Conference Chair: Swati Chattopadhyay, SAH Vice President, University of California, Santa Barbara
The Society of Architectural Historians invites those interested in the history of the built environment to submit a session proposal for its virtual conference—SAH Virtual 2025—that will be held from Thursday, September 18, to Saturday, September 20, 2025.
The purpose of SAH Virtual 2025 is to share and discuss research in architectural history and related disciplines that cover every period in the history of architecture and all aspects of the built environment. In addition to architectural historians, we seek submissions from allied and adjacent disciplines including (but not limited to) architecture, landscape, urban history, art history, design, archaeology, sociology, anthropology, geography, environmental studies, etc. The guiding principle for SAH Virtual 2025 is inter-disciplinary sharing and collaboration. We hope this will be an opportunity for people from any discipline who are interested in the history of the built environment to participate in a meaningful exchange of ideas.
FORMAT FOR 2025 — SAH Virtual 2025 will be comprised entirely of pre-formed sessions. Each session will have between four and five papers, with 15 minutes allotted for each paper presentation. Session organizers will be responsible for the theme of the session and for finding appropriate presenters. Sessions may include up to two session chairs. Session organizers are allowed to act as session chairs and present in their session. Sessions may include respondents.
Sessions may be theoretical, methodological, thematic, interdisciplinary, pedagogical, revisionist or documentary in premise and have broadly conceived or more narrowly focused subjects. Sessions that embrace cross-cultural and transnational topics are particularly welcome. Topics related to historic preservation and cultural heritage as related to architecture are also encouraged. Proposals will be selected based on merit and the need to create a balanced program. In every case, the session’s theme should be clearly defined in critical and historical terms.
SAH welcomes session proposals that are organized by individuals or groups, including (but not limited to) SAH partner organizations; SAH Affiliate Groups, chapters, and committees; and groups not affiliated with SAH. The Society also seeks proposals for sessions that further the goals of the SAH IDEAS Initiative: Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accountability, and Sustainability. We thus seek sessions that explore the intersection of architecture and social justice, inclusion and exclusion, diversity, transparency, accessibility, borders and conflicts, systemic inequalities, and challenges of method.
Since late submissions cannot be considered, it is recommended that proposals be submitted before the deadline.
Each individual participating in a session (as an organizer, moderator, respondent, session chair and/or presenter) will be required to join SAH and register for the virtual conference to participate in the session.
Each session will be one hour and fifty minutes long. Sessions include a five-minute introduction by the session organizer or chair, 15-minute paper presentations by each presenter, and audience questions and discussion, moderated by the session organizer or respondent. A typical schedule for a session with five papers would be:
8:00 Introduction
8:05 First Presenter
8:20 Second Presenter
8:35 Third Presenter
8:50 Fourth Presenter
9:05 Fifth Presenter
9:20 Q&A/Discussion
9:50 End of Session
Sessions for Virtual 2025 will be recorded in their entirety and made available to all registered attendees for 30 days post-conference.
Session proposals must be submitted online by 11:59 pm Central Standard Time, on Monday, May 19, 2025.
Session organizers must complete the 2025 Session Proposal Form with the following:
