The Monterey Design Conference, held last week in Pacific Grove, California, once again lived up to its reputation for creating an inspiring and memorable weekend-long conversation on design.

Set against the bucolic backdrop of the Asilomar Conference Center, a former YMCA camp designed by Julia Morgan in the early part of the 20th century, the biennial event, hosted by the AIA California Council, has made a name for itself by using its rustic backdrop as a portal for showcasing innovative work across the globe and the personalities behind it.