I'll try and answer the last question first. I think it's a good idea to refresh memories, but also you may want to send new things to show you haven't stopped learning and creating on your own. For example, I liked my degree project so I retooled it using new skills and new software 3 years later. The concept was still relevant, but the representation was outdated. Presto-change-o, relevant project!

That said, I think it's allright to submit letters of recommendation from professional sources as well. It may depend on the institution, but I've even written letters and made my overworked boss sign it [after reading it of course]. I think that the third letter coming from a principal in a firm goes a fair long way, especially if most of the other applicants are straight out of school. Depends, again, on the school in question I suppose.

However, again, isn't the more important part the portfolio? Perhaps you have that sorted.

Oh, the portfolio is currently in-progress. Since most of my projects are from 8 or 9 years ago and seem badly dated, I'm going through and updating them all, using techniques/software I've learned since then, as well as tweaking some design issues. So they'd hopefully recognize the project ("Oh, that's the library I had them do back in the day"), but the presentation would be totally updated for 2010 (or 2011, whenever).

I was only asking because I wouldn't want to only send the schools 2 recc letters when they ask for 3, but I've also never worked in the profession so pretty much have to rely on people I knew in academia, but it's what to do if people don't remember me after 8-10 years...

If you've been out of school that long most admissions folks would expect that at least one - if not all - of your recs would be from an employer or other more recent professional connection. These wouldn't necessarily need to even be architecture related, if your career has taken you in other directions.

As for the academic connections: when you say that some of your former professors and TAs are "long gone", how difficult would they be to locate?
Of course, if they won't remember you or aren't likely to provide particularly strong recs then those are good reasons not to bother tracking them down. But if your main concern is that they're no longer associated with that particular school or no longer teaching that's no big deal. They probably won't be surprised to receive your request.

I haven't taught in a few years now but I've had former students that I knew from when I was a adjunct faculty member years ago ask for recommendations much later. It does help if they send some examples of their work - both from back then and more recently - so that I can understand what they've been up to. Sometimes they do provide their own rough drafts or outline of a rec letter. i've never stuck to those formats but it is helpful in understanding what that particular applicant hopes I'll stress about their candidacy.

i had a professor one time tell me that you should never go back and update a project.. in his words, architecture is frozen music, and you should move on to something else..

of course representation is important, but it does make you question if professors in charge of the selection process can or cannot filter through all of that and get down to the bare bones..