I've chaired the AIA's Honorary Fellows Committee long enough to have a rhythm to it: identify strong candidates, make the approach, work through the portfolio together, write the letters, champion the nomination. It's work I care about deeply.

The process is missing one part - a conversation... I know their work through buildings, but I never directly listen to their thought process. That gap has always felt like a small loss. This year, we're doing something about it.

The committee is organizing a panel discussion as part of the AIA Conference on Architecture in San Diego this June — a lecture followed by a moderated conversation with Honorary Fellows. I'll be moderating. The participant list is still being finalized and will be shared soon, but the intention is clear: create the kind of direct, unhurried dialogue that the rest of this process rarely allows.

The registration is open - AIA Conference on Architecture