Re-imagine is a continuation of the AIAS mission to stabilize after the pandemic and encapsulates today’s essence of architecture within Milwaukee, Wisconsin. With the completion of the world’s tallest mass-timber building, the new design of the Milwaukee Public Museum which will break ground in 2023, and the city’s rich, multicultural history, Milwaukee exemplifies the way history can help the re-imagination of the future. Through firm and landmark visits, cultural experiences (and GOOD FOOD!), lectures, networking opportunities, and workshops, our UW-Milwaukee Team hopes to provide the Midwest with the resources to re-imagine their communities to improve the future!

The theme of this conference is based on the architectural and urban challenges that Arizona faces as one of the hottest states in the U.S. Confronted by 111 annual days of triple digit heat, a continuing water crisis as population booms, and a 454% increase in heat related deaths since 2014, the crisis is, in fact, here. Although it is one of the hottest locations, in the next 30 years, many other cities will be faced with the same challenges. So the “Extremes: Urban Adaptation and Innovation” conference will serve as a warning sign, a display of experimentation, and innovation in dire circumstances in the land of scorching growth.

When we leave Savannah, the topic of preservation shapes our thinking and goal of restoring the virtues of preservation and the purpose of a place. Savannah’s National Historic Landmark District is an unrivaled setting for architectural studies. The city’s extensive urban plan and diverse architecture are admired by architects and planners worldwide. Savannah and the surrounding region provide a learning environment that informs the SCAD architecture curriculum through exposure to the urban scale and contextual design and an awareness of the personal scale and relationship between the pedestrian and the city. Students live, work, and play in Savannah, one of the United States’ most extensive National Historic Landmark Districts. SCAD has restored nearly 60 historic buildings in the city, which are now filled with art, beauty, and technology for students to use as a source of insight and inspiration. Outside the university, students work on regional projects, gaining real-world experience while balancing business demands, local priorities, sustainability, and heritage value.

SP will host students at Marywood University and offer programming within downtown Scranton. This conference will explore the historic origins of Scranton born from iron, coal, and steam, to electricity and beyond. Scranton was birthplace and home to a young Jane Jacobs, a predominant architectural advocate for higher density in cities, short blocks, local economies, and mixed uses. We are excited to share this rich history of Scranton, our city, to the Northeast Quad through local firm tours, historic and cultural city tours. Additionally, we have exciting studio workshops planned to cover 3D printing, design build challenges, birditecture, and a live K-12 workshop with the students of Nativity Miguel. Finally, attendees will be invited to attend a career expo with business professionals, our annual Beaux Arts Ball, and informal Council of Presidents meeting.