On Thursday, November 5, KGD Co-President Manoj Dalaya is slated to join Arup Principal Gregory Giammalvo and Associate Linda Toth along with KGD Associate Ava Helm for an hour-long session entitled, “Secure Facilities, Human Outcomes: Designing Serenity Inside” at ArchEx 2026 in Richmond, Virginia.

The program focuses on how high-security campuses operate at multiple thresholds: public to protected, openness to control, stress to restoration, isolation to community. This session explores how architecture can transform these boundaries into places of dignity, wellness, and human performance. Rather than treating security as a barrier, designers can use threshold moments to create calm transitions, intuitive movement, daylight access, and a sense of belonging.

ArchEx (Architecture Exchange East) gives AIA Virginia members insight into the future of the profession, stronger professional networks, and a chance to catch up on CEUs – all in a single trip. Spanning over the course of three days, this year’s conference themes are: Inspiration, Education, Connection, Celebration, and Exploration. All programming is curated to showcase the very people who are shaping the future of practice in Virginia. Whether one is a principal thinking through succession, an emerging professional building their first network, or somewhere in between, we hope to see you there!

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