AIA Philadelphia is changing its location. “We have been at 1218 Arch Street for 17 years. We love the space,” said Danielle DiLeo Kim, AIA board president and founder of DDK Urban Consulting. So why the move? A substantial amount of AIA’s income came from renting event space and leasing its basement to a printing company. When the organization lost its main tenant, and the pandemic slammed the brakes on events, the numbers did not crunch.

In February 2025, AIA voted to sell its building, not knowing where they would land. “We wanted to get out of the business of owning and managing an event space so we could better focus on serving our professional membership and our mission to serve the public,” said DiLeo Kim.

As the second oldest AIA chapter in the nation, as well as one of the largest, representing 250 architectural firms and 1,500 architects, AIA Philadelphia does not make sudden moves. Founded in 1869 on the third floor of the Athenaeum of Philadelphia, AIA waited almost 100 years before relocating in 1966 to the Architects Building, 117 S. 17th Street, a 24-story Art Deco office tower built in 1930 (now the Hotel Palomar). The alluring AIA bookstore/gift shop at 17th and Sansom Streets did a thriving business. It would be 42 years before AIA moved to 1218 Arch Street.

Meanwhile, Lindsey Scannapieco, founding partner of Scout Urban Design, the firm behind the creative and successful repurposing of Bok Technical High School, was bidding on former University of the Arts buildings. She was hoping to reproduce Bok’s success on Avenue of the Arts, but the competition, including a Miami residential developer, had deep pockets.

“We’ve known Lindsey for a long time and were following her on social media,” said Rebecca Johnson, AIA executive director. “We were afraid the historic UArts buildings would be turned into condos. We advocated and supported Lindsey’s bid to win the property in bankruptcy court.”

With political support from City Council, and a $8+ million bridge loan from an unknown investor, Scout’s $12.25 million bid succeeded. AIA didn’t waste time. A tour of Hamilton Hall at 320 S. Broad Street, motivated AIA to become one of its first tenants of the Village of Industry & Art (VIA).

“The buildings were in remarkably good shape,” said DiLeo Kim. Scannapieco isn’t doing a full gut renovation. Other than repairing, reopening, and installing signage, they are matching tenants with existing spaces. Architects bringing VIA up to speed include Jules Dingle, the co-founding partner of DIGSAU, and Sam Olshin, a principal at Atkin Olshin Schade.

Two of AIA’s nonprofit partners are also moving to VIA: DesignPhiladelphia and Community Design Collaborative. Other organizations moving to VIA include Monument Lab, BlackStar Projects, and the Stained Glass Project.

“This move was about synchronicity. In 2024, when UArts shut down, we had no idea we would end up there. We looked at a few other spaces. VIA was an organic solution,” explained DiLeo Kim. “Our space on the first floor of Hamiliton Hall is large enough to host 50 people for a lecture. Plus, there are four larger spaces that will be available to us, including a huge atrium. We did a space analysis, and 95 percent of events we did on Arch Street we will be able to do here.” The central location at Broad and Pine Streets, along with AIA being on the first floor, will be a natural draw for public engagement.

The right fit isn’t just about the floor plan. It’s the concept at the heart of VIA–converting over 110,000 square feet and 1.9 acres into maker studios and spaces, plus affordable housing for artists. The housing program realigns with Furness Hall’s original purpose as a dormitory. In addition, ceramic, woodworking, plaster, and metal shops will be available for leasing.

“It’s going to be great for our staff to work with so many creatives,” said DiLeo Kim, who envisions a communal retail space on the first floor showcasing VIA’s makers and creatives and perhaps a small cafe to loiter over a book or croissant. While it will not be a return of AIA’s legendary and much missed bookstore, it will give visitors a glimpse into the diversity of the VIA’s tenants.

In retrospect, Scannapieco could have developed a Bok spin-off in many other parts of the city like Fishtown to University City. Her interest in the almost 200 year-old former UArts building was, in part, due to its similarity to the Bok, a former vocational school. Both were schools that closed due to declining enrollment and budget cuts. Like the Bok, the potential of Hamilton and Furness Hall as a home for nonprofits, makers, small retailers, artists, exhibitions, and special events is obvious. There is a strong sense of continuity in converting a former art school into a community of arts-driven organizations.

Hamilton Hall, where AIA will set up shop, was originally designed for The Pennsylvania Institute for the Deaf between 1824-26 by John Haviland, and later expanded by William Strickland, with an addition in 1887 by Frank Furness. It became the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art in 1893 and was renamed Philadelphia College of Art in 1964. It became University of the Arts in 1987. Thanks to the vision of Scannapieco and the presence of AIA, Philadelphia’s oldest extant building on Avenue of the Arts will not only be preserved, but will continue its 133-year role as a center for the arts.

“We were thrilled when AIA Philadelphia decided to come on as one of our anchor tenants for the Village of Industry & Art,” said Scannapieco. “As one of the city’s most important conveners across architecture and design, they exemplify exactly what we’re building here—a community of people who could be anywhere in the city, creating their own worlds and centers of gravity, but want to be in a place energized by potential collaborators, partners, and colleagues,” she explained. “We are united by a belief that in communities like these, the whole can truly be greater than the sum of its parts. We are so glad they are joining us at the beginning of our journey to help set the tone.”

Chances are you have walked by Hamilton Hall on your way to the Kimmel, Suzanne Roberts Theatre or the Arden. Maybe you sent your kids to Saturday classes at UArts or watched the Mummers Parade from its marble steps. Now, you have a reason to explore what’s inside and see what the excitement is all about.

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