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Emerging Professionals Making an Impact—and Having Fun Along the Way!
11/12/2026
From inspiring students to building professional connections, AIA Potomac Valley’s Emerging Professionals Committee is making a difference across the region.
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Celebrating Krutika Shah: BD+C 40 Under 40 Class of 2026
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Huge congratulations to Krutika Shah, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, SEED, COA on her selection to the prestigious Building Design+Construction (BD+C) 40 Under 40 Class of 2026!
Read More ►UMD Spring 2026 Lecture: ALAN RICKS: “Seeking Abundance”
February 25, 2026
4:00 PM - 5:20 PM
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University of Maryland School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation
3835 Campus Drive
College Park, MD 20742
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UMD MAPP Spring 2026 Lecture Series
School of Architecture Building, Auditorium
Free
This KEA Distinguished Professor Lecture is part of the Spring 2026 Architecture Lecture series.
Description:
In Seeking Abundance, architecture is presented as a tool for advancing balance between human and ecological systems at a time of accelerating climate, social, and cultural crises. It frames abundance not as excess, but as a condition of equilibrium—where communities have enough to flourish while operating within planetary limits. Drawing on MASS Design Group’s work across geographies and scales, it examines how design decisions shape health, dignity, biodiversity, and resilience. Emphasis is placed on material provenance, landscape systems, and long-term stewardship, arguing that architecture must move beyond minimizing harm toward regenerative practices that support collective wellbeing and a flourishing planet.
Credit:
1 LU/HSW
Learning Objectives:
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Define abundance as equilibrium by explaining how architecture can support human flourishing while operating within ecological and planetary limits.
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Analyze the impacts of architectural design decisions on health, dignity, biodiversity, and resilience using examples from MASS Design Group’s work across different contexts and scales.
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Evaluate material and landscape strategies in relation to provenance, ecological systems, and long-term stewardship in architectural practice.
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Articulate the shift from harm reduction to regenerative design, describing how architecture can actively contribute to collective wellbeing and a thriving planet.
Speaker: Alan Ricks, Founding Principal + Co-Executive Director, MASS Design Group
AIA Provider: AIA Potomac Valley (A183); Course #PV022526
Location:
Architecture Building, Auditorium
University of Maryland
School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation
3835 Campus Drive
College Park, MD 20742
