Philadelphia--In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the ACADIA Board of Directors and 2020 Conference Chairs at the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design have unanimously agreed to postpone this year’s conference, “Hybrids & Haecceities,” to October of 2021. While this was a difficult decision to make, ACADIA recognizes that the health and safety of our community is of paramount importance, and that the effects of the pandemic present numerous obstacles to properly planning and executing an in-person conference this year. The Board thanks the many members who have provided input into this process via a survey sent to the full membership on March 22.
The conference chairs and leadership of the Weitzman School and the Department of Architecture are committed to producing a spectacular conference in 2021, including all the keynotes, award lectures, workshops, discussion panels, paper presentations, and social gatherings that make ACADIA conferences so unique and memorable. 2021 will mark ACADIA’s 40th annual conference, and we look forward to celebrating this milestone with our membership. The ACADIA Board extends enormous gratitude to the Penn conference chairs Masoud Akbarzadeh, Dorit Aviv, Robert Stuart Smith, Hina Jamelle, Ferda Kolatan, Kutan Ayata, Andrew Saunders, and Nathan Hume, as well as Chair of Architecture Winka Dubbeldam and Dean Frederick Steiner, for their tremendous contributions to ACADIA and leadership in this effort. Please look for more updates on the 2021 conference at Penn, submission dates, and more details in the months to come.
Given the postponement of the “Hybrids & Haecceities” conference, and the vital importance of an annual gathering to the membership and community, the ACADIA Board of Directors has moved to organize a virtual conference to be held in October 2020. The Board is committed to providing a venue for the presentation and publication of peer-reviewed research, intellectual exchange and debate, and social connection for our members; we recognize that maintaining a platform for these activities may be even more important now in light of the present circumstances. Those planning to submit research to the 2020 conference are encouraged to submit to this fall’s event, which will feature peer-reviewed work. The Board is developing an exciting slate of events and online gatherings to engage the community in a variety of formats. Our hope is to provide a meaningful platform for the presentation and exchange of research, while also expanding the conference’s engagement with experimental ideas and accessibility to a broader audience. Please look for more details, submission deadlines, and submission formats to be announced by May 1, with submissions due in mid-June.
The ACADIA Board of Directors extends our warmest wishes to the entire membership and community as we all collectively adapt to the new realities and challenges in the weeks and months to come. We will continue to communicate via the ACADIA website and social media channels and welcome any input and feedback from our members. Please look to the 2020.acadia.org conference website for updates in the coming weeks.
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