The Architects Foundation at The Octagon

New tour time alert! 🚨☝🏼 We have added a 1pm tour for Fridays and Saturdays! Make sure you secure your tickets via the linktree in our bio. 📝 A little history: The Octagon, one of the oldest residences in Washington, DC, was constructed between 1799 and 1801 and has been home to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) since 1898. Originally an urban home for a prominent DC family, The Octagon offers a unique glimpse into life and culture during the Federal period of the early 1800s. Today, as a distinctive historic house museum, it invites visitors to explore how architecture and design shape society-both then and now. Discover how notions of the built environment transcend time and what the architecture of the new nation can teach us today. #AIA #TheOctagon #DC #architecture

It’s the first day of our inaugural AIA Membership Week! 🎉 Today, we’re focused on students. This video highlights some of the best parts of these students’ architecture school experience. ❗📢 Recently, however, @usedgov proposed a much narrower definition of “professional degrees” for federal student-loan purposes, and architecture is not included on the proposed list of professional degrees. The federal definition will control which graduate programs qualify for higher “professional program” loan caps starting July 1, 2026. If architecture remains excluded, many M.Arch and other graduate architecture students could face lower federal borrowing limits ($100,000 vs $200,000). AIA is committed to helping ensure a strong pipeline of future architects and design professionals. That’s why we advocate for support starting as early as high school when you join @aiasorg , one of our valued Alliance Organizations. If you’re a new graduate or about to graduate, you can can join the AIA community for FREE after graduating. Link in bio. ➡️ Share your experiences as an #ArchitectureStudent in the comments—including the best parts and the hard parts! ⬅️ Students shown are 2024 Next Generation Scholarship recipients. Applications for this scholarship (offered by @architectsfoundation ) are open until Jan. 9, 2026! Link in bio.

2025 marks the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Did you know that the Communities by Design (CxD) program sent a Design Assistance Team to the Lower Ninth Ward in 2018? Watch this video to see just how the team engaged hundreds of residents to create an action plan after years of 16 planning processes that failed to produce momentum, resulting in frustration and distrust from the community. CxD’s efforts resulted in a plan that the community used to enact a special economic development district for the Ward to begin the reinvestment process. Soon after this plan was created, the community held the first annual Lower 9 Fest. It featured more than 90 businesses, organizations, and government agencies and attracted over 500 attendees. In addition, the formal designation of a Lower Ninth Ward Economic Development District has laid the groundwork for future economic partnerships and benefits. #NationalPreparednessMonth

Go behind the scenes at The Octagon this May. A closer look at the history, materials, and care that goes into this historic home. 🎟️ Tickets via linktree in bio! #PreservationMonth #Architecture #ArchitectsFoundation

We’re hiring at Architects Foundation! ✨   We’re seeking a Director, Education & Public Programs to lead learning and public engagement across The Octagon and the AIA Global Campus for Architecture & Design in Washington, DC. If this position aligns with your experience or that of someone in your network, please consider applying or sharing. #NowHiring #Architecture #PublicPrograms #DCMuseums

In honor of DC Climate Week, we are highlighting programming focused on climate, design, and resilience. Tickets and registration via our linktree. ⭐️ Webinar: Resilience by Design - April 23 (12-1pm | 1 LU HSW) ⭐️ Octagon Program: Preserving the Past, Designing the Future - April 24 (3-4:30pm) 🛑 Please note: The Octagon will be closing at 2pm on April 24th and 25th for special events. #DCClimateWeek #AIA #ArchitectsFoundation #Architecture #WashingtonDC

So much is happening at The Octagon and right next door at the AIA Global Campus for Architecture & Design! ✨ Be sure to swipe through these slides to see what’s coming up. For ticket purchases, head to the linktree in our bio. #AIA #ArchitectsFoundation #WashingtonDC

This Women’s History Month, we celebrate AIA|DC Women in Architecture and the impact of its leadership, including communications advisor Danielle McCormick, Assoc. AIA, LEED Green Associate—one of our 2025 Women’s Leadership Summit grantees and an Architects Foundation scholar. Danielle’s work underscores the need for resources, support, and visibility for women navigating both demanding careers and full lives beyond the office. She has shared how the WIA Committee helped her find balance, allowing her to be present at home while continuing to “be 100% there for the project” at work. Through both the Women’s Leadership Summit and WIA, she also found a deeper sense of community among women in the profession, offering “support in this phase of [her] life.” We celebrate the work of the Women in Architecture Committee in creating space for connection, advocacy, and leadership development—uplifting women across the built environment and strengthening the profession through community, mentorship, and shared support. #AIA #AIADC #WomenInArchitecture

Announcing the 2026 Delano & Aldrich / Emerson Fellow: Simon Baudry. Following an inspiring day of finalist presentations at the École nationale supérieure d’architecture de Paris-Belleville, we are delighted to announce Simon Baudry as the 2026 Delano & Aldrich / Emerson Fellow. Simon was selected for his proposal, “Form Follows the River: A Journey with Henri Sullivan and the American Ornamentation”, a three-month research journey along the Mississippi River exploring what architectural ornament reveals about architecture’s relationship to its environment, construction techniques, and the forces that shape our imaginaries. Supported by a $20,000 fellowship stipend, Simon will embark on this research later this year. Our deepest thanks to the 2026 Jury, all finalists, and the donors whose generosity sustains this transatlantic fellowship. We’re proud to welcome Simon Baudry as the 2026 Fellow and look forward to sharing his journey in the months ahead. • #AIA #ArchitectsFoundation #Architecture

At The Octagon, we tell the story of Washington, DC’s early years through its architecture—looking beyond famous names to the skilled people who made the city possible. Dr. William Thornton is credited with designing The Octagon and the U.S. Capitol, but buildings are shaped just as much by those who construct them. Enslaved artisans—carpenters, joiners, painters, and craftsmen—turned drawings into reality. The same hands that worked inside The Octagon also helped build the U.S. Capitol and the White House, leaving shared details that still connect these spaces today. These master builders were essential to the creation of the nation’s capital. Their work remains embedded in Washington’s architecture and in the foundations of the country itself. Monthly Payroll for Laborers at the President s House, December 1794. National Archives, Records of the Commissioners of the City of Washington (Record Group 217). #TheOctagon #DCarchitecture #AIA

Thank you to @fireclaytile for six years of unwavering support for the Architects Foundation’s Next Generation scholarships for Black women pursuing architecture. This year’s fundraiser brought in over $54,000, strengthening pathways into the profession. We also extend our gratitude to all major contributors who helped make this impact possible. Inspired to pay it forward? Join us as a partner in progress to fund scholarships, empower communities, and broaden what’s possible. 📧 Contact: [email protected]

Our 4-part AIAU series comes to a close this Thursday, February 26. Make sure to register via the link in our bio! 📋 Led by Charles Campion, Jo Morrison, and Joel Mills. #AIA #CommunitiesbyDesign #CxD #Architecture