Join us for Cocktails, Conversation, and Continuing Ed (the 3 C’s), presented by KV Workspace, where we sit down with area firms as they provide an in-depth analysis of their most prolific designs and their community impacts. Our event begins at 4 PM with a cocktail social at the AIA Center for Design (1000 Saint Charles Avenue), followed by the presentation and Q&A .

This month, Ian and Terri Dreyer of NANO LLC present A Guide to Thrive:

Within the current crisis of global climate change, we are forced to evaluate, reflect and ask ourselves, “Are the geographies, economies, infrastructures, and societies of yesterday and today adaptable for the environments of tomorrow?” Aiming to sustain what we have will not be enough for societies to thrive. Communities must become more self-reliant to ensure their prosperous resilient future. To enable these communities, action needs to be taken at all levels of planning, policies and decision making.

As the first architecture firm from the State of Louisiana to have ever been invited to exhibit at the 2021 Venice Biennale TIME SPACE EXISTENCE Exhibition, we capitalized on this “first” by developing an immersive installation, SUBMERGED EXPERIENCE, that highlights the similarities between New Orleans and Venice. A Guide to Thrive was developed in response to our participation at the Shaping the City Symposiums in Venice and Chicago.

As Architects in New Orleans, we feel and see the effects of climate change firsthand. Our city is at the forefront of climate change – from hurricanes, sea level rise and subsidence, to loss of biodiversity, temperature rise and failing infrastructure.

NANO proposes A Guide to Thrive, where Government, Society, Economy, and the Environment must all be considered holistically to effectively address a future where we are proactive in advancement of our cultures, communities, and cities. We present our developing design concept called “ARX”, which we are actively refining to implement as the first step in a long-term strategy to deal with the impacts of climate change.

About the Presenters:

With a Masters in Architecture and Bachelor of Interior Design and Environmental Design, Terri brings more than 35 years of experience and has successfully designed and managed both new construction and historic renovation projects valued at a total of over $250 million. A passionate community leader and advocate, Terri is involved in multiple local and national organizations in addition to being an exemplary leader within her firm, most notably serving as the 2020 President of AIA New Orleans where she succeeded by capturing a 330% increase in getting New Orleans Architecture firms to sign up for the AIA 2030 Challenge, one of her goals during her Presidency.

Ian Dreyer is the Co-owner and Founding Partner of NANO, bringing over 25 years of experience in the architecture, construction, and custom furniture design and fabrication fields. Ian’s ability to manage projects holistically while maintaining close attention to detail dovetails with NANO’s philosophy of “Detail at Every Scale.” This emphasis echoes through all phases of his roles from programming and schematic design through code analysis to oversight and quality control.

Building NANO from the ground up, Terri and Ian manage projects of various sizes and complexities, allowing them to integrate elaborate program requirements into successful building designs. Today, NANO is an internationally recognized, award-winning DBE/WBE firm that has made significant waves and precedents within the local, national, and international architectural community.

This presentation will offer 2 HSW credits. This event is free for members and Professional Affiliates, and $20 for non-member architects. We hope to see you there!