The Symposium (Presented by Big Brain and DFT) | April 2, 2026

THE SYMPOSIUM at DFT
🧠 🪩 Presented by and

________________________________________________________________________________

Take a break from big beats in the streets during DFT, with Big Brain at The Symposium —a space for minds to connect, learn, and explore cool topics.
🎟️ RSVP Required for Entry!
This is a FREE ticketed event with limited capacity (only the first 100 guests to check-in will enter!)
Tickets are required for entry, and space is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
A ticket does not guarantee entry. Doors open at 6PM.

WHERE: Hawthorn SF [21+ venue]
WHEN: 6-8PM
6:00-6:35PM | Arrival & Chats
6:35-7:20PM | Lecture
​​​​​7:20-8:00PM | Q&A and more chatting

April 2 Featured Speaker:
What It Takes to Build in San Francisco (From an Architect’s Perspective)

🏗️How does an idea become a building?
Architecture isn’t just about style or aesthetics—it’s about navigating a complex web of constraints, from budgets and regulations to human needs and lived experience. So how do architects turn all of that into something real?

In this lecture, , principal of Blecher Building + Urban Design in San Francisco, takes us inside the design process. Through an interactive exercise and real projects in San Francisco, he shows how architects translate competing demands into spaces that work—technically, spatially, and at a human scale.

More than just form, this talk reveals how architecture is shaped through decisions, coordination, and process—tracing the journey from concept to construction, and ultimately, to the spaces we live in every day. ✨
What's a "Symposium?"
a: A friendly party (as after a banquet in ancient Greece) with music and conversation
b: A social gathering at which there is free interchange of ideas
c: A really cool drop in with drinks and fun people; part lecture, part party with smarties.

__

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook at: @bigbrainsf, @dftsanfrancico

__
About Big Brain:
Big Brain is a lecture series hosted in SF's coolest spaces. Welcome to the nerd club.
__

DFT is presented by Into The Streets and Civic Joy Fund in partnership The East Cut CBD, Yerba Buena Partnership, Natoma Cabana, and 111 Minna Gallery.

__
By registering for and attending this event, you authorize Big Brain SF & DFT to use any photographs or video recordings of your participation in this event for any and all purposes.
By registering for this event, you agree to opt-in to communications from Into The Streets, Civic Joy Fund, and Big Brain.

DFT’s 2026 is presented by Into The Streets and Civic Joy Fund, with support from San Francisco Downtown Development Corporation.

DFT is presented in partnership with The East Cut Community Benefit District, Yerba Buena Partnership, Natoma Cabana, and 111 Minna Gallery.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Downtown First Thursdays