Anne Decker ArchitectsBethesda, MD Photographs ©  Jennifer Hughes Project Partner: Snaidero The design of this house plays with a dynamic juxtaposition of opposites: heavy and light, shiny and dull, solid and void. A weightless glass corner counters the weight of the building’s grounded stone structure. Window and door openings kiss the edges, blurring inside and out. The rhythm of windows...

AIA Northern Virginia’s Committee on the Environment (COTE) recently hosted a Dialogue Series that brought the design community together for an engaging conversation on LEED v5 and the future of sustainable design. Launched in April of 2025, LEED v5 is the latest version of the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system and serves...

This September, the AIA Northern Virginia Board of Directors traded the usual conference room for the historic streets of Old Town Alexandria, gathering for their monthly Board meeting followed by a happy hour hosted by Winstanley Architects & Planners at the firm’s centrally located office on King Street. Winstanley’s office is itself an architectural gem: a converted brick rowhouse tucked...

AIA Northern Virginia’s Canstruction® event brought together creativity, collaboration, problem-solving, and community spirit as six teams transformed an everyday building material—the humble can—into imaginative and memorable works of art, all on display at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City. More than a design competition, Canstruction® demonstrates how architecture and design can make a tangible difference in our community. Every can...

By Paul E. Knupp III, Esq. and Alixandra Minadeo, Esq.Lee/Shoemaker PLLC On April 22, 2026, the Virginia Legislature enacted several new laws that will impact design firms who employ Virginia staff. The laws impose new regulations such as limitations on the enforcement of non-compete clauses, wage transparency requirements, paid leave for a qualified family or medical event, and paid sick...

Stantec Architecture Inc.Leesburg, VA Photographs ©  Chang Kim Photography Project Partner: Terracon Nestled within Loudoun County’s recreational park, a new chapter unfolds, seamlessly weaving together the rich agricultural heritage of the region with its burgeoning metropolitan future. This project is the center point of the park’s existing network of 17 diverse sports fields at Philip A. Bolen Memorial Park. A...

If earning your architectural license is one of your goals for 2027, AIA Northern Virginia wants to help you get there. Formerly known as the AIA Northern Virginia ARE® Scholarship, our newly renamed Pathway to Licensure Program continues the same mission with a name that better reflects its purpose: supporting Northern Virginia Associate AIA members as they progress toward becoming...

The AIA Northern Virginia Young Architects Forum (YAF) hosted its fourth annual Mentor Topgolf Event, bringing together mentors, mentees, and industry partners for an evening of networking, friendly competition, and plenty of laughs. This year’s event welcomed participants from local firms including Jacobs, KGD, Allen Wright Design PLLC, and Little. As always, we invited product representatives to join the fun,...

For the fifth consecutive year, the AIA Northern Virginia Women in Architecture (WIA) Committee welcomed members, friends, and families to its annual Summer Social – an event centered on building relationships, strengthening connections, and celebrating the people who make our profession so rewarding. Held in a relaxed outdoor setting at Paradise Springs Winery in Clifton, VA, the WIA Summer Social...

By Jonathan C. Shoemaker, Esq.Lee/Shoemaker PLLC Professional liability insurance is an essential tool for architects and engineers, protecting them against claims of professional negligence or errors in design services. Historically, claims-made policies have treated multiple alleged critiques of an architect’s or engineer’s work on a project as a single claim. For example, if a client asserts ten different alleged deficiencies...