The Boston Society of Architects/AIA (BSA) celebrates its sesquicentennial anniversary in 2017. To celebrate its history as its gaze turns toward the future, this year-long timeline exhibition gives an overview of accomplishments in design excellence over the past 150 years.

On June 20, 1867, about 50 Boston area architects came together to sign the articles of association creating the BSA. The BSA was created 10 years after the inception of the American Institute of Architects (February 23, 1857), when 13 architects met in the office of Richard Upjohn to “elevate the standing of the profession.” By the 1880s other AIA chapters had launched in Albany, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Rhode Island, San Francisco, St. Louis, and Washington, DC. One hundred and fifty years later the BSA is the second largest local chapter with over 3,000 professional architect members and over 4,000 members overall. More importantly, the BSA has earned a reputation nationally and locally for fostering design excellence and building better communities.

For more information related to the BSA's anniversary, visit Reflections on the BSA.