Association for Computer Aided Design In Architecture


The Association for Computer Aided Design In Architecture is a 501 non-profit organization active in the area of computer-aided architectural design.

Mission statement

Begun in 1981, the organization's objectives are recorded in its bylaws:
"ACADIA was formed for the purpose of facilitating communication and information exchange regarding the use of computers in architecture, planning and building science. A particular focus is education and the software, hardware and pedagogy involved in education."

"The organization is also committed to the research and development of computer aides that enhance design creativity, rather than simply production, and that aim at contributing to the construction of humane physical environments."

Membership

Membership is open to anyone who subscribes to the objectives of the organization, including architects, educators, and software developers, whether resident in North America or not. An online membership registration form and directory is available via the organization.
The organization is primarily governed by the elected Board of Directors. The organization is led by the elected President, who presides over Board of Directors meetings, but does not vote except in the case of a tie.

Presidents (elected)

Activities

Annual conference

ACADIA sponsors an annual national conference, held in the autumn of each year at a different site in North America. Papers for the conferences undergo extensive blind review before being accepted for presentation. Membership is not a prerequisite for submission of a paper.
YearCity, State/ProvinceCountryHost universityConference theme
4th1985Tempe, ArizonaUSA
5th1986Houston, TexasUSA
6th1987Raleigh, North CarolinaUSAIntegrating Computers into the Architectural Curriculum
7th1988Ann Arbor, MichiganUSAComputing in Design Education
8th1989Gainesville, FloridaUSANew Ideas and Directions for the 1990s
9th1990Big Sky, MontanaUSAFrom Research to Practice
10th1991Los Angeles, CaliforniaUSAReality and Virtual Reality
11th1992Charleston, South CarolinaUSAMission - Method - Madness
12th1993TexasUSAEducation and Practice: The Critical Interface
13th1994Saint Louis, MissouriUSAWashington UniversityReconnecting
14th1995Seattle, WashingtonUSAUniversity of WashingtonComputing in Design - Enabling, Capturing and Sharing Ideas
15th1996Tucson, ArizonaUSADesign Computation: Collaboration, Reasoning, Pedagogy
16th1997Cincinnati, OhioUSAUniversity of CincinnatiDesign and Representation
17th1998Québec City, QuébecCanadaDigital Design Studios: Do Computers Make a Difference?
18th1999Salt Lake City, UtahUSAMedia and Design Process
19th2000Washington D.CUSAEternity, Infinity and Virtuality in Architecture
20th2001Buffalo, New YorkUSAReinventing the Discourse - How Digital Tools Help Bridge and Transform Research, Education and Practice in Architecture
21st2002Pomona, CaliforniaUSAThresholds - Design, Research, Education and Practice, in the Space Between the Physical and the Virtual
22nd2003Indianapolis, IndianaUSAConnecting >> Crossroads of Digital Discourse
23rd2004Cambridge, OntarioCanadaFabrication: Examining the Digital Practice of Architecture
24th2005Savannah, GeorgiaUSASmart Architecture: Integration of Digital and Building Technologies
25th2006Louisville, KentuckyUSAUniversity of KentuckySynthetic Landscapes
26th2007Halifax, Nova ScotiaCanadaDalhousie University & NSCAD UniversityExpanding Bodies
27th2008Minneapolis, MinnesotaUSAUniversity of MinnesotaSilicon + Skin: Biological Processes and Computation
28th2009Chicago, IllinoisUSASchool of the Art Institute of ChicagoreForm: Building a Better Tomorrow
29th2010New York, New YorkUSAThe Cooper Union & Pratt InstituteLife in:Formation
30th2011Calgary/Banff, AlbertaCanadaUniversity of CalgaryIntegration Through Computation
31st2012San Francisco, CaliforniaUSACalifornia College of the Arts & UCSFSynthetic Digital Ecologies
32nd2013Cambridge, OntarioCanadaUniversity of WaterlooAdaptive Architecture
33rd2014Los Angeles, CaliforniaUSAUniversity of Southern CaliforniaDesign Agency
34th2015Cincinnati, OhioUSAUniversity of CincinnatiComputational Ecologies: Design in the Anthropocene
35th2016Ann Arbor, MichiganUSAUniversity of MichiganPosthuman Frontiers: Data, Designers And Cognitive Machines
36th2017Cambridge, MassachusettsUSAMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyDisciplines & Disruptions

Proceedings

Each year the conference papers are gathered into a proceedings publication which is distributed to members, and available to the public via the open access database CumInCAD.

Awards

Started in 1998, ACADIA Awards of Excellence are "the highest award that can be achieved in the field of architectural computing". The awards are given in areas of practice, teaching, research and service, with at most one award in each category per year. Past awards have recognized various significant contributors to the field of architectural computing.
The current awards given annually or biannually are the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Digital Practice Award of Excellence, the Innovative Academic Program Award of Excellence, the Innovative Research Award of Excellence, the Society Award for Leadership, and the Teaching Award of Excellence.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Digital Practice Award of Excellence

Innovative Academic Program Award of Excellence

History

Related organizations

Sister organizations

There are four sister organizations around the world to provide a more accessible regional forum for discussion of computing and design. The major ones are