1. London Calling

If, for some reason, you’re not attending the 2013 AIA National Convention in Denver this month, and instead happen to find yourself in London, the London Festival of Architecture (LFA) is a sure bet. LFA matches the usual building tours, lectures, and events with “LFA Fringe,” a series of separate programs organized by individual firms and artists. Now in its ninth year, LFA is sponsored in part by RIBA London, New London Architecture, the British Council, and the Architecture Foundation.

Learn more at londonfestivalofarchitecture.org.

2. Happy Campers

Ah, summer. For kids, the word evokes warmer weather, beach trips, and the drone of cicadas. Most of all, it means no school. For parents, it evokes an early-spring scramble to jury-rig daily activities for their kids during the work day. Camp continues to be a good solution, and a camp that addresses the built environment is surely the best solution of all. During most of the month of June, AIA Columbus will hold its annual Camp Architecture for grades 3–5 (June 10–14), grades 6–8 (June 17–21), and grades 9–10 (June 24–28) at Arch City’s own Center for Architecture and Design.

Learn more at aiacolumbus.org.

3. Bare Bones

Wood, steel, and bronze are elemental materials in the sense that they’re easily recognizable in their raw forms, but also easily transmuted so that they are barely recognizable. For James Surls, a native Texan and sculptor (by way of Cranbrook and, now, Colorado), to disguise wood, steel, and bronze is to abuse and diminish them. His work—largely composed of familiar forms in the landscape such as stalks and leaves, crystalline snowflakes, or a simple cabin—operates at a variety of scales and, in this way, speaks directly to the work that architects undertake. Join AIA Houston to celebrate Surls, its 2012 Artist of the Year, with an exhibition at the Architecture Center Houston, June 13–July 19.

Learn more at aiahouston.org.

4. What’s Up, Doc?

Do you have a small commercial or residential project and are unsure which AIA contract is most appropriate? Click over to the new “Guide to AIA Contract Documents for Small Projects,” available starting June 20. Developed with input and recommendations from small project practitioners and residential practitioners, this guide is sure to become an essential resource.

Download your free guide at aia.org/contractdoc/smallprojects.

5. Delineations

In her teaching and public lectures, Sacramento-based architect Linda Kiisk, AIA, explores the phenomenological aspects of design: how artists see, how artists interpret what they’re seeing, and how artists translate that perception into work. Kiisk will speak later this summer on the act of drawing, and she will also orchestrate an audience drawing session that will measure perception and response. “Sight Design: How Architects Learn” is presented by AIA Redwood Empire and the AIA Custom Residential Architects Network.

Learn more at aiare.org.