Architecture is the discipline that gives form to possibility. It balances vision with practicality, translating ideas into buildings that respond to people, place, purpose, and performance. Throughout that process, architects continually synthesize technical requirements, aesthetic intent, and interdisciplinary collaboration into a unified whole. The architectural presentations featured at the 2026 Tilt-Up Convention & Expo reflect that thoughtful integration.
As the second installment in our Shared Ascent education preview series, The Architect’s Perspective explores the ideas shaping this year’s architectural program. While each presentation examines a distinct project or topic, together they demonstrate how architects continue to expand the role of tilt-up construction through collaboration, innovation, and design leadership.
Supporting the Architect’s Perspective
The Tilt-Up Concrete Association gratefully acknowledges Needham DBS and SureBuilT Concrete Forms & Accessories for their support of Shared Ascent | The Architect’s Perspective. Their commitment to advancing architectural excellence and professional education helps make this year’s Convention program possible while fostering the exchange of ideas that continues to strengthen the tilt-up industry.
Architecture in Practice
This year’s architectural presentations examine the decisions that shape projects long before construction begins. Case studies explore educational facilities, integrated project delivery, sustainable design strategies, and the lasting influence of architectural decisions on building performance and community impact. Rather than presenting architecture as an isolated discipline, these sessions demonstrate how successful projects emerge through early collaboration among architects, engineers, contractors, manufacturers, suppliers, and owners.
That collaborative perspective extends beyond the education sessions themselves. Convention project tours provide an opportunity to experience many of the featured projects firsthand, connecting design intent with the completed work and offering valuable context for the ideas explored throughout the program.
The conversation continues with a special presentation of Schindler Space Architect, a documentary exploring the life and work of pioneering modern architect Rudolph M. Schindler. His Kings Road House in Los Angeles remains one of the earliest and most influential architectural applications of site-cast concrete wall panels, illustrating how an innovative construction system became inseparable from an equally innovative architectural vision. Following the screening, writer, director, producer, and editor Valentina Ganeva will join attendees for a discussion exploring Schindler’s enduring legacy and the continuing relationship between architectural vision and construction innovation.
Collectively, these experiences illustrate an important characteristic of architecture within the tilt-up industry: design is never developed in isolation. Every architectural decision informs engineering, construction, manufacturing, and ownership, just as those disciplines continually refine and strengthen architectural intent. The most successful projects are not the product of a single perspective, but of many perspectives working toward a shared objective.
That interdisciplinary exchange is the foundation of Shared Ascent. The architects and featured voices contributing to this year’s education program represent one perspective within a broader conversation that continues throughout the Convention as engineers, contractors, manufacturers, suppliers, and owners contribute their own expertise. Together, those conversations move the industry forward—not through individual achievements alone, but through the collective advancement of design, construction, and innovation.
Future installments in the Shared Ascent series will explore how contractors, manufacturers, suppliers, and industry leaders each contribute their own perspective to the continued evolution of tilt-up construction.
Featured Voices
- David Cox, AIA, NCARB — VCBO Architects
- Erica Godun, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, Fitwel — Ware Malcomb
- Todd Kesler, AIA — Method Studio
- Brian Peterson, AIA — VCBO Architects
- Terance White, AIA — Naylor Wentworth Lund Architects
- Erika Winters-Downey, S.E., LEED AP BD+C — LJC Design & Engineering
- Valentina Ganeva — Writer, Director, Producer, and Editor, Schindler Space Architect
Continue Exploring the Program
Shared Ascent | The Architect’s Perspective offers just one perspective within the education program featured at the 2026 Tilt-Up Convention & Expo. Explore the complete lineup of seminars, featured speakers, networking events, tours, and special programs as you begin planning your Convention experience.
The 2026 Tilt-Up Convention & Expo will be held October 21–23, 2026, at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Visit tilt-up.org for complete seminar descriptions, speaker biographies, registration information, hotel accommodations, and the latest event updates.
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