Alex Schofield

ACADIA Conference Host Call for 2028

The Association for Computer-Aided Design in Architecture (ACADIA) announces a call for preliminary Letters of Interest to host, organize and chair ACADIA's annual North American conference, to take place in late October or early November of 2028.

ACADIA is opening this call in advance to give host teams ample time to plan and prepare. Planning ahead helps ensure the success of each conference and the long-term health of the organization.

The ACADIA conference represents the benchmark for computational research in architecture, showcasing the most advanced work in academia and practice. We are seeking a diverse and motivated team to lead all aspects of the conference. Proposals may be submitted by a single host institution or by a collaboration of multiple institutions and partner organizations. ACADIA is committed to increasing access and diversity at our annual conferences through creative proposals that promote critical and engaged perspectives toward computational design in architecture.

This call represents Phase 1 of the selection process. Applicants are invited to submit preliminary Letters of Interest outlining their vision for the conference by July 13, 2026. Following review of submissions, the ACADIA Steering Committee will notify up to three finalists by July 24, 2026. Finalists will then be asked to submit a more detailed Phase 2 proposal by September 18, 2026, which will include a conference budget developed in consultation with ACADIA leadership. The final selection of conference host for 2028 will be made by a vote of the ACADIA Board of Directors.

The 2026 ACADIA Conference will be held in Detroit, hosted by Lawrence Technological University. More information is available at 2026.acadia.org. The 2027 ACADIA Conference location and host are TBD. The team selected to host the 2028 conference will be expected to attend the 2027 conference to announce and promote their upcoming event. To support this, the selected team will receive two complimentary full conference registrations.

Submission Requirements

Letters of Interest should be submitted in PDF format (up to 3 pages, 12-point text, no images or graphics). A detailed budget is not required at this stage. Submissions should include the following information.

The name of the proposed Host Institution or collaborating institutions, location (City, State) and website links. A brief description of institutional support should confirm the initial endorsement of a key administrator such as a Dean, Associate Dean or Department Chair at each participating institution, and name other potential local supporters or collaborators.

The name, email address and a short biography of the proposed Conference Site Chair or Co-Chairs. The Site Chair(s) must be affiliated with the Host Institution or one of the collaborating institutions. Responsibilities include close collaboration with the ACADIA Steering Committee and Technical Chairs, attending the 2027 ACADIA Conference to announce the upcoming event, coordinating logistics and communications, managing budgets, sponsors and publicity, arranging venues, meals and tours, overseeing speaker and awardee arrangements, and appointing workshop and exhibition coordinators.

The names, email addresses and short biographies of two proposed Technical Chairs. Technical Chairs are responsible for developing the conference title, themes, and calls for Full Papers, Work-in-Progress Papers and Projects, and Field Notes; coordinating the peer-review and publication process; corresponding with authors; managing the presentation schedule; and supporting fundraising and publicity efforts.

A preliminary Conference Title and Theme Description. Submissions should identify potential keynote speakers and explain their relevance to the proposed theme. Applicants should describe how their proposed conference would build upon past and upcoming ACADIA conferences while contributing new and innovative research directions to the field.

Letters should be addressed to the ACADIA President and submitted by email to president@acadia.org no later than July 13, 2026, at 11:59 PM Anywhere on Earth (AoE). Applicants are encouraged to contact the ACADIA President with any questions prior to submission.

ACADIA Conference Organization FAQs

Submissions and Acceptance Rates

Each year, ACADIA typically receives approximately 200 Full Paper submissions and 100 Work-in-Progress Paper submissions, with an acceptance rate of around 28% for these categories. In addition, about 100 Project submissions are received with an acceptance rate of 30-40%, along with 30 Field Notes submissions with an average acceptance rate of 33%. The Technical Chairs oversee the peer-review process, typically utilizing Scholastica.

Registration and Attendance

Attendance at recent in-person ACADIA conferences has ranged between 280 and 320 participants, depending on the location and accessibility of the host city. Online and hybrid events have drawn over 1,000 attendees, largely due to increased international student participation through scholarship programs. Historically, about two-thirds of attendees register as academics and professionals, and one-third as students. Conferences typically include 6-14 pre-conference workshops, attracting 12-15 participants each. In order for papers and projects to be included in the conference proceedings, at least one author per submission must register for the conference at full price. Event registration is typically managed through Eventbrite.

Budget and Sponsorship

A detailed budget is not required for Phase 1. Finalists invited to Phase 2 will meet with ACADIA leadership to develop a comprehensive budget for inclusion in their full proposal. Once selected, the Conference Chairs will continue working closely with ACADIA's Development Officer, Steering Committee and Treasurer to refine and execute the budget. This budget must cover all conference and organizer expenses while generating a surplus to fund initiatives such as student scholarships, discounted tickets, awards, insurance and other operational costs.