What My AIA Membership Means to Me

During an online event several months ago, the moderator led attendees through a unique ice breaker exercise. He asked all of us to select something from or near our desk and tell a story about that object, but his key request was that the item be fun. I later pondered what I would have selected – and the story I could have told – if he instead had suggested we choose something less humorous / more significant. The most valued item around my desk would not be my laptop, or the Aalto vase; it is my AIA membership certificate. The certificate (given my ‘AIA junkie’ status) reminds me of what my AIA membership means to me and to the colleagues I have tried to support and serve.

This certificate reminds us of our shared heritage. In 1857, thirteen men gathered in New York to form the American Institute of Architects. These visionaries had a dream of what the profession of architecture could become if there was a body to promote the profession, to advance the standards of practice, to coordinate the building industry, to ensure people’s living standards, and to increasingly serve society. These original objects of the AIA were written over 160 years ago, but they are still as relevant today as they were when the pen first formed the words.

This certificate offers a wealth of unified vision. I had nothing to do with it, but I was extremely proud when the AIA released the 2021-2025 Strategic Plan. That plan set forth two bold goals for our professional society: committing to climate action and standing for social justice. Further, it urged that all our work be founded upon these two crucial global issues. Four years later, political rhetoric could have compelled us to move away from these ideals, but the AIA (especially the many state and local components with which I work) have stayed true to these tenets.

This certificate brings a promise for the future. The AIA is currently moving through another strategic planning process to craft the 2026-2030 document. I joined one of the recent preparatory interviews to share my personal vision for our collective future, and I think the moderator was surprised by my passion to ‘remember the member!’ I emphasized that with the former plan, our purpose had expanded from two core areas of concentration to three. Beyond serving the members and advancing the profession, we have a massive-but-equal third focus: elevating societal well-being.

I eagerly anticipate the publication of the new Strategic Plan and hope we’ll see the level of vision exhibited by our founders as well as the show of courage embodied in the current plan!