Lessons Learned from the AIA 2009 National Convention

by Marvin Malecha, FAIA
2009 AIA President

In the weeks since our National Convention, I’ve had many opportunities to think about what I took back from San Francisco.

There was a lot that inspired hope for the future of our profession. Perhaps most striking is the fact that traditional borders are fading as quickly as technology is evolving, and that new faces are transforming our profession.

We watched and listened, both in San Francisco and, for the first time, in our offices, to individuals from across the globe. Each presented provocative solutions to project challenges. Each was shaped by a sensitive environmental imperatives.

Not only did they demonstrate the vitality of their design skills; they also exhibited the connection between a diversity of thought and the practice models they employ to do their work.

The free flow of ideas we experienced far exceeded my expectations. We could not have been more challenged by the environmental, philosophical, and practice perspectives transforming our profession.

All bringing issues central to the very well-being of our way of life. Indeed, perhaps of our physical and mental health.

What we saw and heard in San Francisco was tremendously energizing—and perhaps at times unsettling.

Some are not yet ready to embrace a profession that operates across geographic and political boundaries as if such boundaries did not exist. Some continue to maintain a protective attitude toward those from outside the profession who would join us.

Yet, consider this: Can we truly lead from a position of fear? Are we really secure behind self-imposed walls?

I’m reminded it was a custom in Ancient Greece that when one of their citizens won the Olympic marathon, a section of the city’s fortification was torn down as a symbol of confidence.

Yes, the speed of change, ever accelerating, can be daunting. Nevertheless, like those ancient Greeks, I have a similar confidence in the resiliency and strength of our profession. We need not fear the emerging diverse ways of perceiving the world. Indeed, in the midst of the current recession, the rise of a rich diversity of practice models carries with it the seeds of our future success. The connection between diverse ways of understanding our environment and the diverse approaches to the creation of architecture that has the power to heal our world were evident throughout the convention

We are being invigorated by the fresh air that diversity brings to us. It’s time to tear down the walls of our profession to let the new energies rush in.

If we wish to lead, we must be confident … confident enough to allow ourselves to welcome and embrace the very best ideas our world has to offer. That may be the ultimate lesson of San Francisco—the transformational power of Diversity!