District Architecture Center

12/09/2025

CANgratulations to all the teams who brought this year’s World Architecture theme to life — and to our outstanding winners! 👏🏼

With 37 teams, we delivered 95,894 meals to the Capital Area Food Bank. Thank you for helping support families facing food insecurity across the DMV.

🏆 2025 Award Winners

Juror’s Favorite
The NRP Group LLC — The National Feeding Museum

People’s Choice
Leuterio Thomas - Architects & Engineers — The Sydney Opera House: CANcert to Fight Hunger!

Most Cans
SmithGroup & Clark Construction — NMAAHC: A BeaCAN of Truth and History

Structural Ingenuity
Arcadis & Donohoe — Agora Gardens: Twisting Toward a Hunger-Free Future

Best Original Design
Leuterio Thomas - Architects & Engineers — The Sydney Opera House: CANcert to Fight Hunger!

Best Use of Labels
BarnesVanze Architects, Inc. — CAN we end hunger? Yes, we Parthe-CAN!

Best Meal
LEO A DALY — The Hungria Sofia

Honorable Mentions

Minimalist Design: TEEL Construction & Whitsitt Interiors — The Sphere Las Vegas
Most Ambitious: Langan, Gilbane, CMTA & TT — Notre Dame CANthedral
Coastal Representation: TYLin — CAN You See the Light?
Best Through Camera Lens: Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. — Washington Nom-ument

We can’t forget to mention the 2025 Sponsors, including: DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities • DPR Construction • Giant Food • Capital Area Food Bank • National Building Museum

Thank you to everyone who made Canstruction 2025 such a powerful celebration of creativity and community! 🥫💛

12/11/2024

From productive meetings to stylish cocktail receptions, DAC has you covered for an all-day experience!

✨ Our versatile spaces are perfect for your next event.

📅 Ready to plan? Reach out to our team today and let’s make it happen! Inquire with Brittany Lamback at [email protected] or visit the booking link in our bio!



Photos by: Million K Production
Catering by: Well Dunn

11/22/2024

As 2024 comes to a close, we hope to look back and share with you highlights from the year, including ! 🤩

If you have photos or videos you would like to share from all of the events, including tours and lectures, please tag us or email Marian Knotts @ [email protected] with the content and memories you would like to share! 📸

11/20/2024

We are still not over Architecture Month this past October! 🤩

October kicked off with the AIA|DC Chapter Design Awards and Fall Exhibitions Opening Ceremony! ✨ At this event we celebrated the 2024 Chapter Design Award Winners and got a first look at our current exhibitions.

Designing a Learning City exhibit explores the Philadelphia Playful Learning Landscapes Initiative. This exhibit is open until December 19th, 2024. 🌃

Homesick: Camila Mancilla challenges the traditional view of home as a space linked to health and wellbeing, proposing instead that our homes also reflect our illness and immortality. 🏡

Exhibitions are FREE and open to the public! Our gallery hours are Tuesday-Thursday, 11am-3pm. PLEASE call ahead or email Molly Watkins at [email protected] to confirm the gallery is open on a particular day.

Watch this space for more recaps! 👀

07/11/2024

06/04/2024

AIA24 starts tomorrow - last chance to take part in the premier annual conference celebrating multidisciplinary solutions from across the built environment and the power of designing a better world, together.

Register today at conferenceonarchitecture.com

06/02/2024

Open Studio Night at AIA24 is just FOUR DAYS away - this is your chance to get an exclusive inside look at some of the leading architecture and design firms in Washington, D.C.!

Add Open Studio Night to your registration and learn more about the Penn Quarter studios here: https://buff.ly/4bCw2dx

Firms in the Georgetown, West End, Dupont West, Dupont South, Shaw, Penn Quarter neighborhoods will welcome AIA members for this special one-night-only event. Each grouping features a diverse range of practice types, firm sizes, and disciplines. Many firms are located in architecturally significant buildings and/or have unique city views. Join us to learn about each firm's latest work, chat with staff, and enjoy drinks and snacks. All firms in each grouping are within a 20-minute walk of each other. Visit the firms of your choice in any order you like—and stay as long as you wish.

06/01/2024

Open Studio Night at AIA24 is just FIVE DAYS away - this is your chance to get an exclusive inside look at some of the leading architecture and design firms in Washington, D.C.!

Add Open Studio Night to your registration and learn more about the Shaw studios here: https://buff.ly/4bCw2dx

Firms in the Georgetown, West End, Dupont West, Dupont South, Shaw, Penn Quarter neighborhoods will welcome AIA members for this special one-night-only event. Each grouping features a diverse range of practice types, firm sizes, and disciplines. Many firms are located in architecturally significant buildings and/or have unique city views. Join us to learn about each firm's latest work, chat with staff, and enjoy drinks and snacks. All firms in each grouping are within a 20-minute walk of each other. Visit the firms of your choice in any order you like—and stay as long as you wish.

05/31/2024

Open Studio Night at AIA24 is just SIX DAYS away - this is your chance to get an exclusive inside look at some of the leading architecture and design firms in Washington, D.C.!

Add Open Studio Night to your registration and learn more about the Dupont South studios here: https://buff.ly/4bCw2dx

Firms in the Georgetown, West End, Dupont West, Dupont South, Shaw, Penn Quarter neighborhoods will welcome AIA members for this special one-night-only event. Each grouping features a diverse range of practice types, firm sizes, and disciplines. Many firms are located in architecturally significant buildings and/or have unique city views. Join us to learn about each firm's latest work, chat with staff, and enjoy drinks and snacks. All firms in each grouping are within a 20-minute walk of each other. Visit the firms of your choice in any order you like—and stay as long as you wish.

05/30/2024

Open Studio Night at AIA24 is just SEVEN DAYS away - this is your chance to get an exclusive inside look at some of the leading architecture and design firms in Washington, D.C.!

Add Open Studio Night to your registration and learn more about the Dupont West studios here: https://buff.ly/4bCw2dx

Firms in the Georgetown, West End, Dupont West, Dupont South, Shaw, Penn Quarter neighborhoods will welcome AIA members for this special one-night-only event. Each grouping features a diverse range of practice types, firm sizes, and disciplines. Many firms are located in architecturally significant buildings and/or have unique city views. Join us to learn about each firm's latest work, chat with staff, and enjoy drinks and snacks. All firms in each grouping are within a 20-minute walk of each other. Visit the firms of your choice in any order you like—and stay as long as you wish.