AIA24.

Inspire: Camp AIA: Local 5th grade students will partner with local architects on a series of fun problem-solving activities and then take a walking tour of AIA|DC’s Penn Quarter neighborhood.

Empowered By Design High School Charette: Local high school students will join architects to sharpen their problem-solving and collaboration skills while working through a design challenge, followed by a tour of the AIA24 Expo.

Diversity Advancement Scholarship: AIA and the Architects Foundation will bring five undergraduate Diversity Advancement Scholars to AIA24 to learn from and network with other AEC professionals.

AIA24 Emerging Professional Grant: AIA is offering multiple scholarships to emerging professionals to attend AIA24 and have a career-changing experience.

Donate for local impact

SocialOffset: For attendees who want to donate for change, AIA has partnered with SocialOffset, a platform for taking meaningful action to support local organizations like Green America, Pathways to Housing DC, and the Potomac Conservancy that make a positive difference in people’s lives and the local community.

Architects Foundation: As the official philanthropic partner of AIA, the Architects Foundation inspires and invests in the D.C. community year-round. Your donations support scholarships for the next generation of diverse designers and programs like CxD that empower architects and community members to solve problems and transform lives through the power of design.

Education: Learn here, apply everywhere

We’ve intentionally designed a rich program packed with seminars, workshops, tours, tracks, and expo credit sessions so attendees can learn, network, and exchange ideas they can take back to their home communities—whether that’s the metro D.C. area or beyond—and apply it to their work.

Looking for inspiration? Here are a few examples, or check out the full schedule: