10 must-see architecture & design events happening this November in Miami, LA, Chicago, NYC, Atlanta, Boston, Dubai, and Venice

With the holidays right around the corner, now is a great time to get out and explore the variety of exciting events for the architecture and design community. 

From the roster of ongoing and upcoming events listed on Bustler, here is a brief curated selection of recommendations worth checking out in November.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Women’s Leadership Summit 2025 | November 3–5, Atlanta

"Women’s Leadership Summit (WLS), founded by AIA, is a premier leadership experience that brings together the industry’s largest network of women who are breaking down barriers, making themselves visible, and manifesting the careers they want—while making a difference in the world. [...] You’ll meet, network with, and learn from an extraordinary lineup of renowned speakers, trailblazing leaders, and industry experts who will share pathbreaking ideas to tackle challenges and lead change."

Dubai Design Week 2025 | November 4–9, Dubai

"Dubai Design Week is the region's design festival committed to amplifying talent from the region and presenting the possibilities of what can be achieved through design. Dubai Design Week reflects Dubai's position as the design capital of the Middle East, Dubai Design Week's varied programme includes installations, new commissions, exhibitions, talks, workshops, a marketplace, the leading fair for contemporary design, Downtown Design and the Middle East's first limited-edition art and design fair, Editions."

Greenbuild International Conference & Expo 2025 | November 4–7, Los Angeles

"The time has never been better; the need has never been greater. Designed by your peers, the Greenbuild Conference brings together leaders developing the next generation of standards, policies, and partnerships to build a better quality of life for all. [...] Greenbuild hosts the largest annual event for green building professionals worldwide where attendees learn and source solutions to improve resilience, sustainability, and quality of life in our buildings, cities, and communities."

ACADIA 2025_COMPUTING for RESILIENCE: Expanding Community Knowledge and Impact | November 6–8, Miami

"The ACADIA 2025 theme, COMPUTING for RESILIENCE: Expanding Community Knowledge & Impact, explores building resilience in an increasingly uncertain world, a challenge particularly relevant to Miami. [...] In the context of computation and fabrication in architecture, this theme invites the exploration of advanced solutions and resilient design methods that can adapt to these uncertainties. How can computational tools enhance our capacity to predict and mitigate the impacts of climate change? What role can technology play in shaping a future built environment that withstands political and economic shifts? This conference aims to harness the collective expertise and creativity of architects, designers, and technologists to address these questions."

SHIFT: Ecologies | November 7 – January 31, Chicago

"At 840 N. Michigan Ave, the Biennial transforms over 65,000 square feet of former retail space into a vibrant cultural destination where architecture, art, and design converge. As the Biennial’s fifth site, 840 N. Michigan Ave showcases two central capsules—SHIFT and Ecologies—with more than 30 installations by over 35 artists and studios from around the world. Spanning four floors of this landmark building, the exhibition explores how design shapes and responds to the natural, cultural, and social forces that sustain and challenge us. Ecologies examines architecture as part of interconnected systems—climate, technology, food, and the body—positioning design within the broader webs of life that sustain and challenge us."

Black in Design 2025 Black Roots: Grounded and Growing Toward Collective Futures | November 7–8, Cambridge

"Black Roots: Grounded and Growing Toward Collective Futures is a conference at the Harvard Graduate School of Design presented by the Black Student Union (formerly African American Student Union) and Africa GSD. This event investigates the Black praxes of making space, taking space, and creating “tools for living” through three interconnected themes: Black theologies, Black ecologies, and Black geographies. It explores the complex relationships between belief systems, environments, and lands that shape Black communities across the diaspora."

World Architecture Festival 2025 | November 12–14, Miami

"We're thrilled to announce WAF's inaugural US event! The decision to host WAF in the US reflects our commitment to making our awards programme truly global, as well as recognising the huge influence North American architecture has on the world. WAF will be hosted at the Miami Beach Convention Center from 12 - 14 November 2025. Situated in the heart of South Beach and close to the Art Deco Historic District, it is the perfect place for architects and designers to come together to compete, network and celebrate."

ONGOING EVENTS

Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 | Until November 23, Venice

"The 19th International Architecture Exhibition will be held from Saturday 10 May to Sunday 23 November 2025 (pre-opening May 8 and 9), curated by the architect and engineer Carlo Ratti, who has commented: 'To face a burning world, architecture must harness all the intelligence around us. I am honored and humbled to have the opportunity to curate the Biennale Architettura 2025'."

Shigeru Ban: PAPER LOG HOUSE FOR LOS ANGELES | Until December 14, Los Angeles

"This installation proposal delineates a strategy for constructing interim housing on sites in Altadena or nearby in an effort to get residents back to their neighborhoods. The house design is comprised of low-cost materials which can be fabricated off-site and are easy to reassemble on-site by predominantly unskilled labor. The entire house can be erected in a few days. The house can later be disassembled and relocated. The overall size is freely adjustable."

Making Energy Visible | Until March 28, New York City

"Making Energy Visible gathers interpretations, representations, and visualizations of energy in architecture. The exhibition unfolds in six parts—Bodies at Work, Sources of Energy, Conserving Energy, Systems of Conversion, Distribution of Power, and Consumption to Expenditure—each presented through a timeline of architectural, infrastructural, and environmental projects. Alongside these timelines, invited artists and practitioners explore how architecture today can make energy perceptible, debatable, and public."

Do you have an architecture or design event you want to promote? Submit it to our event calendar via Bustler for review and a potential feature.