WE THE PEOPLE
We the People implies the essential role of the architect in society. The AIA 2008 National Convention is an opportunity to redirect the public and professional identity and brand of the American Institute of Architects. We have promulgated a brand for the AIA that emphasizes the essential nature of the profession to the health, safety, and welfare of society. We have done this by emphasizing the iconic projects and special personalities that capture people's imagination and become the symbols of their communities. Our identity, i.e., how we are perceived as a profession by the average citizen, is not as connected and essential as we would hope, however. We are often perceived to be outside the resolution of critical issues rather than essential to their solution. The premise of this theme is to demonstrate our inseparable position within the most pressing issues of our time.
The power of architecture on behalf of all people underlies every aspect of the convention. The program inspires responses on many scales of interest, from the role of the architect in the world as a shaper of policy to the voice of people who might otherwise not be represented. It is a program that makes allowances for new building types, materials, and methods, as well as the interaction of what we build with the natural cycle of our planet.
Case studies and new methods, technologies, and processes involving sustainability, international perspectives, and social responsibility evolve around the subthemes:
Where We Live. Examine case studies of the work of architects addressing issues related to home and housing.
Where We Work. Explore the radical transformation taking place in the workplace, not only from the perspective of place and furniture but also location and proximity to home.
Our Place in the World. Discover alternate roles for the architect through national and world leaders who know what is expected and what is demanded of those who wish to lead.
How We Come Together. Investigate new forms of communications as we look at how we reinforce and build upon traditional environments.
Our Place on the Land. Explore restorative and regenerative approaches to high performance buildings as one of the many opportunities for architects to embrace as a continuing challenge for the profession into the future.
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