AIA Japan — Lighting To Live By: Elevating Experience Through the Intangible

When: Thursday 30 July 2026 @ 05:30 (Eastern US time)/ 18:30 (Japan time)
Where: ONLINE / In-Person: TSUN TSUN Lounge, Shin Aoyama Building, West Lobby 2F, Tokyo

CES: Estimated 1.0 LU for AIA Members

Speaker

Cecilia Ramos, Sr. Director, Lutron

Description

The most memorable spaces are defined not by materials alone, but by the atmospheres they create. This talk explores how light — as an unseen yet powerful design material — shapes emotion, perception, and human connection, drawing from architecture, fashion, and art.

Speaker Bio

Cecilia Ramos’ expertise is in lighting, technology, and architectural design and at Lutron, Cecilia is responsible for leading the company’s work in Architecture & Design. Her work encompasses client development, creative direction, marketing, experiential design, and strategy. She holds degrees in architecture from MIT and Princeton and has traveled the world as a lighting designer for luxury brands including Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, and Dior Parfums. A frequent international speaker and co-author of the book Architectural Lighting: Designing with Light and Space (Princeton Architectural Press, 2011) she finds creative energy though hiking the world’s stunning landscapes, painting, and designing jewelry.

AIA Middle East - From Experience to Portfolio: Leveraging Your Experiences for Job or Academic Opportunities

When: Thursday 23 July 2026 @ 10:00 (Eastern US Time)/ 18:00 (Dubai time)
Where: Online

Speaker

Qitong Liu, LEED AP, Assoc. AIA

Description

Join AIA Middle East and speaker Qitong Liu - an architectural and computational designer, with professional experience at SmithGroup and Carrier Johnson+Culture - to discuss how to scale your portfolio and how to present your work in a world full of ruthless competition.

Special attention will be given to how different types of experiences can be rearranged for different audiences, from academic reviewers to hiring managers.

Learning Objectives:
1. Identify potential portfolio projects
2. Recognize key differences between academic and professional portfolios.
3. Apply narrative strategies to communicate the project intents
4. Introduce practical layout skills, organization strategies and other visual design principles.

AIA Southeast Asia - Understanding Neurodiversity: Supporting Sensory Needs in The Workplace

When: Friday 10 July 2026 @ 03:30 (Eastern US time)/ 15.30 (Malaysia time)
Where: Haworth International Malaysia Showroom, Suite #12-01, 12th Floor, Menara Keck Seng, 203 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia/ ONLINE

Speaker

Alessandro Cesana, Director of Ideation International, Haworth; AP & EMEA

Description

An interactive session exploring neurodiversity in the workplace and its influence on how people work, process stimuli, and experience office environments. The session introduces insights from Haworth’s latest neurodiversity research and examines how different sensory needs and cognitive styles can inform more inclusive workplace design. Combining a concise presentation with a hands-on workshop, participants will use personas to understand diverse perspectives and work in teams to develop practical workplace solutions that support well-being, creativity, and innovation.

PLEASE NOTE: Spaces at the Haworth showroom are strictly limited to 15 maximum.

Speaker Bio

Alessandro leads the Ideation team at Haworth across EMEA and AP, a creative, multicultural, and distributed team that serves as the workplace advisory and research arm of the business. With over 13 years of experience in the architecture and design industry, Alessandro is a skilled design strategist and innovative thinker, known for his ability to address client needs through a solutions-oriented approach.

Haworth Ideation has spent the past few years researching how the workplace is evolving, particularly as hybrid work continues to reshape the physical office and the overall employee experience. Its latest research initiative focuses on neurodiversity, exploring how both neurodivergent and neurotypical individuals perceive and are supported by the built environment, and how workplace design can better accommodate a broader range of cognitive, sensory, and social needs.

AIA International - Annual General Meeting 2026

When: Wednesday 8 July 2026 @ 08:00 (Eastern US Time)/ 13:00 (London time)/ 20:00 (Beijing time)
Where: ONLINE

Event Description

AIA Members are invited to join us for the annual business meeting of AIA International. The AGM will be run as a Zoom meeting to increase interactivity and enable greater attendance around the world.

The meeting will be conducted for the purpose of electing a new First Vice President and a new Secretary; for receiving the annual reports of the Board and the Treasurer; and for the transaction of such other business as may be appropriate.

Speakers

AIA International Board

AIA International - Bangalore: A Dual Feature on Sustainable & Transformative Architecture

When: Saturday 4 July 2026 @ 00:30 (Eastern US time)/ 10:00 (India time)
Where: D-Collative Associates Pvt. Ltd., 452, First Floor, 8th Cross, 5th Main, HIG (Dollars Colony), RMV 2nd Stage, New BEL Road, Bangalore 560094, India/ ONLINE

Speakers

Sharath Ravindran, Director / Architect, D-Collative Associates Pvt. Ltd.

Yogeshwar Kulkarni, Executive Director, NZD Studio

Description

We invite you to join us in person or online for a hybrid presentation hosted by AIA International members in India!

This event is open to all - anyone can join online! Whether you are an architect, student, designer, or built environment enthusiast, you are welcome to attend.

We are bringing together two incredible design leaders in Bengaluru for a dual feature on sustainable, forward-thinking architecture.

Featured Presentations

1. The Regenerative Shift: Transforming the Built Environment -

   Sharath Ravindran, Director / Architect, D-Collative Associates Pvt. Ltd.

2. Select Works 2016–2026 -

   Yogeshwar Kulkarni, Executive Director, NZD Studio.

We look forward to an impactful morning of architectural dialogue.

How to Join:

In-Person at D-Collative Associates Pvt. Ltd., New BEL Road, Bengaluru. No registration required.

📌 Google Maps Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Rncpr2Rz421xwdfbA?g_st=iw.

Online (Google Meet): https://meet.google.com/tfr-tksi-tyv.

AIA Japan — Less Light: Practical Darkness

When: Thursday 2 July 2026 @ 05:30 (Eastern US time)/ 18:30 (Japan time)
Where: ONLINE / In-Person: Cosentino Showroom, Tokyo

CES: Estimated 1.0 LU for AIA Members

Speaker

Charles G. Stone, II, FIALD, Fisher Marantz Stone

Description

How has 25 years of evolving technology and environmental awareness transformed the way we design with light at night? In this illustrated lecture, renowned lighting designer Charles Stone traces the arc from high-load exterior illumination to today’s dark-sky-conscious practice — driven by the rise of LED, growing scientific understanding of light’s effects on flora, fauna, and human health, and a global movement to reclaim the night sky.

Through a series of case studies from the FMS portfolio, Stone examines what this evolution means for architects and lighting designers working in the built environment today. The lecture closes with a real-world deep dive into the 2026 update of Tucson, Arizona’s Outdoor Lighting Code — a landmark example of municipal dark-sky policy in practice.

Following the lecture, guests are invited to stay for a reception featuring a selection of Spanish tapas and wine, generously provided at Cosentino’s showroom.

MORE INFORMATION >>>

AIA Hong Kong - Emerging Technology: Practical AI Tools for Architects and Designers

When: Friday 26 June 2026 @ 21:30 (Eastern US Time)/ Saturday 26 June 2026 @ 09:30 (Hong Kong time)
Where: Online
CES Credits - Estimated 1 LU/ HSW for AIA Members

Speakers

Jason Chen, Associate and Computational Designer; APAC Region Computational Design Skills Leader, Arup

Ka Kit Chiu, Computational Designer and Architectural Researcher, Mithun

Moderator

Cynthia Ting, AIA; Co-Chair, Programs Committee (Emerging Technology), AIA Hong Kong; Senior Manager, Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park

Description

How can designers move from experimenting with AI to incorporating practical applications for daily use?
This webinar will bring together experts in practice, research, and technology who will demonstrate how emerging AI tools are reshaping the profession. With a focus on practical applications, it will highlight actionable strategies that architects and designers can easily integrate into their work.

LEARN MORE >>>

AIA International Mentorship Program 2026 - The Art of the Possible: Engagement as a Tool for Discovery

The AIA International Global Mentorship Program invites everyone to join our June online group session. This event is open to all.

When: Friday 19 June 2026 @ 09:00 (Eastern US time)
Where: Online

Speaker: 

Madeleine Ghillány-Lehar, Landscape Architect and Design Leader, West 8; OALA, CSLA/AAPC

Description

As part of the Design By Discovery series, this presentation explores how experimentation can happen not only through materials and form, but through dialogue. Through a case study of the Liverpool Waterfront, a landscape architect shares how public engagement and co-design workshops with landowners, government officials, and citizens became tools for expanding collective imagination.The presentation reflects on the strategies used to build trust, navigate political complexity, and guide communities toward embracing ambitious, once-unthinkable proposals.

To join this open session, please register using the link below.

The theme of the 2026 AIA International Mentorship Program is Design by Discovery. 

To design is to experiment. By questioning norms and continuously testing ideas, we unlock new forms, materials, and spatial experiences. This series highlights the power of experimentation—from re-use to radical rethinking—to expand the limits of what architecture and design can be. Participants are invited to share and discover processes that challenge, refine, and ultimately elevate our practice.

The mentorship program includes regular online group events which are open to all, as well as one-to-one mentoring.

If you have any questions, please contact Amanda Bryant at emergingprofessionals@aiainternational.org.

AIA Japan & NCARB— Licensure Info Session

When: Tuesday 16 June 2026 @ 08:00 (Eastern US time)/ 21:00 (Japan time)
Where: ONLINE

Description

AIA Japan is pleased to announce an upcoming information session in partnership with NCARB, designed for architects and emerging professionals based in Japan who are pursuing — or considering — U.S. licensure.

Whether you are just starting to explore the path to becoming a licensed architect in the United States, or are already working through the AXP or ARE, this session is for you. A representative from NCARB will walk through the licensure process with a focus on practical guidance for internationally-based candidates, including how to log AXP hours outside the US, how to choose a state board, and what the path looks like when you have never lived or worked in America.

AIA Japan — Jun Mitsui Lecture: Architecture in Context

When: Thursday 28 May 2026 @ 05:30 (Eastern US time)/ 18:30 (Japan time)
Where: ONLINE/ Arper Japan Showroom

Speaker

Jun Mitsui, FAIA, JIA

CES Credits: TBC

Description

Jun Mitsui is the founder of Jun Mitsui & Associates, Architects, and a licensed architect in both Japan and the United States. After graduating from the University of Tokyo, he earned his Master of Architecture from Yale University and went on to work with Cesar Pelli & Associates before returning to Tokyo. Over the course of his career, he has led a wide range of award-winning projects in Japan and internationally, with a focus on thoughtful, context-driven design.

A former President of AIA Japan, Mitsui’s elevation to FAIA in 2026 recognizes his significant contributions to architecture and the built environment.

AIA International Mentorship Program 2026 - Design Dialogues: A Meet and Greet Discussion Session

The AIA International Global Mentorship Program invites everyone to join our May Program on May 21. This event is open to all.

When: Thursday 21 May 2026 @ 09:00 (Eastern US time)
Where: Online

Description

The AIA International Global Mentorship Program invites everyone to join our meet and greet mentor session on May 21!

In this session, we will focus on creating the pairings for this year through a virtual meet and greet session. In this session, we will meet in breakout sessions with potential mentors and mentees to shortly share a bit about yourself as well as your goals for this mentorship program. In this way we can facilitate the best pairing for everyone for the 2025 season. 

To join this open session, please register using the link below.

The theme of the 2026 AIA International Mentorship Program is Design by Discovery. 

To design is to experiment. By questioning norms and continuously testing ideas, we unlock new forms, materials, and spatial experiences. This series highlights the power of experimentation—from re-use to radical rethinking—to expand the limits of what architecture and design can be. Participants are invited to share and discover processes that challenge, refine, and ultimately elevate our practice.

The mentorship program includes regular online group events which are open to all, as well as one-to-one mentoring.

If you have any questions, please contact Amanda Bryant at emergingprofessionals@aiainternational.org.