Chicago – The newly created Association of Architecture Organizations (AAO) launches November 5 at an inaugural conference hosted by the Chicago Architecture Foundation, November 5-7, 2009.   

Representatives from architecture centers, design museums, American Institute of Architects components, schools, universities, and other built environment organizations are expected to attend.

“This conference is the culmination of more than five years of dedicated work to start the Association of Architecture Organizations.  It will be a powerful testament to need for this sort of network in the non-profit architecture and design sector”, said Lynn J. Osmond, Hon. AIA, President & CEO, Chicago Architecture Foundation.

• Dates – Thursday, November 5 – Saturday, November 7, 2009
• Location – Chicago Architecture Foundation, 224 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL
• Conference theme - “Architecture and Design as a Catalyst for Change”
• Keynote speakers - Carol Coletta, CEO, CEO’s for Cities; Damon Rich, Founder, Center for Urban Pedagogy; Urban Design and Waterfront Planner, City of Newark, NJ Selected session topics:  Communicating Architecture to a Wider Public; Starting an Architecture Center; Initiating Dialogue about Design Excellence; Strategic Governance in Times of Uncertainty; and many more
• Registration - Rates range for $100 - $300 - available online at www.adenweb.org/conference2009 

A critics panel: “A Conversation with the Critics: Imagining the Future of the City” will be held n Thursday, November 5 with Jonathan Glancey (The Guardian), Paul Goldberger (The New Yorker), Sarah Williams Goldhagen (The New Republic), and Blair Kamin (Chicago Tribune), and moderator Edward Lifson, cultural critic and creator of Chicago Public Radio’s Hello Beautiful!. The panel is open to the public.

The Association of Architecture Organizations (AAO) is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to fostering a strong network of organizations that engage and educate the public about the built environment.  The Association of Architecture Organizations pursues this mission through conferences and workshops, a membership network, the sharing of best practices, and peer to peer learning. Supported by the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the American Architectural Foundation, and the American Institute of Architects, the Association of Architecture Organizations is located at 224 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60604. For further information visit www.aaonetwork.org or call 312.922.3432 x. 260.

The Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing public interest and education in architecture and design. The Chicago Architecture Foundation pursues this mission through architecture tours, exhibitions, panel discussions, and youth and adult education programs. Home to a permanent exhibition: CHICAGO YOU ARE HERE, the Chicago Architecture Foundation is located at 224 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60604. For further information visit www.architecture.org or call 312.922.3432.