Annual AIASC Design Conference, “Community: By Design,” to Take Place in Lake City, Brings The Hip Hop Architect, Michael Ford to South Carolina

(Columbia, S.C.) March 28, 2018 – The American Institute of Architects’ South Carolina Chapter (AIASC) is excited to share that this year’s Annual Design Conference will take place in conjunction with renowned nine-day art competition, ArtFields. Held in the small town of Lake City, S.C., the conference will begin on Wednesday, April 18 and end Friday, April 20 with a gift to the community.

This year’s theme, “Community: By Design,” focuses on the power of art and design in creative placemaking. As part of this year’s focus on the community, AIASC will open several conference sessions to the public.

“Design is not limited to large metropolitan areas,” states Andy Clark, AIA, 2018 president of AIA South Carolina. “There are great communities all across our state that have historic architectural inventory that can be restored and repurposed for contemporary use through the power of creative design and community engagement.”

The goal of this year’s conference is to help export the success Lake City has seen over the last decade. By collaborating with ArtFields, artists and architects, AIASC can better achieve the vision of both the organization and the conference by directly connecting communities with industry professionals interested in learning more about the powerful effect art and design can have on the community.

“Restoring main streets, spurring new contemporary and sustainable development strategies, and reviving a collective community spirit across the state is often the driving force behind why artists and architects, much like myself, are drawn to the field,” continued Clark. “The power of place coupled with the ability to create spaces for the community to enjoy, is what fuels us – which is the driving force behind this year’s design conference.”

Speakers for the “Community: By Design” conference include: 

The Hip Hop Architect, Michael Ford, Assoc. AIA;
Emilie Taylor Welty, AIA, director of Design+Build at Tulane’s Small Center;
Dan Pitera, FAIA, director of the Detroit Collaborative Design Center;

and keynote speaker Trey Trahan, FAIA of Trahan Architects.