The UT chapter of the American Institute of Architecture Students will host the largest architecture student conference of the year in Nashville this winter.
Registration is now open for the AIAS Forum, which will be held December 29 through January 1. Â Registration is available online.
Architecture students from around the country will attend workshops and seminars led by professionals, lectures by world-renowned guests, and networking events that will help them better prepare for the profession. AIAS is an independent nonprofit student-run organization dedicated to providing programs, information, and resources on issues critical to architectural education. It has been in existence for six decades.
This is the first time the forum is being held in Tennessee.
“This year, AIAS Forum will put the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and the city of Nashville in the spotlight,” said Breanna Weaver, forum conference chair and former UT AIAS chapter president. “I think it’s hard for us to mask our pride and enthusiasm as we prepare to present our school and the region to the rest of the architecture community. We’re making our mark on a tradition that has spanned almost sixty years.”
The 2014 theme is Reverb, a play on the spirit of the Music City. Selection to host the forum was competitive. It required a formal bid, a vote by AIAS members; financial backing from the home university; and a presentation to the AIAS’s National Board of Directors, the Council of Presidents, and the AIAS general body at the 2012 forum.
The AIAS Forum will showcase the architectural side of Nashville and Tennessee through city walks, architecture firm visits, and museum tours. It also will feature a New Year’s Eve Beaux Arts ball.
“UT students have been working on this for over two years, so we are more than ready to get people registered and let the fun begin,” Weaver said.
The conference also will mark the tenth anniversary of AIAS’s philanthropy, Freedom by Design, which provides accessibility solutions for community members with disabilities. All projects are completely designed, planned, and constructed by AIAS members. The UT Freedom by Design chapter is one of the most widely regarded programs in the country and just completed its third major project this past spring.
More information about the AIAS Forum is available through the website or on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
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C O N T A C T:
Kiki Roeder (865-974-6713, kroeder@tennessee.edu)
Lola Alapo (865-974-3993, lola.alapo@tennessee.edu)