AIA Potomac Valley

10/30/2026

AIA Potomac Valley is proud to support UMD MAPP's efforts.

10/30/2026

10/29/2026

Celebrating our AIAPV 2026 Napkin Sketch Contest Winners!

The Napkin Sketch Contest is an AIA Potomac Valley Excellence in Design Awards ceremony tradition and was part of AIAPV's Design + Leadership Awards 2026 with the generous sponsorship of Lee/Shoemaker PLLC. View all the sketching taking place in our awards photo album: https://aiapv.org/gallery.php?id=85

This year’s attendees were asked to sketch to the theme, “Reimagine the Perfect Coffee Cup for the Architect on a Deadline.”

Entries were judged blindly by AIA Potomac Valley volunteer leaders, and 1st and 2nd place winners were announced during the awards ceremony. First prize was claimed by Tom Nyein, AIA and Larry Frank, AIA took second prize.

Thanks to all who participated in the annual contest!

Congratulations to Tom and Larry!

10/29/2026

Congratulations to our 2026 Emerging Professional & Student Design Competition Winners!

Recognized at the AIAPV Leadership + Design Awards on October 22, five exceptional projects reimagined underutilized urban spaces in Maryland to better serve their communities, enhance aesthetic appeal, and promote environmental sustainability.

Projects were evaluated on the following criteria: Creativity and Innovation; Sustainability; Contextual Integration and Site Sensitivity; Feasibility; and Visualization and Communication.

EMERGING PROFESSIONAL DESIGN

DESIGN AWARD – FIRST PLACE
Project Sandbox
Project Site Princess Anne, MD
Design Team Brandon Clear, Thomas Long, Rafael Gonzalez, David Otieno
Architecture Firm Torti Gallas + Partners, Inc.

STUDENT DESIGN

DESIGN AWARD – FIRST PLACE
Project Timber Point
Project Site NE Washington, DC
Student Team Olivia Gargano and Elizabeth Romero Andrade
School University of Maryland, College Park

DESIGN AWARD – SECOND PLACE
Project TIMBER TIER
Project Site Chevy Chase, MD
Student Team Madison Sunshine and Xuan Vo
School University of Maryland, College Park

DESIGN AWARD – HONORABLE MENTION
Project Overcrowding to Opportunity: Reinventing the Portable Classroom
Project Site Silver Spring, MD
Student Evan Lehner
School University of Maryland, College Park

DESIGN AWARD – HONORABLE MENTION
Project Tectonia Botanicus
Project Site Bowie, MD
Student Peter Vawdrey
School University of Maryland, College Park

For more details, visit: https://bit.ly/2026EP-StudentDesignAwardsWinnersGallery

10/26/2026

Congratulations to our winning firms in this year's Excellence in Design Awards!

At the 2026 Design + Leadership Awards celebration on Thursday, October 22, the AIA Potomac Valley community gathered at the College Park Aviation Airport Operations Center to honor nine exceptional projects recognized in this year’s Excellence in Design Awards. AIAPV Awards Committee Chair Scott Knudson, AIA—joined by President Emily Lally, AIA, and President Elect Caitlin Smith, AIA—led the evening’s recognition of outstanding architectural achievement.

AIAPV’s Design + Leadership Awards provides the opportunity for architects and the greater design community to network with professional peers, celebrate the best work of our members and our region through the chapter's Excellence in Design Awards program, and recognize outstanding leadership.

Visit AIAPV's 2026 Design Awards Winners Gallery to view all award-winning projects: https://bit.ly/2026AIAPVDesignAwardsWinnersGallery

Congratulations to the winning firms:

Anne Decker Architects
Fowlkes Studio
GTM | Architects DC
McInturff Architects
Robert M. Gurney, FAIA, Architect
Torti Gallas + Partners
Winstanley Architects & Planners

Special Thanks to our 2026 Design + Leadership Awards Sponsors:

NAPKIN SKETCH SPONSOR
Lee/Shoemaker PLLC

DESSERT SPONSOR
American Cedar & Millwork

PATRON SPONSORS
Moody Graham
Think Make Build
WDG Architecture

10/26/2026

NVR, the parent company of Ryan Homes, NVHomes, and Heartland Homes, is seeking a Project Design Architect to join our innovative Architectural Design Team in our Frederick, MD office.

In this role, you will lead residential product development initiatives across NVR’s national footprint, partnering closely with senior leadership to shape design strategy, guide ex*****on, and ensure alignment with market demand, cost targets, operational efficiency, and regulatory requirements. This position plays a critical role in influencing NVR’s long-term product vision and delivering market-ready homes at scale.

Projects span new product series development and series refreshes, utilizing collaborative BIM workflows, CAD, and advanced 3D visualization tools to support executive decision-making, cross-functional coordination, and successful market launches.

Visit AIAPV's job board at www.aiapv.org for full job description and to apply.

View more about NVR's culture and benefits at https://www.nvrcareers.com/.

10/09/2026

🏡 SMARTER HOMES START WITH SMARTER CONNECTIONS! 🥂

Great connections. Innovative products. Smarter design.

Join AIA Potomac Valley on Thursday, October 15, at American Cedar & Millwork’s NEW North Bethesda showroom for an evening of networking, product discovery, and professional learning!

🍷 5:00 PM | HAPPY HOUR & NETWORKING

Connect with fellow architects, residential design professionals, product experts, and installers while exploring the latest products, technologies, and trends transforming residential design. Refreshments provided!

💡 6:00 PM | LEARN & EARN 1 LU|HSW

Improving Health and Safety Through Smart Home Enabled Windows & Doors

Discover how smart home technology is revolutionizing windows, doors, and skylights—bringing more natural light, fresh air, comfort, convenience, and wellness into today's homes.

Learn how collaboration with smart home integrators can help you bring these innovations into your next residential project.

✨ Come for the connections. Explore the innovations. Leave inspired!

📅 Thursday, October 15
📍 American Cedar & Millwork | North Bethesda, MD

🔗 Register today: bit.ly/smartwindows1015 

Organized by AIA Potomac Valley's Custom Residential Architecture Network (CRAN) and hosted by American Cedar & Millwork.

09/30/2026

🏠 SMARTER HOMES START WITH SMARTER CONNECTIONS - Join AIA Potomac Valley’s Custom Residential Architecture Network (CRAN) on Thursday, October 15 for an evening that combines networking, new products and technologies, and continuing education at the American Cedar & Millwork, Inc. showroom in North Bethesda.

We’ll kick things off at 5:00 PM with Happy Hour & Networking—a chance to connect with fellow architects, residential design professionals, product experts, and installers while exploring some of the latest products, technologies, and trends shaping residential design. Refreshments will be provided.

Then, at 6:00 PM, earn 1 LU|HSW with: Improving Health and Safety Through Smart Home Enabled Windows & Doors

Smart home technology is rapidly changing what’s possible in residential design. This program will explore how automation in windows, doors, and skylights can help architects bring more air, natural light, views, convenience, and wellness into the home while supporting health and safety.

We’ll also look at the value of collaborating with smart home integrators and how architects can incorporate automation more effectively into the design process.

📅 Thursday, October 15, 2026 | 5:00–7:00 PM
📍 American Cedar & Millwork Showroom
5614 Randolph Road, North Bethesda, MD
🎓 1 LU|HSW (Provider: Marvin Windows and Doors)

Come for the connections and product discovery. Stay for the ideas and education you can bring back to your next residential project.

👉 Registration & Details: https://aiapv.starchapter.com/meetinginfo.php?id=791&ts=1790360301

Organized by the AIA Potomac Valley Custom Residential Architecture Network (CRAN) and hosted by American Cedar & Millwork.

08/05/2026

We conclude our spotlight series on AIAPV’s 2025 Excellence in Design Award winners with Union on Knox designed by WDG. This mixed-use student apartment community earned LEED Gold certification and transforms a difficult site into a vibrant, student-centered community blending topography, urban context, and student life to support success, engagement, and growth. The jury recognized the project with a Merit Award.

MERIT AWARD
PROJECT Union on Knox
LOCATION College Park, Maryland
ARCHITECT WDG
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM ARCHITECURE: Bob Keane, AIA, Mickey Finn, AIA, Matt Lam, Sungjin Cho, AIA, David Osorio, Deborah McPherson, AIA INTERIORS: Manuel Lauzurique-Abiega, Keith Worley, AIA, Neha Pathare, Michael Broderick
OWNER/CLIENT Greystar / John Beinert
CONTRACTOR John Moriarty & Associates, LLC / Chris Woitowicz
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Lee and Associates, Inc. / Jeff Lee
PHOTOGRAPHER StudioHDP / Anice Hoachlander

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Union on Knox, completed in 2024, is a mixed-use student apartment community bridging the University of Maryland’s campus downtown College Park. The 359,000-SF development includes 340 apartments, 24,000 SF of retail, and a 331-space garage. Anchored by Sterling Place, a pedestrian retail corridor, the project overcomes a 20-foot grade change with a grand public stair that links campus and city. Featuring active storefronts, student-focused amenities, and LEED-Gold design, Union on Knox creates a vibrant, connected community.

JURY
“Though simple in its architecture, it is generous in its creation of an urban commons- its presence cultivating chance encounters, solidarities, and shared rhythms that make a campus alive.”

⁠ ⁠

Learn more about this project at:⁠ https://bit.ly/UnionKnox

Explore further: https://www.wdgarch.com/projects/union-on-knox

View all 2025 AIAPV Design Award Winners at: https://bit.ly/2025AIAPVDesignAwardsWinnersGallery

07/31/2026

Registration for 2026 is open!

Women’s Leadership Summit, powered by AIA, brings together the largest network of women in architecture, design, and the allied building industries. This year, the event will take place in Kansas City, MO, from November 1-3! Be part of the WLS community dedicated to advancing women’s leadership and empowerment .

Register here: https://events.aia.org/s/community
event?id=a1Y1U000002kX89