Designing Conversations:
AIA Hawai‘i Book Club (2 HSWs)
Each quarter, we’ll gather around a book tangential to architecture—think design, culture, place, history, climate, or the forces that shape the built environment in unexpected ways. The event features a compelling guest speaker who will draw out the book’s big ideas and connect them to practice in Hawaiʻi, all hosted at a cool, thoughtfully chosen venue.
Whether you’ve read every page, skimmed the introduction, or are just coming for the conversation, the AIA Hawaiʻi Book Club is about shared curiosity and expanding how we think about our work and our world.
Book Club Q3: At Hawaii Nature Center's Rain Shelter!
For our third Book Club, we have chosen “What If We Get It Right: Visions of Climate Futures" by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson.
A SMITHSONIAN BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR! Sometimes, the bravest thing we can do when facing an existential crisis is to imagine life on the other side. This provocative and joyous book maps an inspiring landscape of possible climate futures.
Through clear-eyed essays and vibrant conversations, infused with data, poetry, and art, Ayana guides us through solutions and possibilities at the nexus of science, policy, culture, and justice. Visionary farmers and financiers, architects and advocates, help us conjure a flourishing future, one worth the effort it will take—from every one of us, with whatever we have to offer—to create.
With grace, humor, and humanity, Johnson invites readers to ask and answer this ultimate question together: What if we get it right?
Where to get the book? You can find the book at your local library, bookstore or online.
Good News: You do NOT have to read the book to attend. Join us for an engaging conversation designed for anyone curious about architecture and its broader context.
Moderated by Kirsten Oleson, Professor of Ecological Economics at UH Manoa.
Read bio.
We plan to use the “Reading Guide” provided by the author, with an emphasis on the If We Build It section.
When: September 26, 2026 from 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Where: Hawaii Nature Center’s Rain Shelter, 2131 Makiki Heights Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822
CEU: This session qualifies for 2 AIA/CES (HSW)
Max: 30 attendees
Cost: Free
Parking: Free
Please bring your own lawn chair(s).
RSVP for Book Club #3
"*" indicates required fields
Mahalo Centennial Club Sponsors
