The Young Architects Forum (YAF) is a program of the American Institute of Architects and the College of Fellows. AIA defines Young Architects as professionals who are in their first 10 years of licensure, and the Forum is a national member group organized to address issues of particular importance to these recently licensed architects. This group is a collection of collaborators including an Advisory Committee, a representative from each state, and representatives bringing perspectives from Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the international design community.
In exciting news, this year we have a complete Forum, with every state and territory represented! As of January 1, 2025, I am serving as South Dakota’s representative to the YAF.
In February, we were lucky to gather in Dallas over the course of three days for the Forum’s Annual Meeting. Joining my fellow state representatives in person to share our ideas and experiences was a wonderful opportunity. Spending time surrounded by so many passionate and dedicated architects in one place and knowing that the bulk of them are just launching their careers and have hardly begun to reach their potential was energizing in ways I could not have anticipated.
As every year has many new faces recently appointed or elected to the Forum, our Annual Meeting began with introductions and clarifications of our roles and responsibilities. We received countless contacts and resources, but very quickly got to work. The YAF aims to be a group of “architects in action, catalyzing for change.”
Sandwiched between seasoned professionals and emerging professionals, we have the unique perspective of being new to the role—having the responsibility and liability of a more experienced professional—while still being closely connected with students, Associate AIA members, and aspiring licensure candidates. We are learning who we want to be as architects, but we are also shaping what the profession will look like in the future. This year, our priority areas for the change we are catalyzing are:
- Growth and career evolution (Q2 focus)
- Steering the future of the profession (Q3 focus)
- Driving wellness (Q4 focus)
These are areas where we see a need and where we believe we can have a serious impact. To help us align our actions with these goals, each Young Architect Representative (YAR) participates in a Focus Group throughout the year. Most of our work sessions during Annual Meeting were centered around these Focus Groups:
- Strategic Vision
- Advocacy
- Community
- Knowledge
- Communications
- Special Projects
Throughout the year, keep your eyes peeled for periodic communication from these groups: research and data analysis from Strategic Vision; webinar panels of leaders who can speak to the priority areas above from Advocacy; resources and tools that promote connection across groups and geographies from Community; programs, resource libraries, and the “Now YA Know” series from Knowledge; the CONNECTION magazine from Communications; and more initiatives as we continue to develop them. This year, you have a direct line to the Advocacy group in me!
At the Annual Meeting, work sessions were interspersed with casual conversation, social events with each other and with a leadership program from the local AIA chapter, and a volunteer community service project. We spent our time discussing our passions (yes, our work, but also wine-tasting, best travel apps, self-care routines, favorite restaurants, children and pets, music that guides us), discovering our mutual connections (wow, the profession is so small and interconnected!), and finding ways to lean on and learn from each other.
As we progress through 2025, expect periodic updates from me about what the YAF is up to. For anyone who is recently licensed, aiming towards licensure, or looking for ways to support and mentor Young Architects in South Dakota, please reach out to me. I’d love to know what you’ve seen, what you’ve learned, and what you think we can do better. Whether those thoughts are local, statewide, regional, or national, let’s chat.
Liz Brown, AIA, NCARB, is an architect and employee-owner at ISG. She’s passionate about inclusive design and disability rights—with a special interest in Deaf culture. Her kindergarten “diploma” is framed over her home desk as a reminder that starting is the hardest part. Liz is the 2025 South Dakota representative on the AIA Young Architects Forum.
Keep reporting, Liz. This a great leadership opportunity. You represent us well.