May 10, 2018

The City College of New York hosted The American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) Northeast Quad Conference in New York City earlier this year from April 5-8, welcoming 300 students to the city that never sleeps.

REACH Quad was all about showcasing the broad and diverse nature of architecture, art and culture that happens in NYC – explored through 14 unique track groups across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. REACH Quad volunteers from the AIAS CCNY chapter led each of these tracks, sharing their intimate perspectives of the city along the way.

Solomon Oh and Zara Tamton, Conference Co-Chairs, were proud of the entire AIAS CCNY chapter for rising to the occasion. “At the end of each day, we would receive so much positive feedback about all of the workshops and walking tours that the attendees experienced. There were endless possibilities on how to showcase New York’s Architectural scene and we’re happy that the perspectives we provided resonated well with everyone who came out,” said Zara.

Four distinguished Keynote speakers provided their take on the topic of ’Reach’ as it pertained to the profession and students. Speakers included Sarah Ruel-Bergeron of Archive Global, Ilya Azaroff of +LAB and expert on resiliency design strategies, Vanessa Keith of Studioteka and author of ‘2100: A Dystopian Utopia’, and Kai Uwe-Bergmann, a partner at Bjarke Ingels Group. Attendees expressed their interest in the subject matter and presented during the speaker Q&A sessions.

Attendees got their hands on REACH Quad Swag Bags packed with goodies from Architectural Record, Graphisoft, and The Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture, including magazines and annual subscriptions, hardcover books, and VR headsets.

The City College of New York Chapter was grateful to host Quad and to open their doors to such a large constituency. “It was a pleasure to have contributed to so many students’ professional outlooks. The opportunities students had to engage with firms, a new city, and most importantly each other, makes any AIAS conference an important educational experience,” said Solomon.

The Beaux Arts Ball was hosted at The Attic Rooftop, overlooking Times Square with the theme of ‘Thrift Shop Chic’ which allowed attendees to embrace eclectic styles reflective of New York City’s fashion scene.

The morning after, the Council of Presidents held a productive discussion on the future of their chapters and of the organization in general.

See more photos on the event’s Album Portal.