This week, Luke Johnson will be participating at the AIA QUAD (Quality Unites Architectural Design) Conference on the panel titled “How to start a K-12 Program in Your Chapter.”

Luke’s expertise on this subject stems from his leadership as the Vice President of the Buffalo Architecture Foundation and Chair of Education Programming. He will be sharing his knowledge on Architecture + Education, an AIA National award-winning program to increase awareness and involvement in the built and natural environment and to use architecture as a multidisciplinary form of active learning.

Running biennially, the Architecture + Education program pairs practicing architects with Buffalo public school teachers and together, they come up with a curriculum to teach students math, science, history, art, and technology aligned with the Common Core through the lens of architecture.

Over the past 10 years, the program has been involved with 25 schools, 115 architects, and 115 classes, and over 3,500 students.  

(source: http://buffaloarchitecture.org/programs/architecture-education/ )

In addition to Luke, the panelists include:

  • Kelly Hayes McAlonie (current client and Director of Capital Planning at UB)
  • Paul McDonnell (current client and Director of Facilities for Buffalo Public Schools)
  • Beth Tauke (Professor at UB School of Architecture + Planning)
  • Raymond Beeler (Co-Founder of Gallin Beeler Design Studio and previous AIA NY State President)