The 2020 Excellence in Design Awards goes virtual! Join your fellow AIA Central PA members for a night of celebrating great design on the evening of November 5th. Return here closer to the event date for a streaming link to enjoy from your home, office, or anywhere! The Conference, Expo, and Design Awards Committee is proud to share that our 2020 design awards jury is being lead by our friends at AIA Fort Lauderdale.

Register for the 2020 Excellence in Design Awards

Thank you to our Sponsors

Armstrong World Industries
Bench Dogs
Benjamin Roberts Ltd
C.H. Briggs
Conestoga Tile
C.S. Davidson, Inc.
Diversified Lighting
Dormakaba USA
Green Building Engineers
High Construction Company
Moore Engineering Company
Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects
RLPS Architects
Rulon International

Begin the evening with a keynote presentation from Gensler

Real World Perspectives: Anticipating a Changing World through Resilient Design

The challenges our world is facing and the implications they have for design have presented an opportunity for our industry to reassess the practices of the past. Moving forward, spaces will be designed to be more flexible, dynamic, and responsive. Carolyn Sponza, a design manger in Gensler’s Pittsburgh Project Office. and Chuck Rudalavage, a regional practice area leader in Gensler’s Philadelphia Office, will demonstrate how resiliency can be put into action, using three Pennsylvania projects as case studies. Join us as we explore how projects and clients across various industries are responding and adapting to a changing world.

Learning Objectives:

1. Illustrate the importance of designing spaces that are agile, resilient, and protect users’ and/or occupants’ health and safety now, and in the future.
2. Compare and contrast the approaches and solutions that reimagine the design of spaces for different clients across different industries.
3. Identify how designers and architects can employ design solutions to current projects that anticipate change, increase equitable access, and respond to stress.
4. Discover how a changing world and evolving needs demand swift action in reassessing current design practices in our industry.

Approved for 1 AIA LU | HSW

Meet the Speakers

Chuck Rudalavage, AIA, LEEP AP, Co-Regional Practice Area Leader for Higher Education, Gensler

As Gensler’s Southeast Regional Practice Area Leader for Education, Chuck Rudalavage is immersed in the design of facilities for the students of today and tomorrow. For over 20 years, Chuck has assisted clients in academic master planning, feasibility studies, student facilities programming, and the development of planning initiatives that align with the strategic goals of the institution. He strongly believes in a consensus-driven process that relies upon engagement and feedback from the campus community. An active member of the Society of College and University Planners, Chuck lectures both regionally and nationally on education facility design, with a particular focus on a design’s ability to enhance educational outcomes. He has led a number of significant education projects over the past decade, including work for Carnegie Mellon University, Dickinson College, Johns Hopkins University, Princeton University, the United States Military Academy at West Point, the University of Delaware, the University of Miami and the University of Pennsylvania. Many of these projects have garnered multiple industry awards, including AIA for design excellence, SCUP Planning and various levels of LEED certification.

Carolyn Sponza, AIA, LEED AP, Senior Associate, Design Manager, Gensler

Carolyn is planner, urban designer, and architect with great expertise in creating memorable, contextually relevant, and sustainable places. Trained in both social science and design, Carolyn has a unique background in which she approaches her work. Her past experience includes a diverse collection of planning and architectural assignments encompassing community revitalization, vibrant cultural destinations, and extensive stakeholder participation. A graduate of the London School of Economics & Political Science and the Catholic University of America, she is highly regarded for her knowledge and passion of the urban environment. She frequently speaks on issues impacting the built environment and has published a short guide entitled Conceptualizing Temporary Uses that explores pop-up design and its effect on local communities.

Register for the 2020 Excellence in Design Awards