Calendar of Events

National Building Museum Programs & Exhibits. The National Building Museum in Washington, DC, offers a series of exhibits and programs throughout the year on topics dealing with architectural design and building. Many of the programs qualify for AIA continuing-education units. Current exhibitions include “Cityscapes Revealed: Highlights from the Collection,” a study of the building materials, architectural styles and construction practices that defined urban America from the late-19th through mid-20th centuries. The building itself is worth the visit, and 45-minute walk-in tours are offered daily. For details on current programs and a tour schedule, go to www.nbm.org.

International Builders Show, February 8-11, 2012. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is holding its annual show in Orlando, FL, at the Orange County Convention Center. Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke will be the keynote speaker. For more information, go to www.buildersshow.com.

NOMMA’s 2012 Metalfab Education Expo & Exchange, February 29 - March 3, 2012. The National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association (NOMMA) will host its annual convention at the Doubletree Hotel in Orlando, FL. The theme, “Moving Forward in a Changing Economy,” will focus on the business aspect of the metalwork industry as well as demonstrations of the latest technology. For more information and to register, visit www.nomma.org. 

Structural Evaluation and Repair of Timber-Frame Structures, March 29-30, 2012. Offered by the Preservation Education Institute, Windsor, VT. For more information, call Judy Hayward, 802-674-6752, or go to www.preservationworks.org.

National Trust for Historic Preservation National Main Streets Conference, April 1-4, 2012. Baltimore, MD, will host the 2012 National Main Street Conference. The theme is “Rediscover Main Street.” For more information, go to www.preservationnation.org.

Society of Architectural Historians Annual Meeting & Exhibition, April 18-22, 2012. The Society of Architectural Historians will host its annual meeting at the Cobo Conference/Exhibition Center in Detroit, MI. The event will feature speaker sessions of new scholarly and critical research, as well as local and regional study tours of the host city. For more information, visit www.sah.org.

ICAA’s Guided Tour: The Architectural Treasures of Cuba, April 15-22, 2012. Through the People to People travel program, which was created by the Obama administration to give Americans the opportunity to visit Cuba legally for the first time in eight years, Cuba Cultural Travel and Classical Excursions has organized a guided tour for ICAA members. The itinerary includes tours of Havana (a Unesco World Heritage site since 1982), the Capitolio Nacional, Gran Teatro and more. For more information, visit www.classicist.org.

Wood Window Workshop, April 27, 2012. Abatron is sponsoring a one-day workshop on wood restoration led by John Leeke and Neal Vogel. It will emphasize windows and will present the new Nationl Window Preservation Standards. It will be held at the Kemper Center, 6501 Third Ave., Kenosha, WI 53143. For more information and to register, call 800-445-1754.

CNU 20 Conference, May 9-12, 2012. The Congress for the New Urbanism will host its 20th annual conference in West Palm Beach, FL. Inspired by the challenges of peak oil, climate change, wealth disparity and the global economic crisis, the conference theme, “New World,” will confront challenges, share interdisciplinary strategies and define problem-solving solutions using New Urbanist principles. For more information, visit www.cnu20.org.

AIA 2012 National Convention and Design Exposition, May 17-19, 2012. The AIA 2011 National Convention & Design Exposition will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. For more information, visit www.aia.org.

SGAA Annual Summer Conference, June 11-13, 2012. Next year’s Stained Glass Association of America’s summer conference will be in Kansas City, MO. The event theme will focus on, “The Art of Glass,” and will feature a tour of medieval and contemporary stained-glass exhibits at the Nelson-Atkins Museum. For registration and conference updates, visit www.stainedglass.org/html/SGAAconference.htm.

International Preservation Trades Workshop & APT Conference, September 30-October 3, 2012. The Preservation Trades Network and the Association for Preservation Technology International will host their 2012 annual conferences together at Francis Marion Hotel in Charleston, SC. The event will focus on the organizations’ overlapping philosophies to define a new approach between the preservation trades and technologies. For more information, visit www.iptw.org or www.apti.org.

National Trust for Historic Preservation National Conference, October 30-November 3, 2012. The 66th annual National Preservation Conference will be held in Spokane, WA. For more information, go to www.preservationnation.org.

Greenbuild 2012, November 14-16, 2012. Greenbuild’s international conference and expo will be hosted in San Francisco, CA. It is dedicated to green building products and services and will feature three days of educational sessions, green building tours and seminars. For more information, visit www.greenbuildexpo.org.

Preservation Education Programs. Throughout the year, the Preservation Education Institute, a program of Vermont-based Historic Windsor, Inc., offers workshops on various preservation skills, technologies and practices for building and design professionals, property owners and others. This year, courses include wood carving, plaster repair, window repair and timber-frame evaluation and repair. For a complete listing of current programs, go to www.preservationworks.org or contact Judy Hayward at 802-674-6752.

Wood-Carving Workshops. Classically trained master wood-carver Dimitrios Klitsas conducts classes in wood carving at his studio in Hampden, MA, for novices as well as professionals looking to take their skills to the highest level. Classes are available for both group and individual instruction. For more details, go to www.klitsas.com or call 413-566-5301.

Workshops on Historical Lime Mortars. A comprehensive two-day course details the hows and whys of using lime putty mortars for re-pointing historic masonry. The workshop combines lectures and laboratory work with hands-on lime slaking and re-pointing all different types of historic masonry walls. For course schedules and registration details, call 773-286-2100 or go to www.usheritage.com/events.htm.

Woodworking Classes. The North Bennet Street School holds woodworking classes, including fine woodworking and preservation carpentry, year-round in Boston, MA. Class size is limited to 14. Bench space, materials and shop supplies are provided for most classes. Visit www.nbss.org/workshops/schedule.asp or contact program director Janet A. Collins at workshop@nbss.org or call 617-227-9292.