AIA East Tennessee

Situation: The East Tennessee chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIAETN) did not have a strong presence in the Knoxville community. The chapter also wanted to increase the value of membership, but was working with limited resources.

Solution: In order to increase awareness of AIAETN, Asen developed Architecture Week – a calendar of events with sponsorships for funding

• The focus for 2007 was award-winning architecture. The program featured a driving tour with accompanying map, an exhibit at the Knoxville Museum of Art and coverage of the event in local publications.


• The focus for 2008 was green building and sustainable architecture. The program included a special insert in The Knoxville News Sentinel, a free showing of a Frank Ghery movie at the Regal Rivera, an exhibit at the Knoxville Museum of Art and a free tour of a LEED certified building at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.


• 2009’s event took place in conjunction with the state convention. The theme was “Designs on the Future, Plans to Reality” and highlighted collaborative design and planning processes between the chapter’s architects and the MPC. Projects were featured in a special insert in The Knoxville News Sentinel. Asen created banners were created for downtown streetlamps to commemorate the week.

Success: Working with the AIAETN board, Asen continues to increase community awareness as well as membership for AIAETN. Architecture Week has become a celebrated annual event.