2026 Housing Design Forum | Getting to Abundance: Unlocking the Future of Housing
The 2026 Housing Design Forum, Getting to Abundance: Unlocking the Future of Housing, will examine how we can continue to promote a future of abundant, high-quality, diverse, and sustainable housing options in Seattle and beyond.
In recent years, Washington State has enacted a series of consequential housing reforms, including middle housing legislation, an ambitious transit-oriented development (TOD) bill, and a range of technical measures aimed at accelerating housing delivery and increasing production. At the same time, the housing sector faces real constraints: a volatile economic environment, rising construction costs, and persistent uncertainty. Still, a growing consensus has emerged around the importance of plentiful housing in our communities.
This program will explore the intersection of housing policy, design, and delivery, with a focus on the architectural implications of this moment. Sessions will feature local housing leaders discussing recent policy advances, ongoing debates, and unresolved challenges. We will examine how regulatory reform and alternative construction methods can unlock new design possibilities, improve livability, and support more flexible and efficient housing types. Through case studies, we will highlight innovative housing models that foster community through intentional design and development approaches.
Together, these conversations will equip participants with a clearer understanding of the tools, constraints, and opportunities shaping the next generation of housing.
Join us for Getting to Abundance: Unlocking the Future of Housing on Monday, June 1, 2026 at the National Nordic Museum in Seattle (8 LU/HSW).
NOTE: Participants must attend the full forum to receive continuing education credit or a certificate of completion. No partial credit will be awarded for participants who attend only a portion of the forum. All registration and credit questions can be directed to Pamela Tagata.
Brandon Pace FAIA, Founding Partner | Sanders Pace Architects
Brandon Pace FAIA is a founding partner of Sanders Pace Architects, started in Knoxville, Tennessee in 2002 with partner John Sanders. With work that is extensively researched and thoughtfully executed, Brandon has become a critical voice for a region and context often overlooked. For his closing keynote lecture, Now and Then, Brandon will share stories of post-war urban development patterns in two very different places: 1) one where the destruction of urban housing and generational wealth in the second half of the 20th century created a pattern of disinvestment that continues to affect health, educational, and economic outcomes; and 2) another where late-20th century investment has highlighted gaps in access to affordable housing. Brandon will share housing work created in partnership with neighborhood groups, nonprofits, and local governments that is helping change this course, presenting new development strategies that prioritize equity, access, and livability in these communities.
Additional Sessions Include: 1) The Housing Landscape: Putting Policy into Practice, 2) Preserving Community & Expanding Housing Opportunity, 3) Unlocking Livable Homes with Single Stair Regulations, 4) Scaling with Modern Means of Construction, and 5) Intentional Living: Case Studies in Design & Delivery
*Full line-up of sessions and speakers to be announced! All sessions and speakers subject to change.
Learning Objectives
- Unpack recent city and statewide housing policy updates, including recent legislative changes and code reforms, and understand their implications for accelerating housing production, expanding access, and enabling greater abundance.
- Through case studies and discussions, analyze innovative housing design and delivery models, including missing middle housing, co-housing, social housing, and architect-led development, that unlock housing opportunities.
- Examine emerging code and building innovations, such as single-stair configurations and modern methods of construction, and evaluate their potential to increase housing feasibility, efficiency, and scalability.
- Explore how housing abundance can catalyze broader community outcomes, including expanding access to amenities, providing greater stability, preserving futures, and promote an improved quality of life.
- Reflect on the broader role of architects and design professionals in housing advocacy and delivery, and consider innovative tools and ecosystems of practice that promote housing solutions.
Cost
Includes continuing education credit (8 LU/ HSW) + light breakfast, lunch, and refreshments + applicable live presentation tax
- $307.00 AIA Member/Corporate Allied Partner (CAP)/Allied Member
- $307.00 Government + Partners (HDC)
- $192.00 Associate Member
- $528.00 Non-Member
- $77.00 Student/Emeritus
Early Bird Deadline: Monday, May 18, 2026. After this time, the price increases 15%.
Final Registration Deadline: Thursday, May 28, 2026, 5pm.
Reduced rate options are available! Please submit the Continuing Education Scholarship / Reduced Rate Request Form via email by the priority deadline Monday, May 18, 5:00PM PT.
Learn more about our program pricing, the member ticket rate, and other benefits associated with membership. Explore the other major education programs we offer.
Venue
- Venue: The forum will be held in the Osberg Great Hall at the National Nordic Museum (2655 NW Market St, Seattle, WA 98107). Learn more about accessibility at the National Nordic Museum.
- Transportation: We encourage attendees to take advantage of public transit options and plan your trip. Parking is available at the onsite pay-to-park parking lot. Alternatively, you can find street parking in the surrounding neighborhood. Learn more about getting to the National Nordic Museum.
Accessibility
- Learn more about accessibility at the National Nordic Museum.
- Presenter files and other program materials (as applicable) will be available on the password-protected attendee resources page at least 1-2 business days before the program. The password will be sent in follow-up email communications to all registered attendees.
- We encourage speakers to create accessible presentations to ensure attendees can fully engage with the session content.
Virtual Access! Unable to join us in-person but invested in the content? We’re partnering with aecKnowledge to produce an on-demand video course and expand the impact of this forum. Stay tuned for more information post-program!
Special Thanks to our Planning Task Force
Ellen Malmon, Senior Architect | Schemata Workshop
Fiona Cahill, Architect | SMR Architects
Kate Smith AIA, NCARB, Principal | SMR Architects
Nick Welch, Senior Planner | Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development
Rico Quirindongo AIA, Director | Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development
Thomas Lawrence FAIA | Lawrence Architecture
