Do you often eat lunch at your desk or run out just to grab a lunch to bring back to the office so that you can rush back to work? Or do you skip lunch altogether because you are on a deadline and just don’t have the time to stop for a break?

On Thursday, May 2, the AIA Northern Virginia Chapter’s Women in Architecture (WIA) Committee held its second pop-up lunch of the year. It provided a great opportunity for those who attended to purposefully take a break during lunch to get together and meet others who work nearby. The lunches were held at various locations throughout our area and hosted by WIA volunteers.

Though the weather was on the warm side, it was a wonderful day to eat outdoors in the shade. In Washington, D.C., the gathering took place in the courtyard next to Chaia in Georgetown while a second group met at Northside Social in Clarendon. A third group dined at Sweetwater Tavern in Merrifield. The event was attended by 17 people, with the largest group in Arlington. All enjoyed the varied conversations about travel, vacations, hobbies, families, current projects, and office activities.

Many thanks to the hosts, Rebecca Meyer, Gina Robinson, and Charlotte Thoren, and to all those who decided to leave their desks to join the lunch gatherings. If you missed this event and did not get to attend, keep an eye out for future pop-up lunches and other networking events. We would love to see you there.

– Sunny Carroll, Assoc. AIA, 2024 WIA Committee Co-Chair