Call for Special Sessions

We invite educators, researchers, and practitioners to propose special sessions to the ACSA 115th Annual Meeting to Elevate the conference program. We welcome special session submissions across all areas of architecture and the built environment, including education, research, and practice, within the four submission categories: Action Session, Focus Session, Workshop, and Tour or Event. The call for special sessions aims to expand how the Annual Meeting can inspire, connect, and challenge participants. Special sessions can break the mold and do not need to conform to a single format, creative approaches are encouraged. Whether it’s one presenter, a dynamic panel, an open discussion, a heated debate, networking event, educational tour, or a blend of formats, this is an opportunity to design an experience that best brings your ideas to life.

All special sessions will take place in person and we will not be able to accommodate virtual or hybrid sessions. These sessions are not for research presentations (if Interested in presenting research, please see the Call for Submissions). Special sessions will be open to conference attendees and some workshops and tours may require an additional fee for attendees to attend to help cover program costs.

Special Session submissions will be reviewed by the ACSA115 Steering Committee. Selection is based on clarity, relevance, and contribution to the discipline of architecture and the built environment. Accepted participants are required to pay full conference registration for the Annual Meeting. ACSA will work with special session participants to secure external funding and registration support.

How to Submit

All special session submissions must be submitted though our online survey. Follow the steps below to complete your special session submission.

Go to the Online Survey
Select what type of special session you are proposing
Provide your full name, affiliation and email
Fill out the survey for your submission, provide leaning units and add in any presenters, panelist or organizer names.
Click the button to submit your special session.

Submissions will be reviewed by the Steering Committee and they make final decisions. All submitters will be notified of the status of their special session submission.

Submit a Special Session

Timeline

October 7, 2026	Special Sesion Deadline
November 2026	Special Session Notification
March 18-20, 2027	115th Annual Meeting

SPECIAL SESSION TYPES & REQUIREMENTS

ACTION SESSION

This category invites proposals for alternative formats for exchange beyond the panel session, tour, or workshop. We particularly invite proposals that challenge the status quo across architectural education and practice and that use the opportunity for in-person experiences to spark action, debate, forge collaboration, cultivate communities of practice, and enable people in the discipline to engage audiences beyond the academy. We encourage proposers to describe longer term outcomes that might result from these sessions.

Submission Requirements:

Title
Abstract (100 words maximum). This will be used for session promotion and the conference program.
Description (300 words maximum). Outline the topics covered and intended audience, the session format or means of engaging the audience, the session length, and anything else the committee might need to understand the proposal.
Presenters & biographies (300 words maximum for all presenters)

FOCUS SESSION

Focus Sessions are 90-minute sessions that provide a forum or roundtable for critical discussion around a focused topic. They typically involve a panel of two or more individuals. One session organizer is responsible for submitting the proposal, organizing the group, moderating the session, and leading the discussion.

Submission Requirements:

Title
Abstract (100 words maximum). This will be used for session promotion and the conference program.
Description (300 words maximum). Outline the session format or means of engaging the audience, the topics covered, and intended audience.
Four (4) Learning Objectives for continuing education
Presenters & biographies (300 words maximum for all presenters)

WORKSHOP

Workshops are interactive sessions that provide participants targeted skills, knowledge, or interactions that they can use beyond the conference. Workshops should be designed to collaboratively explore a particular issue or deliver an educational tutorial on a particular theme. An individual or a team may propose a workshop, provided one individual is the team’s lead or organizer. Workshops may be 90-minute concurrent sessions, half-day (4-hours), or full-day (8-hours),. They may use a variety of formats (e.g., presentations, working sessions, tours) to engage a defined audience of attendees. Architecture faculty comprise the primary audience for the Annual Meeting. However, we welcome proposals for workshops that might attract part-time faculty, practitioners, and students across disciplines.

Submission Requirements:

Title
Abstract (100 words maximum). This will be used for workshop promotion and the conference program.
Description (300 words maximum). Outline the workshop format or means of engaging the audience, the topics covered, and the outcomes that audience members will take away.
Four (4) Learning Objectives for continuing education
Presenters & Biographies (300 words maximum for all presenters)
Submitters must indicate if the proposal is for minutes, 3.5 hours or 8-hours.

TOUR OR EVENT

Tours allow attendees to explore and learn about the city, region, or heritage. They can be sites of architectural and/or historical importance or focus on a theme. Past tours have focused on local and/or unique architecture, landscapes, affordable housing, community and design-build projects. Tours may be proposed as: lunch tours (2-hours & includes a quick meal option), half-day (4-hours), or full-day (8-hours & includes a meal option). An event proposal may take many forms, including a community-driven initiative, a networking-focused gathering, or a curated exhibition. Proposals can highlight opportunities to engage participants through collaboration, foster meaningful professional connections, or showcase innovative ideas, and creative work.

Submission Requirements:

Title
Abstract (100 words maximum). This will be used for tour promotion and the conference program.
Description (300 words maximum). Outline the format, objectives: areas covered, and attendee engagement. Also include all sites to be visited and transportation (if required)
Four (4) Learning Objectives for continuing education
Guides & Biographies (300 words maximum)
Submitters must indicate if the proposal is a (2-hours), half-day (4-hours), or full-day (8-hours)

Submit a Special Session