This year marks the 16th annual symposium of the Custom Residential Architects Network. As an event planning group, we rotate the gathering through different regions of the country, reflecting our national presence. This year takes us to San Antonio in southcentral Texas, September 23 to 26. San Antonio is about 80 miles south-southwest of Austin and is considered the northern gateway to South Texas. Here, we will explore the development of “Legacy”—the legacy of place, of space, and of the people who have made San Antonio’s vibrant residential architecture what it is today.
Those of us who dedicate ourselves to making custom residential architecture know how rewarding and challenging it can be. We engage with art, history, climate, and social issues daily. The CRAN volunteers of the Advisory Group and Executive Committee, along with the local San Antonio chapter, have organized a symposium schedule as diverse as our practices.
It begins on Wednesday afternoon with a roundtable discussion by architects designing their own homes and the lessons learned, followed by networking dinners. Thursday offers a full slate of engaging speakers and educational opportunities, from academic to practice. Thursday morning begins with Helen Thompson. Helen is a nationally recognized writer with numerous architectural books to her credit. Her session is titled “Roots of Relevance: Vernacular Modernism and the Evolution of a New American Architecture.”
We continue with Evan Morris, AIA, a partner at the award-winning firm Lake Flato. Kathryn O’Rourke, an author and professor of art and history at Wellesley College, will present the work and legacy of Texas regionalist architect O’Neil Ford. Landscape architect Christine Ten Eyck will discuss her firm’s work and the interaction between architects and landscape architects.
San Antonio-based architect Jim Poteet, FAIA, will discuss his firm’s adaptive reuse work in design and urban revitalization. Austin-based architects Peter Pfeiffer, FAIA, and Alan Barley, AIA, of Barley-Pfeiffer Architecture, will discuss their careers as climate-responsive architects in a session titled “Let the Land Lead.”
This year, Carole Wedge, FAIA, will also join our symposium. Carole is the executive vice president and CEO of the American Institute of Architects. She will share what the AIA is doing for residential architects and how residential architects play a unique role in creating homes for people, not just housing.
Learn about the builder’s perspective on constructing custom projects. Also, see what emerging trends and innovations are coming in building technology, AI, landscape, lighting, and more.
San Antonio has a uniquely rich architectural heritage, and we are excited to present its legacy of Western architecture, with roots in the Bauhaus, indigenous materials, and a rugged climate and terrain. Together, these influences form a distinctive aesthetic that begins in the West and now extends far beyond it. We will meet at the Westin Riverwalk in the city’s energetic downtown area for educational sessions, home tours, cocktail receptions, and networking dinners. As always, we cannot thank our sponsors enough. CRAN continues to represent the very best of our profession, and we hope to see you there.
Register for AIA CRAN Symposium 2026.
CRAN 2026 Home Tours
Learn more about the projects attendees will have the opportunity to visit:
