Behind the Vision: Smith Tower – Information and Upcoming Events
AIA Seattle’s new location at Smith Tower embeds sustainability, design excellence, historic relevance, and accessibility into a physical space. With a suite on the 11th floor for the AIA Seattle staff, and amenity spaces within the building reservable by staff for use by the organization, the new location supports the needs of our membership with a flexible approach to member engagement.
We know our ten-county community has questions about Smith Tower, and we will continue to share information about events as they are scheduled. See below for supporting information.
Is AIA Seattle moved in? Yes, mostly. The AIA Seattle staff are working from Smith Tower, and continuing to organize the staff workspace. We are also testing spaces within the building ahead of the community events we are inviting members to, some of them coming up soon (see below)! Smith Tower has recently completed renovation of multiple amenity spaces in the building available for AIA Seattle use, which is an opportunity for our community to experience new features in the building.
How do our members engage in the new space? Our new home in Pioneer Square’s original skyscraper comes with new building security systems, but our office processes remain the same! We ask that members continue to coordinate with AIA Seattle staff before picking up or returning materials. Registration is still required for all AIA Seattle and Seattle Design Festival events, with the building’s security team only admitting registered attendees to our events. Security is based on the 2nd Ave side of the building behind the double brass doors.
What are upcoming opportunities for our community to attend events at Smith Tower? Multiple events are on the horizon! Review event registration messages closely to learn details about how to access Smith Tower for the specific event you are attending. This is a preview, with more information in the weeks ahead:
- May 19 – Seattle Design Festival Mixer. Registration launches April 1st – no fooling! Gather with our multidisciplinary design community during the SDF 2026 Call for Proposals period. Sign up for SDF emails or follow SDF on Instagram to get the latest information.
- Late Spring/Early Summer – Smith Tower Welcome for Committee Co-Chairs. Committee co-chairs will be invited in to learn more about AIA Seattle reservable spaces, and how to incorporate venue requests into event proposals.
- June 2 – AIA Seattle Firm Network and Allied Member Happy Hour. Member Firms and Allied Members will receive an email directly to their inbox with registration information – keep an eye out in the weeks ahead!
We are thrilled to be a part of this historic neighborhood and able to serve our ten-county community from our new location. Stay tuned to all of our communication channels as we plan more events and opportunities.
