S7: Emerging Issues & the Future of the Practice
August 15, 2025
Location: Global Furniture Group Showroom
Led by: Rebecca Ambouroue & Matthew Zernis
Session 7 explored the evolving landscape of architecture through the lenses of economic trends, academia, and artificial intelligence. Three diverse panels provided their unique expertise on the future of architecture. The panels, composed of educators and practitioners, represented a range of firm sizes, backgrounds, and areas of expertise. Each presentation offered insights into the pressing challenges and promising opportunities shaping the future of architectural practice.
Act 1: Economic Trends
Stephanie Clements, NCIDQ, LEED ID+C,
Kelly Davies Grace, AIA
Ryan Petyak, AIA, NCARB
Brittney Sooksengdao, AIA, NOMA, WELL AP (Moderator)
This panel brought together three architectural leaders from firms of varying sizes with diverse portfolios to discuss where the field of architecture is headed based on economic trends. The panelists first discussed their optimism for the future and how the current political and economic climate is driving designers to make material choices that spur growth at home. They discussed the importance of knowing your worth, and determining fees in a way that keeps you competitive and well compensated. The panelists also discussed the importance of financial literacy, even as a young designer in the AEC field and ways to encourage and build those skills.
Kirah Cahill, Assoc. AIA
Ricardo J. Rodriquez de Santiago
Brittney Sooksengdao, AIA, NOMA, WELL AP (Moderator)
The session’s second panel provided an outstanding overview of AI, its uses and implications within the architectural profession. Kirah and Ricardo began by answering questions about how AI can be integrated into architecture and the most likely ways it will be used in our profession in the near future. They discussed the difficulties of implementing AI into architectural offices as standard practice in regards to levels of education and comfortability, particularly across the generations and hierarchies within an office. Additionally, they discussed how AI is a tool to assist architects and designers, not a replacement for architects and designers: it requires a high level of curating and editing, but can help speed certain processes. Lastly each presenter provided a demo on how to use AI: Kirah focused on the earlier, more conceptual phases of design, and Ricardo on the later phases of design and project management.
Act 2: AI in the Field
The final panel of Session 7 discussed work culture within the field of architecture as well as progression, limitations, and broadening options throughout the duration of an architecture career. The panelist provided their unique perspectives (non-profit, educational, and recruiting/business) on how they’ve used, or seen architectural education used in a professional capacity, and how architectural education establishes a broad foundation of skills. The panel discussed ways to lead within and outside of the AEC community, and ways, as emerging leaders, to bridge the gap between generations that have had vastly different educational and professional experiences. Finally the panel discussed the typical architecture office culture, how far it has come, and ways to challenge and improve it for the future.
Jack Blessington
Jeremy Fretts, AIA, NCARB
Nea Maloo, FAIA, NOMA, LEED AP, ICC
Tonya Ohnstad, AIA, NCARB, MNAL, RIBA
Brittney Sooksengdao, AIA, NOMA, WELL AP (Moderator)
