RECAP: Friday Forum Columbus & Chapter Winter Quarterly

The Ohio/Kentucky Chapter kicked off 2026 with a bang by hosting the first Friday Forum of the year in person. The Chapter is re-evolving the program into a traveling, in-person event to more deeply explore regional projects and design thinking, while also creating meaningful opportunities to connect and integrate geographically dispersed board members with local city-center members.

Friday Forum: Columbus Edition focused on an in-depth exploration of Quarry Trails, a recently completed planned community just outside downtown Columbus, a redevelopment of a former active quarry site. The project connects a multifamily complex with several housing types to a local metro park. On-site amenities include Bada Bing Bada Booze Coffee Shop, a Neighborhood Hub, and a Clubhouse—each designed by local Columbus firm Meyers + Associates. The event offered attendees the opportunity to gather at Bada, tour the Neighborhood Hub and Clubhouse, and hear directly from the design team during a panel discussion held in the Clubhouse. Quarry Trails was selected from a number of 2025 CIDA award-winning projects.

The tour gave attendees an up-close look at the project’s impressive design features and concepts. “My favorite part was maintaining a connection with the outdoors—whether through material selection, views and daylighting, and how the buildings were ‘built’ into the existing quarry site by using the topography as part of the design,” said Karen Dwyer, a Meyers + Associates team member who attended the event.

The tour concluded with a panel discussion featuring Meyers + Associates team members Danielle Garson and Harini Somasekhar (Project Designers), Pete Scott (Project Architect), Brian Cook (Project Manager), and Brittany Djoice (Director of Client Experience, IOS). Moderated by Chapter President Samantha Bonner, the panel explored topics ranging from navigating the unique topography of a former quarry site to creating a sense of urban-like density while prioritizing nature. The discussion also highlighted the team’s intentional furniture selections that tied into the history of the site, and how the project responds to evolving tenant expectations in multifamily living.

“I would say my favorite point is the connection between the three buildings—Southbank, the Clubhouse, and the Athletic/Bada—in how the architecture ties them together and how the interiors act as a hub for the community,” shared Harini during the panel. “The lighting, furniture, and overall palette were carefully curated for the users within the community while still catering to a broader audience.”

The event wrapped up with a mixer designed to better connect Columbus members with Chapter leadership attending from across the region. Conversations ranged from what drew individuals to careers in design to personal perspectives on multifamily amenities and how the Quarry Trails project delivered on current market demands.

Attendees earned 1.5 hours of IDCEC credit for their participation. Future 2026 Friday Forums will continue to align with the Chapter Board’s quarterly meeting schedule. Be on the lookout for upcoming programming this spring in Toledo and this fall in Cincinnati.

Quarterly Chapter Meeting: Saturday’s discussions centered around our outreach goals and the three pillars—sustainability, education, and community. Breakout groups generated impactful ideas for future programming across our city centers as we came together to connect, learn, and move the chapter forward. We have exciting updates and new strategies to move forward with our Outreach initiatives!

Huge thanks to our speakers, sponsors, and attendees for the energy and collaboration and especially Interior Supply for use of their space. We’re excited to turn these ideas into action!