Experience Design, Innovation, and Celebration at the 2026 AIA Central Pennsylvania Conference

Mark your calendar for Thursday, September 24, and join colleagues from across the region for the 2026 AIA Central Pennsylvania Conference, Expo & Design Awards in Hershey, Pennsylvania. This annual event brings together outstanding continuing education, inspiring architecture, the latest building products, and a celebration of design excellence—all in one memorable evening.

The day begins with two exceptional architectural tours, each offering unique insights into thoughtful design and innovation.

2:00 – 3:15 PM | 1.5 AIA LU|HSW

JST Corporation Commercial Facility – Harrisburg

Go behind the scenes of one of Central Pennsylvania’s most remarkable mass timber buildings. Completed in 2021, the 52,000-square-foot JST Corporation headquarters features a dramatic branching form, soaring 30-foot roof, and nearly 5,000 precision-crafted timber components. Learn how the collaborative design team blended innovative engineering, sustainable design strategies, and advanced manufacturing to create a workplace that harmonizes with its wooded surroundings.

3:45 – 5:00 PM | 1.5 AIA LU

Hershey Gardens Addition & Historic Hotel Hershey Tour

Join architect David McNally for an exclusive look at the design of the Hershey Gardens addition and discover how contemporary architecture complements one of Pennsylvania’s most treasured public gardens. The tour continues at the iconic Hotel Hershey, where you’ll explore the rich history, Mediterranean-inspired architecture, and enduring craftsmanship behind Milton Hershey’s celebrated 1933 landmark.

Following the tours, the happy hour begins at The Englewood in Hummelstown, where the evening is filled with opportunities to learn, connect, and celebrate.

Evening Schedule

5:00 – 6:45 PM | Happy Hour & Expo

6:45 – 7:30 PM | Keynote Presentation

7:30 – 9:00 PM | Design Awards & Special Awards Reveal

Reconnect with peers, explore the latest products and technologies from leading industry exhibitors, gain fresh inspiration from the keynote presentation, and help celebrate the outstanding projects and individuals shaping architecture throughout Central Pennsylvania.

Register today and be part of an evening dedicated to innovation, collaboration, and architectural excellence.

A special thank you to all of our exhibitors and sponsors for helping make this event possible.

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Connections Under Construction

Build Connections That Build Careers

Great architecture is built on collaboration and so are great careers.

Whether you’re just beginning your architectural journey, leading project teams, or guiding the next generation of professionals, Connections Under Construction is designed to bring the AIA Central Pennsylvania community together in meaningful ways.

This monthly networking and professional development series offers something for everyone. By alternating between relaxed in-person happy hours and interactive virtual Lunch & Learn sessions, the program creates opportunities to exchange ideas, expand your professional network, and strengthen the relationships that make our architectural community thrive.

More Than Networking

The most valuable career opportunities often begin with a conversation. Connections Under Construction provides an environment where architects, designers, firm leaders, and emerging professionals can share experiences, discuss challenges, celebrate successes, and learn from one another.

For emerging professionals, it’s an opportunity to build relationships, gain career advice, and connect with potential mentors. For seasoned practitioners, it’s a chance to give back, share knowledge, discover fresh perspectives, and help shape the future of the profession.

No matter where you are in your career, every conversation has the potential to spark a new idea, inspire a solution, or create a lasting professional connection.

Two Ways to Connect

In-Person Happy Hours | Meet colleagues from firms across Central Pennsylvania in a relaxed setting designed for conversation and collaboration. Enjoy refreshments, participate in fun networking activities, and make connections that extend beyond the office.

Virtual Lunch & Learn Sessions | Join engaging discussions on topics that matter to today’s architects from leadership, licensure, and advocacy to practice management, emerging technologies, and industry trends. Hear from experienced professionals, ask questions, and leave with practical ideas you can apply immediately.

Stronger Together

Architecture is a profession built on relationships. By investing in one another, we create stronger firms, stronger leaders, and a stronger design community.

Whether you’re looking to grow your network, find a mentor, share your expertise, or simply reconnect with colleagues, Connections Under Construction is your opportunity to engage with the people shaping architecture across Central Pennsylvania.

Join us this year and discover how one conversation can lead to your next opportunity.

Register today and attend one event or experience the entire series!

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Advocacy in Action: Why Your Voice Matters

Architects shape the places where people live, work, learn, and gather. Every project we design improves the health, safety, and welfare of our communities. Yet some of the most important work we do happens beyond the drafting table—by building relationships with the lawmakers who shape the policies affecting our profession and the built environment.

That’s why AIA Pennsylvania District Days is one of the most important advocacy initiatives of the year.

Held each August, District Days is AIA Pennsylvania’s annual grassroots advocacy event that connects architects with their state legislators. These meetings are an opportunity to establish architects as trusted resources for addressing the challenges facing communities across the Commonwealth while highlighting the expertise our profession brings to housing, education, healthcare, infrastructure, economic development, and resilient communities.

The primary goal isn’t simply to discuss legislation—it’s to build lasting relationships. When legislators know the architects in their districts and understand the value they bring, they are more likely to seek our perspective when issues affecting the built environment arise. Those relationships strengthen AIA Pennsylvania’s ability to advocate effectively throughout the legislative session and ensure architects have a voice in decisions that impact our profession and the people we serve.

Getting Involved Is Easier Than You Think – Start here!

Every Voice Makes a Difference

Not everyone can attend District Days and that’s okay. There is another meaningful way to strengthen the profession.

The Pennsylvania Architects Political Action Committee (ArchPAC) helps ensure architects have a seat at the table when important legislative decisions are being made. ArchPAC supports the relationship-building efforts that allow AIA Pennsylvania to engage with policymakers and advocate for issues that matter to architects and the communities they serve.

A contribution to ArchPAC in any amount helps amplify the voice of the profession. Every donation demonstrates that architects are engaged and committed to shaping policies that create stronger, healthier, and more resilient communities. Together, those contributions help ensure that the architectural perspective is represented when decisions are made about the future of Pennsylvania’s built environment.

Currently, fewer than 2% of AIA Pennsylvania members have contributed to ArchPAC this year, while similar professional associations average approximately 20% member participation. Our goal is to reach 10% participation, and every contribution large or small brings us one step closer.

Together, We Shape More Than Buildings

Advocacy isn’t about politics—it’s about leadership. It is about ensuring that architects are recognized as trusted advisors, problem-solvers, and champions for the health, safety, and welfare of the public.

Whether you participate in District Days, host a legislator at your firm, or make a contribution to ArchPAC, your involvement strengthens the voice of architects across Pennsylvania. Together, we can build meaningful relationships, influence thoughtful policy, and help shape a stronger future for our profession and the communities we proudly serve.

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Member Projects & Articles

Regenerative Design: Moving Beyond Sustainability | by: 7 group

As the architectural profession continues to explore regenerative design, the conversation is shifting from simply reducing environmental impact to creating buildings and communities that actively restore and strengthen the natural and built environment.

To help architects navigate this evolving approach, SevenGroup has published two insightful articles that explore both the principles and the practical application of regenerative design.

The first article introduces the concept of regenerative design and explains why it represents an important evolution in sustainable practice. The second takes a deeper dive into the Seven First Principles of Regeneration, providing a thoughtful framework for understanding the developmental processes that can guide more resilient, adaptive, and thriving projects.

Whether you’re beginning to explore regenerative design or looking to expand your knowledge, these articles offer valuable perspectives on one of the profession’s most important emerging topics.

Explore the articles and discover how regenerative thinking can help shape the future of architecture.

 

Implementing Smart Facilities for Sustainable Growth | by: Tony Warner, Phase Shift Consulting

Over the past several years, “smart buildings” have become an almost unavoidable topic across planning conversations in nearly every sector. The promise is attractive: systems that optimize energy use, simplify operations, and give teams better visibility into how facilities actually perform. In the best cases, smart technology does exactly that. However, in too many cases, it quietly becomes another layer of complexity that staff must manage long after the design team has moved on.
Just because we could connect everything does not mean we should.

The problem is rarely the technology itself. More often, it is how and when smart strategies are introduced into a project.  Too often, smart systems are scoped as a collection of features rather than as an operational framework. The result can be a highly integrated technical environment that looks impressive on paper but proves difficult to sustain in practice. Increased downtime, blurred lines of responsibility between trades and vendors, and a gradual erosion of staff confidence are common when systems are designed without sufficient regard for who will ultimately operate them.  The most successful smart facilities take a different approach one rooted in pragmatism. Smart environments must fit within the organization, not the other way around. Staffing levels, internal expertise, cybersecurity and compliance constraints, tolerance for change, and long-term funding realities all place real limits on what “smart” can and should mean for a given building.

There is a small subset of facilities with the scale and resources to support deeply integrated, highly sophisticated technical ecosystems. For most organizations, however, long-term success comes from restraint rather than ambition. Sustainable smart systems are those that emphasize reliability, clarity of purpose, and genuine operational relief.

Timing plays a critical role here. When smart strategies are layered onto a project late in design, they tend to be shaped by what is technically possible rather than what is operationally appropriate. Engaging an experienced technology advisor earlier during programming and schematic design allows smart goals to be right-sized before key architectural, infrastructure, and procurement decisions are locked in.

Early engagement changes the conversation. Instead of asking how many systems can be integrated, the focus shifts to which integrations will actually matter. Instead of pursuing dashboards because they exist, teams evaluate whether the underlying data will be trusted and acted upon. Instead of optimizing every subsystem, designers can identify the few points of connection that deliver disproportionate value over time.

In practice, this often leads to simpler but more effective outcomes. Automated scheduling for HVAC and lighting reduces after-hours calls and energy waste. Remote monitoring and alerting replace routine manual checks, rather than adding to them. Clear system boundaries reduce finger pointing when issues arise. Reliability, not sophistication, becomes the benchmark of success.

Smart technology should reduce friction, not introduce new forms of it. When thoughtfully designed, these systems support staff, extend the useful life of building infrastructure, and allow organizations to focus limited resources on mission and core business rather than maintenance.
The goal is not to build the smartest facility possible. The goal is to build one that works consistently, sustainably, and long after the project team has moved on.

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Membership Notes

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Upcoming Events

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