Thank you to the entire Boston-area design and construction community, who hosted 40,000 architects, allied professionals and their families with extraordinary enthusiasm and generosity during one of the the largest AIA Conventions in history. Looking to relive the excitement? Watch a video of the citywide celebration or read the press about the convention.

The BSA thanks...

It all began with Shepley Bulfinch president Carole Wedge FAIA, who two years ago offered to lead the BSA's immense convention planning, fundraising and programming effort--and lead it she did to an uncommonly successful extravaganza. Working hand-in-hand with tireless BSA convention director Susan Hartnett, Wedge shaped these exceptional networks of architects, engineers, contractors and other allies:

The BSA Planning and Fundraising Committee of volunteers included Arrowstreet's Kathy Born AIA, CBT's Robert Brown AIA IIDA, Gensler's Doug Gensler AIA and Ken Fisher AIA, Margulies & Associates' Marc Margulies AIA and Dan Perruzzi AIA, Nitsch Engineering's Judy Nitsch PE, LEED, KlingStubbins' Scott Simpson FAIA, LEED, Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse's Janet Marie Smith, Spagnolo Gisness & Associates' Al Spagnolo AIA, Steffian Bradley Architects' Peter Steffian FAIA and, of course, ever-present BSA president Diane Georgopulos FAIA of MassHousing.

Making the case for the world to travel to Boston were Promotion Committee volunteers David Hacin AIA of Hacin & Associates, Peter Kuttner FAIA of Cambridge Seven Associates, Hubert Murray RIBA, AIA of Hubert Murray Architect + Planner, Audrey O'Hagan AIA of Audrey O'Hagan Architects and Georgopulos. This remarkable team benefited from the advice and initiative of the BRA's Kairos Shen, Prataap Patrose Assoc. AIA and Te Ming Chang. Hugues Monestime, Shen and Carolyn Xing were the BRA leaders who guided our remarkably successful Dudley Square Community Charrette and Design Competition. Thanks also to the BRA's David Carlson AIA, who managed to get the model of the city of Boston into the BCEC and also designed and led tours.

Organizing more than 80 tours were Tour Planning Committee volunteers Barbara Boylan AIA of Gale International, Brandy Brooks Assoc. AIA of the Community Design Resource Center-Boston, Justin Crane Assoc. AIA of Cambridge Seven Associates, Michael Fergus AIA, NOMA of Stull and Lee, David Fixler FAIA of Einhorn Yaffee Prescott Architecture & Engineering, Tony Hsiao AIA of Finegold Alexander + Associates, Sam Lasky AIA of William Rawn Associates, Jay Lee AIA of the City of Boston Department of Neighborhood Development, Debi McDonald AIA, LEED of DiMella Shaffer, George Metzger AIA of HMFH Architects, Keith Moskow AIA of Moskow Linn Architects, Peter Smith Assoc. AIA of Global Urban Solutions, John Uzee AIA of ADD Inc, Jane Weinzapfel FAIA of Leers Weinzapfel Associates, and Nick Winton AIA of Anmahian Winton Architects. Leading these tours was a cadre of volunteer architects, engineers, planners and other generous souls who showed the best of Boston and New England--by foot, boat, bike, kayak, train, subway, trolley and, occasionally, bus--to a record-breaking 7,500 convention tour-takers.

Guiding the promotion of the convention to media were PR Committee volunteers Terri Evans of Shepley Bulfinch, Jane Harrell of Spagnolo Gisness & Associates, Janet Oberto and Jenni Williamson of the Boston
Architectural College and Kristi Sprinkel of CBT--with the expertise and support of consultant Lisa Quackenbush of Cue PR and AIA staffer Scott Frank.

The BSA Store and Lounge was designed by Gensler's Valerie Warren and Todd Dundon AIA, built by Suffolk Construction and managed by Vessel's Duane Smith. Payette's Liz Reynolds and Rachellyn Schoen designed the posters, sandwich boards and banners that graced light poles citywide in May 2008. Keri Drake of Arrowstreet organized Late Nite Movies at the Epicenter, which featured clips of architects from more than 30 movies.

Also critical administration and service-providers throughout this adventure were BSA convention director Susan Hartnett's crack administrative aide, Lillie Webb, and volunteer organizer and aide-de-camp Beatrice Nessen; and often sweating behind the scenes were professional events/volunteer-organizing/transportation wizards Michael Wasserman and Christine McGonagle of Michael P. Wasserman Inc.

The Convention Theme — “We the People”

Marshall Purnell FAIA, 2008 president-elect of the AIA, set the tone for the convention with the theme. “We the People” implies the essential role of the architect in society… “We are the people we serve and we live in the communities we have designed. We are the stewards of the safety and health of our children in their schools and our elderly in their places of care.” The theme resonates with the BSA’s focus on community and inclusiveness.

Shepley Bulfinch president Carole Wedge AIA served as the chair of the host city planning committee and is working with BSA staff and the national convention committee.

BSA 2008 President and recent AIA Thomas Jefferson Award recipient Diane Georgopulos FAIA along with scores of BSA leaders and volunteers join Carole welcomed everyone to Boston and to the BSA’s tours and events.