THE AIA 2010 NATIONAL CONVENTION AND DESIGN EXPOSITION:
DESIGN AS EXPLORATION
As a new decade begins in the
21st century, architects and design
professionals continue to navigate
through a difficult economic climate;
rise to the challenges of creating livable communities; and contemplate
how the next ten years could revise the traditional ways
that they practice architecture.
An influential profession finds itself also in flux. What
brings constancy and consistency to architecture and
architects is design — and that is what we will celebrate
and explore at this year’s convention.
DESIGN AS DIVERSITY
Miami, the host city for the AIA 2010 National Convention, is known for its diverse culture and ethnicities.
As the world’s gaze expands beyond east and west and
turns increasingly toward the southern hemisphere,
Miami has become recognized as the gateway to Latin
America — a connector between north and south. In
slightly more than one hundred years, it has evolved
from a playground for the rich and famous to a cosmopolitan and internationally recognized city.
An academic once described Miami as a city built
in spurts punctuated by downturns. The city’s distinct
architectural movements reflect this. Art Deco, with its
rounded corners and eyebrow ledges, flourishes along
South Beach. Later, Miami modernist architecture coun-
tered the minimalist tendencies of modernism with
buildings steeped in eccentricity and excess. From Bis-
cayne Boulevard to the Design District, you can see mid-
century classics such as the Fontaine-
bleau Hotel or the Bacardi Building.
CONVENTION EDUCATION
No matter how memorable your convention experience is, the real value of attendance comes the following Monday — when you return to your office and apply what you have learned to your work.
From Sunrise Sessions that begin at 7 a.m. to 60@ 6
seminars that conclude by 7 p.m., continuing education
options are convenient, plentiful, and well rounded. In
2010, there will be more than 200 program offerings,
including preconvention workshops, theme presentations, and expo education. The diversity of offerings,
from business planning to marketing and business
development, from zero net energy design to building
codes, allows you to enhance your knowledge of design, practice management, and career development.
Extending the learning opportunities beyond the
convention center, AIA Miami has arranged more than
70 educational tours that explore the vibrancy of the
city’s architecture — from historic to modern.
In just four days and in a single location, you can earn
