The District Architecture Center is pleased to host ABroad Perspective, an exhibition of student design projects from The Catholic University of America School of Architecture and Planning’s Foreign Studies Program, directed by Associate Professor Lavinia Fici Pasquina.

The exhibition features thought-provoking architectural ideas from Rome, Italy, Valletta, Malta, and Pantelleria, Sicily and is organized under five themes: Bridging Habitats; Climbing to Sustained Wellness; Rome: Then and Now—Between Fiction and Reality; Winergy—Envisioning a New Wine Museum in Pantelleria; and Portrayed Architecture: A Portrait Gallery in Malta.

With these projects, students were introduced to concepts of sustainability, equity, and vernacular building materials and techniques, and they were challenged to incorporate the historical lessons of the past and the foreign country’s cultural diversity into a contemporary architectural intervention.

Lavinia Fici Pasquina

“The students come back with a changed perspective as they learn to embrace different cultures and are exposed to social issues,” explains Fici Pasquinia. Additionally, “I have greatly enjoyed the opportunity to expose students to different cultures, especially in Europe, which has such a deep history in architecture. I then focus on teaching them how to incorporate the lessons of the past into contemporary architecture. Moreover, I have witnessed the transformational effects that foreign studies have on the personal, professional, and spiritual growth of our students.”

An Italian architect, Lavinia has taught and directed design studios abroad throughout her professional career. She has been able to leverage her Italian citizenship, profession, and connections to provide an enriched experience for both undergraduate and graduate students.

Acknowledgements

ABroad Perspective is organized by Lavinia Fici Pasquina, Associate Professor at The Catholic University of America School of Architecture and Planning in cooperation with the District Architecture Center for the SIGAL Gallery.

The exhibition is made possible by The Catholic University of America School of Architecture and Planning.

Organizer: Lavinia Fici Paquina

Digital Consultant: Hussam Elkhrazz

Woodshop Curator: Lorenzo Cardim De Almeida

Exhibit Collaborator: Four Hewes

Student Exhibit Collaborators: Cameron Hennessey and Camila Rodriguez

Influenced by American Realism and mid-century modern graphic design, artist Jack Hornady fuses two timeless subjects in his colorful paintings: architecture and automobiles.

Hornady, a Connecticut native living in Maryland, is drawn to the past—memories from his childhood in the early 1970’s, when minimalist roadside buildings still dotted the landscape and cruiser cars ruled the open roadways. For onlookers and collectors alike, who share a connection to this era, Hornady’s paintings will lead you down memory lane.

Step back in time with 21 dreamy scenes on view in Jack Hornady: Road Trip. Reminisce about this bygone era with vintage roadside diners, retro motels, mid-century office buildings, and obscure strip malls. Imagine road trips in a 1963 Pontiac Catalina, 1956 Ford Fairlane, and other classic cars.

Selected Images

_Images:

_{Bowling League, Acrylic on Canvas, 24 in. x 24 in. (left)}

_{Candy Apple Red Cadillac, Acrylic on Canvas, 24 in. x 24 in. (middle)}

_{Department Store, Acrylic on Canvas, 24 in. x 24 in. (right)}

_{Courtesy of Jack Hornady}

About the Artist

Jack Hornady is an illustrator, painter, and educator originally from Connecticut. He teaches graphic design at American University and has worked with local youth to encourage their creativity. His artwork, featured nationally in group exhibitions, can be found in corporate and private collections across the U.S. Hornady earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design.

Acknowledgements

Jack Hornady: Road Trip is organized by AIA|DC in cooperation with Jack Hornady for the Suman Sorg Gallery. The exhibition is made possible with generous support from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Additional support provided by Sustaining Firm Affiliate Members.

Executive Director: Mary Fitch, AICP, Hon. AIA

Director of Exhibitions and Public Programs: Scott Clowney, Assoc. AIA

Art Handler: Hank Griffith

Print Production: BluEdge

Before the opening of the famous Paris Exposition in 1925 that solidified Art Deco, the roots of the style were already planted in the United States by French designer Edgard Sforzina. In his short but prolific career in America, Sforzina worked on several notable projects, including interior design and furniture for George Gershwins’s Riverside Drive apartment and the Cincinnati Union Terminal.

This exhibition shares just a few of the hundreds of designs that Sforzina created during his nearly 20-year career in the United States. From the material presently known, he was exceptionally talented and multi-faceted. Sforzina was an artist, artisan, industrial designer, interior designer, and architect.

In early 2019, Northern Virginia resident Denise Allen approached the Art Deco Society of Washington with an inquiry about an extensive collection of drawings, photographs, prototypes, and professional records in her possession: the work of her grandfather, Edgard Sforzina. Since then, Denise, along with Art Deco Society Board Member Jim Linz and professional curator Deborah Sorensen have sorted, catalogued, scanned, and photographed more than 500 items in the collection.

We hope this exhibition will serve as a catalyst to encourage others to do further research to help us better understand the full extent of Sforzina’s story and his contributions to Art Deco design.

About Edgard Sforzina

Edgard Sforzina was educated at the Ecole Nationale des Art Decoratifs in Paris. During the first half of his career, he worked for some highly regarded Parisian interior design firms and furniture manufacturers before entering the service in World War I. After the war, Lucien Alavoine & Company hired him as a designer. Three years later the Company sent Sforzina to work in their New York office.

Sforzina formally immigrated to the United States soon after, settling with his family in New York. He was active in the U.S. for two decades, working independently and in partnership with others. He was also employed by the architecture firm, Fellheimer & Wagner, the principal architects of the Cincinnati Union Terminal. Sforzina died at the age of 60 after a brief illness in early 1941.

About the Art Deco Society of Washington

The Art Deco Society of Washington is a non-profit organization incorporated to foster awareness, preservation, and appreciation of the Art Deco period in the Washington, DC area.

Acknowledgements

Sforzina: Designs for a Modern America, 1924–1941 is organized by the Art Deco Society of Washington in cooperation with AIA|DC for the Suman Sorg Gallery.

Credits

Denise Allen, granddaughter of Edgard Sforzina

Jim Linz, The Art Deco Society of Washington

Deborah Sorensen, Curator

Jennifer Byrne, Live/Create/Play

Sponsors

The Art Deco Society of Washington

David M. Schwarz Architects

Karen Burditt & Steve Knight

Linda & Jonathan Lyons

Rubylane Antiques

Wineries, breweries, and distilleries appeal to the senses by attracting patrons through storytelling and placemaking. In Happy Hour Architecture, we feature distinctive and award-winning projects—in and around our nation’s capital—whose design ingredients entice drink enthusiasts to raise a glass in style.

Featured Wineries

• District Winery by HapstakDemetriou+ with Gensler
• Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard by Cunningham | Quill Architects
• Boxwood Estate Winery by Jacobsen Architecture, LLC
• RdV Vineyards by Neumann Lewis Buchanan Architects

Featured Breweries

• Bluejacket by Grizform Design Architects
• Right Proper Brewing Co., Shaw Brewpub & Kitchen by StudioMB
• Guinness Open Gate Brewery & Barrel House by Orbit Design Studio & Design Collective
• Starr Hill Biergarten at The Perch, Capital One Center by Parker Rodriquez with Fine Landscapes & HGA Architects

Featured Distilleries

• District Distilling Co. by Grizform Design Architects
• Tiki TNT & Potomac Distilling Company by StudioMB
• Republic Restoratives Distillery by Mapos with Studio 3887
• George Washington’s Distillery at Mount Vernon by Quinn Evans

Exhibition Credits
Happy Hour Architecture is organized by AIA|DC for the SIGAL Gallery. The exhibition is made possible with generous support from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Additional support provided by Sustaining Firm Affiliate Members.

Coordinating Team

Executive Director: Mary Fitch, AICP, Hon. AIA

Director of Exhibitions and Public Programs: Scott Clowney, Assoc. AIA

Proofreading: Katie Spencer

Installation Support: Petra Debelack

Advertising/Publicity: Lily Oberst and Del’arnie Saintal

Print Production 
BluEdge

Special Thanks

Simon Jacobsen, Bill Young, David Neumann, and Ralph Cunningham; Victoria Wetmore, Torchai Opassatavorn, Adam McGraw, and Rachel Rittler; Kathryn Slattery AIA LEED AP, David Bagnoli, and Colin Brice

Additional Thanks

Stone Tower Winery and Bluejacket

The District of Columbia and surrounding region is a bubble of curiosities. With this juried photography exhibition, we asked professional, non-professional, and student photographers to rediscover the city’s past and present with an inquisitive eye, seeking out the majestic, surprising, and unfamiliar for their submissions. We encouraged them to stimulate the imagination and paint pictures on the wonders of architecture in the National Capital Region.

Of the 93 submissions, juror Austin Graff selected 21 photographs for exhibition, judging them without knowing any information about the photographers. Graff also identified Best in Show, Runner Up, and Honorable Mention photographs. These are indicated in the exhibition and will be featured in the fall edition of ArchitectureDC, AIA|DC’s quarterly magazine.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the contest and congrats to the photographers featured in the show: Perla Antoniak; Mila Baler; Douglas Davies; Kendall Dorman; Laura Fleischer; Jeremy Limerick; Kayla Mahood; Mark Edward Mentzer; Donna Merz; David Metzger, FAIA, FCSI; Roland Michelman; Frank Mobilio, AIA, LEED AP BD+C; Manuel Javier Sanchez; Kenneth M. Wyner; Marwane Zouaidi

Juror

Austin Graff is a social media consultant, writer, travel guide and founder of Curiosity & Connection, a consultancy based in Washington, DC. Graff is currently a contributing writer with The Washington Post, the Post’s By The Way local guide to Washington, D.C., and one of the co-leaders of IGDC, the city’s first Instagram community. Previously, Austin led social media and influencer marketing for International Justice Mission, the world’s largest anti-trafficking organization, and Honest Tea, America’s #1 organic iced tea company. After growing up in Tatarstan and Germany, Austin proudly lives in Southeast DC with his wife, daughter, and housemate.

Exhibition Credits

Capital Curiosities is organized by AIA|DC for the Suman Sorg Gallery.

Executive Director Mary Fitch, AICP, Hon. AIA

Director of Exhibitions and Public Programs Scott Clowney, Assoc. AIA

Art Handler Hank Griffith

Supported by Sustaining Firm Affiliate Members

Print Production BluEdge

Building collapses are rare but can happen for a host of reasons: earthquakes, extreme weather, human error, or a combination of factors. Fortunately, the lessons we learn from building failures make us all safer. These lessons often lead to refinements in construction codes and maintenance protocols, and can even bring about critical retrofits of existing buildings.

We have chosen eight well documented structural failure case studies, highlighting how building safety has been improved in their wake. The exhibition concludes with some speculation as to what we may learn from the recent collapse of a condominium building in Surfside, Florida, in 2021.

The exhibition features some of our nation’s most catastrophic structural disasters—from the South Fork Dam and Tacoma Narrows Bridge to the Northridge Meadows Apartments and the World Trade Center. Each catastrophic collapse offers a story with lessons learned that improved the way we design buildings today.

1889……… South Fork Dam / Johnstown, PA
1922……… Knickerbocker Theatre / Washington, DC
1940……… Tacoma Narrows Bridge / Tacoma, WA
1981……… Hyatt Regency Hotel / Kansas City, MO
1994……… Northridge Meadows Apartments / Los Angeles, CA
2001……… World Trade Center / New York, NY
2005……… New Orleans Levees/Floodwalls / New Orleans, LA
2021……… Champlain Towers South / Surfside, FL
2021……… Western Kentucky Tornado

Acknowledgements

Catastrophic Collapse: Lessons Learned, After the Fall is organized by AIA|DC for the SIGAL Gallery.

Sponsored by:
National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB)
District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA)

Supported by:
Sustaining Firm Affiliate Members

Curatorial Team:
Mary Fitch, AICP, Hon. AIA / Executive Director, AIA|DC (script writing)
Scott Clowney, Assoc. AIA / Director of Exhibitions and Public Programs, AIA|DC (script writing; proofreading; image collection)
G. Martin Moeller, Jr., Assoc. AIA, Independent Curator (interpretive consultation; editing)
Rupa M. Patel, P.E., LEED AP BD+C / Senior Associate, Thornton Tomasetti (research assistance)
Dara Naderi, PE / Associate, Thornton Tomasetti (research assistance)

Exhibition & Graphic Design:
Rina Alfonso, RGD / Founder & Creative Director, Studio Aorta
Danielle Coates, RGD / Senior Design Associate, Studio Aorta
Arianno Ho / Studio Assistant | Design Associate, Studio Aorta

Print Production:
Print Exhibit Partners, LLC

Special Thanks to these Image Contributors:
California State University Northridge; Dave Eames, Illustrator/Graphic Designer; District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs; Fine Homebuilding magazine; Johnstown Flood Museum Archives, Johnstown Area Heritage Association; New School of Architecture and Design; Perkins Eastman DC; University of Washington Libraries

Health and Safety Guidelines*

Please note the following COVID-19 safety measures:

• Proof of vaccination is not required
• Masks are not required
• Social distancing is encouraged during your visit
• Stay home if you are sick, suspect exposure to or have COVID-19

By visiting the District Architecture Center, you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19, acknowledge that such matters are beyond the control of AIA|DC and the Washington Architectural Foundation, and agree to abide by our health and safety guidelines.

*subject to change pending updated guidance

The District Architecture Center is proud to present its first in-person exhibition since early 2020. Join us in celebration of reopening to the public.

Since our nation’s first chief executive, the birthplaces, childhood homes, and private residences of U.S. presidents have fascinated American society. These dwellings—modest cottages and farmhouses to fashionable townhomes and mansions—illustrate over 230 years of American architecture. From George Washington to Joseph R. Biden Jr., this exhibition highlights some of the familiar and surprising landmark houses they called home.

Acknowledgements

Presidential Houses is organized by AIA|DC for the SIGAL Gallery.

District Architecture Center Team:
Mary Fitch, AICP, Hon. AIA, Executive Director
Sinclaire Erdwien, Deputy Director
Scott Clowney, Assoc. AIA, Director of Exhibitions and Public Programs

Exhibition Support:
Design made possible by ArchiCAD19, courtesy of Graphisoft
Printing provided by BluEdge
Exhibitions supported, in part, by our Sustaining Firm Affiliate Members

Health and Safety Guidelines*

The safety and wellbeing of our visitors and staff is important to us. Please note the following COVID-19 safety measures:

• Schedule visits in advance to reduce visitor capacity
• Proof of vaccination is required to enter the Center; bring your vaccination card with you to show at the door
• Masks must be worn for the entirety of the visit; gaiter-style masks and masks with exhalation valves are not permitted
• Practice social distancing while visiting
• Stay home and reschedule visits if feeling unwell, have tested positive to COVID-19, or suspect exposure to COVID-19 within the last 14 days

By visiting the District Architecture Center, you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19, acknowledge that such matters are beyond the control of AIA|DC and the Washington Architectural Foundation, and agree to abide by our health and safety guidelines.

_{*subject to change pending updated guidance}

Visit the National Building Museum to see this year's CANstruction sculptures! The theme is Children's Books and each structure will highlight a different book. 

The display is in the main hall of the museum. See the NBM website for visiting hours. 

Canstruction is a nationwide program that aims to raise awareness about hunger. In DC, Canstruction is organized by the Washington Architectural Foundation as a creative design-build competition that benefits the Capital Area Food Bank through donations of canned goods. Teams from architecture and design firms from Washington, DC use their skills to build sculptures out of cans of food. The nutritious shelf-stable food is donated to the CAFB for distribution to those in need after the event.

Questions? Contact Sinclaire Erdwien at serdwien@aiadc.com.

This program is supported by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

For the past 14 years, the Structural Engineers Association of Metropolitan Washington (SEA-MW) has hosted a premier gala-style dinner event to celebrate the structural engineering profession, through recognizing outstanding achievements by local firms and individuals.  This year, we are making our awards event open to the public through our professionally curated Awards Exhibition.  The Exhibition will showcase some of the best work performed by Washington DC-area structural engineers in recent years.  

To qualify for the Exhibition, firms throughout the region have submitted projects to our panel of nine judges, who are independent, out-of-market professionals in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction industry.  Our judges have selected up two project finalists in each category, and these projects are exhibited throughout the week on professionally and thoughtfully designed displays.  At the end of the Exhibition, each of the project finalists will be awarded either the Outstanding Achievement Award (1st place) or the Merit Award (2nd place).

We hope you will join us to celebrate and admire the great work performed by our local structural engineering community!

Visit the exhibition in person at the District Architecture Center June 19-25. No reservations necessary. Masks required.

Exhibition Hours:

• June 19: 12pm-4pm
• June 20: 12pm-4pm
• June 21: 4pm-7pm
• June 22: 4pm-7pm
• June 23: 4pm-7pm
• June 24: 4pm-7pm
• June 25: 4pm-7pm

About SEA-MW

The Structural Engineers Association of Metropolitan Washington (SEA-MW) is a not-for-profit professional organization dedicated to the advancement of the structural engineering profession.  Founded in 1988, the original members focused on improving the local community to enhance the business of structural engineering.  SEA-MW is currently comprised of over 70 member firms across Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

 Over the past 33 years, SEA-MW’s mission has grown to include: developing continuing education seminars for structural engineers, identifying volunteer opportunities in the local community, training second responders for natural disasters, organizing events for recent graduates, and creating forums for students to connect with potential employers.  For the past 14 years, SEA-MW’s premier event has been celebrating the structural engineering profession through recognizing outstanding achievements by structural engineering firms and individuals in the local region.