ADC: Past, Present, and Future Programming
- Clementine Kornder
- Nov 1
- 5 min read
At the Atlanta Architecture and Design Center (ADC), our programming has always been guided by one question: How can design be made relevant, engaging, and accessible for professionals, enthusiasts, and everyday people across our city? Over time, our events have evolved—what started as conversations among professionals has grown into a thriving suite of programs that bridge the gap between the built environment, design professionals, and the citizens of Atlanta. Below is a look at where we’ve been, where we are now, and where we’re headed.
Past
Our earlier programs laid the groundwork for truly inclusive design engagement:
Design Forum Series – By 2024, the ADC had convened seven of these events. Each forum brings a diverse group of speakers and stakeholders around a theme such as sustainability, Atlanta development, women in design, or design’s role in local government. These gatherings foster dialogue between professionals and the community and help translate complex design topics into accessible conversation.
Atlanta–Fulton County Public Library Central Branch – Our participation in design input for the renovation of this landmark building (designed by Marcel Breuer) underscores how design literacy can pivot into real civic change. The library is a Brutalist landmark and an architectural icon. By working to highlight key design features and the legacy of the building for the public, we helped bring architecture into civic view and encourage Atlantans to engage with the space around them.
Georgia Design Archive Partnership – In alliance with the American Institute of Architects Georgia Chapter and Georgia Institute of Technology, we initiated this archive project to preserve architecture and design records in Georgia. Such archiving enables research, exhibitions, lectures, and community-facing programming—ensuring that design heritage is not hidden behind professional doors but available to all.
Shoptalk Podcast – Through interviews with local design professionals and advocates released via our blog, Facebook, and newsletters, we’ve worked to raise awareness of Atlanta’s design heritage and provide an “insider look” at how designers see the world and their role in shaping it. This transparency helps demystify design for non-professionals.
Design + Dining – A collaboration with AIA Atlanta, this event celebrated Atlanta’s dynamic restaurant scene while exploring how design creates those built environments. By combining social gatherings with design discourse, we brought design conversations into everyday spaces.
Bridgescape Competition – To raise the quality of design in Atlanta’s built environment, ADC partnered with Central Atlanta Progress, Midtown Alliance, and AIA Atlanta to create a design competition for pedestrian environments over the city’s highway system. This is a powerful example of how professional-level design thinking can be made visible and impactful for the broader community.
These “past” efforts show how we've moved from professional-centric programming into more broadly accessible public engagement. They strengthened our foundation and taught us how to translate design for the larger community—moving from theory into action.
Present
Today, ADC’s programming reflects both our professional roots and our commitment to public engagement, with events that invite everyone to participate:
Inman Park Parade with two upcycled cardboard building costumes (The Flatiron and The High Museum) – This playful engagement brings architecture and design into street culture, making design tangible, fun, and visible.
Atlanta Streets Alive – By participating in this event, we place design in a larger context of city life, public transit, and the built environment. It’s a moment where the design community, professionals, and everyday Atlantans share public space.
Atlanta Daily Design Calendar – We created a Google calendar listing design events across the metro area, shared via a bi-monthly newsletter. This aggregation of event details and links enables both professionals and the general public to stay connected with what’s happening in design across Atlanta.
ASHA Advisory Community Billboards – We designed and submitted a billboard promoting our “Top 25 Buildings” list, helping elevate design visibility in public media and encouraging citizens to engage with built-environment markers around them.
Meet the ADC Holiday Mixer – A festive and collaborative event bringing together allied fields, partners, new board members, community leaders, and the ADC board for a night of design-focused conversation and food.
These current initiatives illustrate how we are shifting from “talk about design” to “experience design” and “participate in design”—engaging both professionals and citizens in a shared conversation.
Future
Looking ahead, we’re planning bold, inclusive, and interactive programming that continues our mission of design for all:
Winter 2026 Design Forum – Affordability and Density – A timely topic that connects design professionals, policy makers, and residents around one of Atlanta’s most pressing design challenges.
Book donation / Design Book Library – We want to create a design book library, supported by community book donations and housed within a partner organization, business, or little free library. This project fosters design literacy for all.
South Downtown Dining by Design – A special evening featuring Atlanta’s historic and revitalized South Downtown neighborhood with a guided architectural tour and dinner, connecting the city’s rich design heritage with its vibrant culinary scene.
Fireside with the Mayor – A dialogic event that brings together civic leadership, design organizations, and the public to discuss design’s role in shaping Atlanta.
Jane’s Walks – In partnership with MODA or the Atlanta Preservation Center, these volunteer-led neighborhood walks engage citizens in discovering design and architecture in their own backyards.
Parking Day – A fun and hands-on event where a parking space is transformed into a temporary design lover’s fantasy space—inviting citizens and professionals alike to rethink urban space.
Scarecrows in the Garden – Hosted at the Atlanta Botanical Garden in August/September, this event links architecture, landscape design, and community art in a public celebration.
L5P Halloween Parade – Cardboard building costumes of iconic Atlanta architecture – Blending costume culture, community festivity, and architectural storytelling to bring design into everyday celebration.
Meet the ADC Holiday Mixer – A festive and collaborative event bringing together allied fields, partners, new board members, community leaders, and the ADC board for a night of design-focused conversation and food.
These programs are just a few of the ideas we would like to initiate in 2026. Our board is still reviewing these ideas for mission alignment, funding, and support. In a perfect world, we'd be able to do it all, but in today's climate, we are aiming to do 5 of these at the very least.
Bringing It All Together
The thread that runs through our past, present, and future programming is the belief that design is not just for professionals—it’s for everyone. From early forum series to current street festivals, from archived design documents to fun public parades, ADC has consistently worked to make design accessible, engaging, and empowering. In doing so, we help sustain culture, build community, and improve livelihoods by equipping people with the knowledge and vocabulary to shape their surroundings.
If you’ve attended one of our events, subscribed to our newsletter, or just followed our work, you’re part of the movement to rethink how design connects with everyday life. We hope you’ll join us in the next chapter—because design done well benefits all of us.
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