On Friday, April 24, Associate members of AIA Arizona will be gathering at Taliesin West for an afternoon of programming and conversation that will explore radical optimism within the architecture & design profession.
Registration will open in late March.
This is the annual event that is planned and produced by and for Associate members—emerging professionals who are on the path to licensure. Attendees will learn from excellent speakers, and will be able to connect with each other. Ally Kwan, Assoc. AIA, of Jones Studio, is leading the planning for the event with the AIA Arizona Associates Gathering Committee that she chairs.
The program will begin at 1pm with insightful presentations, and will conclude with a self-guided tour of Taliesin West and a reception on the Music Pavilion Terrace, ending by 7pm.
Confirmed featured speakers include:
Joining us from outside of Arizona:
- Chris Cornelius, owner of studio:indigenous, and Professor of Architecture at The University of New Mexico
- Ian Dickenson, AIA, Associate Principal at Sasaki in Los Angeles
From Arizona:
- Teresa Rosano, AIA, Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Arizona CAPLA
- Andrea Hardy, AIA, 2026 AIA Phoenix Metro President, and Associate Principal at Shepley Bulfinch in Phoenix
- Riley Hausman, AIA, Architect at Corgan in Phoenix
And from Arizona, with a focus on Taliesin West restoration and preservation:
- Evan Emery, AIA Arizona Allied Member, and Designer / Fabrication Specialist at 180 Degrees Design + Build
- Guillaume Evain, Assoc. AIA, Design Director at 180 Degrees Design + Build
- Rebecca Barron, Director of Preservation at the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation
The theme for the day is Radical Optimism—a mindset grounded in imagining and creating better futures, even amid uncertainty or constraint. Rather than naïve positivity, this is a disciplined belief in design’s capacity to meaningfully improve the human experience, reshape systems, and challenge what is considered “impossible.” Optimism as a method, not a mood. As AIA Associates, radical optimism is not a fleeting mindset, but a continual tool we build and refine throughout our careers. It asks us to remember the joy in designing—and to channel that joy into solving the urgent problems of today while boldly shaping the possibilities of tomorrow.
**Because the Associates Gathering event is tailored for AIA Associate members, and we expect to reach capacity, we have special early bird ticket pricing available now for AIA Associate members only! Associates can secure a ticket for the Associates Gathering at a discounted rate that is available now through midnight on March 31. Associate members must be either renewed or newly joined as AIA Associates members for 2026 for this discounted rate—membership will be verified.
General ticket sales for all other individuals, including AIA Architects and non-members, will open on April 1.
And sponsoring companies will receive an email in late March with a comp code to register.
$12 – Early Bird Ticket fee for Associate Members (now until midnight on March 31)
Ticket fees starting April 1 to attend the 2026 Associates Gathering:
- $18 – AIA Associate
- $35 – AIA Architect or Allied
- $10 – Student
- $45 – Non-member professional
Click here to see highlights from the 2025 Associates Gathering.
Click here to see highlights from the 2024 Associates Gathering.
Interested in sponsoring the Associates Gathering? See the levels of sponsorship here and make an online payment. Or email Sarah Levi for further information.
