Lunchtime Learning (Virtual)
2026-08-12 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago) | Zoom
Virtual Lunchtime Learning sponsored by the Committee on the Environment (COTE)

First Safe, then Circular: optimizing material health with Cradle to Cradle Certified®
If you are being asked to evaluate the material health of products and aren’t sure where to start, this session is for you! We’ll dive into the basics of material health for designers, including major classes of chemicals of concern, chemical assessments, and how designers can use certifications as they evaluate products. This presentation details the methodology and requirements for the Cradle to Cradle Certified® products program and how designers can use it to specify materials that are healthy in a project and across a supply chain. We’ll explore how Cradle to Cradle Certified®, as a fully digitized program, makes it easy for designers to find reliable material health information to deliver meaningful sustainability benefits on every project.

Speaker: Ren DeCherney, Director of Built Environment

Ren is a licensed interior designer who uses her first-hand experience of the complexities of the building industry to help designers and manufacturers translate their sustainability pledges into reality.
Prior to joining the Institute as Director of Built Environment, she worked in Portland as a designer, where she took her firm PVC-free, making them the first firm in Portland to make such a commitment. She was then the Director of Industry Transparency at Source, a digital materials platform, where she synthesized design team needs and industry trends to integrate sustainability seamlessly into the design process. This included building various user tools, growing strategic partnerships, and developing all of the sustainability filters on the platform.
She then worked at the International Living Future Institute, overseeing the Declare and Living Product Challenge programs. There she worked with both designers and manufacturers to understand the current market incentives for sustainable practices and how to implement sustainability strategy into everyday practices.

AIA Credit: 1.0 HSW
GBCI Credit: self-report

Everyday Self-Defense: Building Confidence Through Boundaries & De-escalation
2026-08-13 17:00 - 20:00 | Third Ward Jiu-Jitsu, 2016 Emancipation Ave, Houston, TX, 77003, United States
In this self-defense session, the instructor, Sarah Degar, Jiu Jitsu black belt, and architect at GSMA, will share her unique approach to personal safety, focusing on two key objectives: setting boundaries and de-escalating potential uncomfortable situations. After demonstrating key techniques, attendees will partner up to practice, with the instructor offering guidance to each group.
The first part of the session will teach participants how to navigate unwanted physical contact in everyday situations, particularly with people they know. In professional and social contexts, it can be challenging to assert boundaries—especially for many women who already worry about being perceived as “unreasonable.” The instructor will address simple strategies to divert this contact to maintain comfort and autonomy. For example, a colleague approaches for a hug or puts an arm around the waist to pose for a photo. Attendees will be empowered to practice subtle yet effective ways to establish personal space without confrontation.
The second part of the session will address more serious scenarios, where the potential for physical harm exists. Whether the concern comes from someone familiar or not, de-escalation is crucial. Participants will learn techniques to create and maintain a safe distance, keep a steady stance to avoid being easily pushed or pulled, and how to break free from various types of holds. The session will wrap up with interactive games designed to reinforce the skills learned, making it fun and memorable while encouraging participants to continue practicing on their own.

Doors Open 5p
Class 5:30p – 6:30p
Social to follow

Concrete Cosmos: Composing Skate Architecture
2026-08-19 12:00 - 13:00 | TX
In Concrete Cosmos: Composing Skate Architecture, Shane Yee presents skate architecture qua architecture, framing the skatepark as a paradigmatic yet unacknowledged achievement of the contemporary moment, characterized by adaptive reuse, the blurring of public and private space, an emphasis on lifestyle recreation, and the ascent of subcultural practices into mainstream culture. Skate spaces manifest in fluid, naturalistic configurations, converging with land art and anticipating parametric/ digital aesthetics; yet despite this sophistication, the language and principles of the discipline remain largely unarticulated.
Drawing on a half-century history of skatepark design (1976-2026) and his own work at Skate Ecosystems, Yee offers a chronological series of architectural close readings, examining design intentions, ordering logics, and formal arrangements. The lecture establishes skate architecture as an emergent field with significant cultural, spatial, and spiritual implications, capable of producing elevated human experiences.

About Shane Yee
Shane Yee earned his Bachelor of Architecture degree from NewSchool of Architecture & Design in San Diego, California. Mr. Yee has a broad range of experiences and capabilities in all phases of project planning, design and construction- from acquisition through operations and maintenance. He has designed award-winning projects including residential, multifamily, civic, religious, master planning, and of course, skate spaces. As an officer in the United States Navy Civil Engineer Corps, Mr. Yee expertly designed & managed DOD projects with a total value of 100+ million to include Design-Build, DBB, and MILCON construction. Mr. Yee is a member of the American Institute of Architects, Society of American Military Engineers, and US Green Building Council.

This program is in conjunction with Kinetics of Urban Movement, on view at the Architecture Center Houston from June 18-September 26.
Exhibition Sponsors and Community Partners
Kinetics of Urban Movement is funded in part by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance

Cherries Wheels
Honey Skate Club
Houston Parks and Recreation Department
Houston Skate Academy
Select
Skate ECOSYSTEMS
Southside Skatepark

HTC 101: The Beginner’s Guide to Historic Tax Credits
2026-08-20 17:30 - 19:00 | Architecture Center Houston, 902 Commerce St., Houston, TX, 77002, United States
Each historic tax credit (HTC) rehabilitation project is unique and has inherent challenges. Learn how to anticipate if a rehabilitation is feasible. Our presentation will consider how to analyze, evaluate, and apply HTC principles in real-world projects through examples, while understanding the collaboration required between preservation professionals, architects, and developers to achieve both regulatory compliance and financial success. Examples will be pulled from several projects in Texas.
Presented by: William R. Franks Consulting and Ryan Historic Advisors
Hosted by: AIAH Historic Resources Committee
AIA Credit: 1.0 LU
Schedule:

5:30pm Social
6:00pm – 7:00pm Presentation

Galveston Sandcastle Festival
2026-09-19 10:00 - 2026-09-20 21:00 | East Beach, 1923 Boddeker Rd, Galveston, TX, 77550, United States
Click here to be redirected to the Galveston Sandcastle Festival site.

The Architectural History of Houston Street Skating
2026-09-26 09:00 - 11:00 | Tranquility Park, 400 Rusk, Houston, Texas, 77002
Join lifelong skateboarder and architectural historian Ted Barrow on a walking tour of the highlights of Houston’s Modernist and Late-Modernist architecture through a skateboarder’s perspective. The tour will cover key plazas and buildings which became local, state-wide, and eventually global skateboarding destinations from the late 1980’s to today.

About Ted Barrow
Theodore (Ted) Barrow is an art historian, writer, curator, and lecturer whose work bridges academic scholarship and contemporary currents. Born in Bolinas, California, he holds a Ph.D. in art history from the Graduate Center, CUNY, where he explored the Florida paintings of Winslow Homer and John Singer Sargent through an ecocritical lens. Barrow has taught at Barnard College, Baruch College, City College of New York, and the University of San Francisco. Outside of art and academia, he is a distinctive voice in skateboarding culture, known for This Old Ledge, a video series that investigates the cultural and architectural significance of global skate spots.”

This program is in conjunction with The Kinetics of Urban Movement, on view at the Architecture Center Houston from June 18-September 26.

Exhibition Sponsors and Community Partners
Kinetics of Urban Movement is funded in part by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance

Cherries Wheels
Honey Skate Club
Houston Parks and Recreation Department
Houston Skate Academy
Select
Skate ECOSYSTEMS
Southside Skatepark

Home Tour
2026-11-07 18:00 - 2026-11-08 18:00 | TX
The AIA Houston Home Tour is a 2-day, self-guided tour featuring custom homes in the Houston area designed by licensed architects.
Join us to experience some of the best new residential architecture by AIA members in a variety of architectural styles, featuring new construction, renovations, and additions.
Learn more about the tour and preview each home HERE.
Tickets purchased online may be picked up at any one of the featured homes on the days of the tour. Additionally, Full-Tour and Single Home Tickets may be purchased at any of the featured homes on the days of the tour.
This is a rain or shine event. All sales are final.
