AIA President Illya Azaroff, FAIA, at AIA Young Architects Forum 2026
The AIA Young Architects Forum (YAF) held its annual in-person meeting in Washington, D.C., from February 9–11, 2026, at the newly renovated AIA National Headquarters. Representatives from all 50 states, in addition to Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the International region, gathered for three days of leadership discussions, working sessions, and networking focused on Young Architects.
AIA defines “young architect” as architects within their first 10 years of initial licensure and is age agnostic. This makes the YAF one of the most important leadership and member-engagement groups in the Institute. The YAF functions as a national member group, similar to the NAC and COF, and supports architects early in their careers through advocacy, mentorship, knowledge sharing, and leadership development.
AIA EVP/Chief Executive Officer Carole Wedge, FAIA, at AIA Young Architects Forum 2026
The YAF has defined three focus areas for 2026: Navigating Career Evolution, Shaping the Future, and Cultivating Well-being. The advisory committee is organized into six focus areas: Communications, Community, Advocacy, Knowledge, Strategy, and Special Projects. Each focus on specific initiatives that serve the institute. I currently am in year 2 of serving on the Special Projects group, which recently completed a multi-year study on whether the term young architect still appropriately reflects the constituency it represents. The naming discussion has been paused for 2026 and the Special Projects group is focusing on adjacent topics that will be more define in 2026 Q2.
The YAF also supports programs such as the Align Mentorship Program, the YAF + LFRT Future Forward Grant, and YAF Connection, its online journal. It is also widely viewed as a pathway to broader AIA leadership.
For AIA International, this presents a strong opportunity. With roughly 3,000 members across 8 chapters and 6 sections, we are looking to better connect architects who fall within the YAF demographic, both in the U.S. licensure system and internationally. If your chapter or section has members who qualify, please reach out.
I am currently in the final year of my term as the AIA International YAF Representative, and we will be looking to fill the two-year role starting in 2027. The position generally includes one annual in-person meeting in the U.S., monthly calls, and ongoing volunteer involvement. Candidates must be licensed architects within their first 10 years of initial licensure. Please contact Jason directly if you are interested in applying.
Finally, YAF will have a range of meet-ups and events at AIA’26 in San Diego. Please connect if you are a YAF and plan to attend.
We are looking forward to an exciting year and hope to make some big announcement regarding Young Architects at International later this year. Watch this space!
Jason Holland
AIA International, YAF Representative
