Press Room/Releases

2022 Urban Design Award Recipients Announced by AIA California

November 8, 2022| Press Release - Urban Design, Press Room/Releases|

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

2022 Urban Design Award Recipients Announced by AIA California

Three winning projects span the country, articulating visions that advance forward-leaning concepts at multiple scales—from a regional re-think to a multimodal connector to a community playground.

 For images of winning projects and full jury comments, click here
Or use this URL: https://aiacalifornia.org/2022-urban-design-award-recipients/

 

Sacramento, California – November 10, 2022—The AIA California announced the three winners of its 2022 AIA California Urban Design Awards today, offering a fascinating glimpse at reclaiming and reinventing urban landscapes.

Honor Award recipient Hartford 400 a river-centered vision-plan for Connecticut’s capital is an ambitious plan to re-think riverside in an east coast city from Suisman Urban Design “An excellent plan for the heart of Hartford, envisioning unifying and livable strategies,” said the design competition’s jury. “It reimagines the next generation of cities. [It] solve[s] the problems of the previous generation of urban planning.”

The large-scale plan orchestrates three transformative urban infrastructure projects including treatment of an elevated freeway in its path: “River Road” caps an obstructing freeway and floodwall to provide access to riverfront parkland; “Midtown” replaces a massive and wasteful highway interchange with a new walkable riverfront district; “The Hartline” converts a divisive rail and highway trench into a lateral urban greenway.

Merit Award recipient Sacramento Valley Train Station Plan, designed by Perkins&Will, adds vitality to a regional mobility hub in California’s capitol, re-setting a 31-acre site that includes an existing train station and tracks to be a framework for a new district will establish a common ground that can capture and reflect the unique character of Sacramento.

“The new transit concourse becomes the beacon of life for this Transit Oriented Design, providing jobs and vital connectivity from the other side of the ‘tracks,’” said the 2022 Urban Design Awards jury, who noted the designers faced a further challenge to create connectivity between the train station and tracks set at a distance. The plan was also commended for its “holistic approach towards energy and the environment as well as land use” which “makes for a tangible implementable proposal.”

A third Urban Design Award recipient, Merit Award winner Willie “Woo Woo” Wong Playground, is set amidst one of San Francisco’s most dense and culturally rich neighborhoods. The project, the only of the three winners to be built as of yet, is a comprehensive renovation of a Chinatown beloved playground by CMG Landscape Architects with Jensen Architects. It seamlessly merges landscape and building functioning and connection at multiple levels, from street to roof and serves users from children to seniors.

“Land is very scarce in San Francisco and for this design team to make an “oasis” for children in a concrete jungle is a game changer,” declared the jury who also noted how artfully the architects handled project challenges. “It’s a complex urban project—how it handles the relationship between the sidewalk and the internal parts of the building and the building envelope is very clever. Proof of its success is that it’s built and being used.”

“We are delighted and honored to recognize and honor this wonderful work with 2022 AIACA Urban Design Awards,” said Rona Rothenberg, FAIA, the 2022 AIA California President. “Each project advances AIA California’s strategic goals and objectives, vision and mission, from excellence in sustainable urban and regional planning to well-designed, resilient communities from which we come, and to which we return and collaborate.”

AIA California’s Urban Design Awards recognizes excellence in the creation, improvement, and sustainability of our physical environment by Architects and Landscape Architects.

Urban Design is defined for the Awards Program as “the realm of physical design encompassing master planning, landscape architecture, and conceptual architectural design.” This definition includes research and the design of spaces at all scales, from places between buildings to regional master plans.

The jury for this year’s awards program was composed of: Frank Fuller, FAIA –
Principal, Urban Field Studio; Stephanie Landregan, FASLA – Program Director
UCLA Extension Landscape Architecture; Mia Lehrer, FASLA – President, Studio-MLA; Stephanie Reich, AIA – Design & Historic Preservation Planner, City of Santa Monica; and Hessam Vakili, AIA – Director of Design & Development, TAIT & Associates, Inc.

For images of winning projects and full jury comments, click here

Or use this URL: https://aiacalifornia.org/2022-urban-design-award-recipients/

 

Contact:  Tibby Rothman, Hon. AIA|LA
Communications Director, AIA California
trothman@aiacalifornia.org

 

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Anne Fougeron, FAIA, is the 2022 Maybeck Award Recipient

October 19, 2022| Press Room/Releases|

For Immediate Release: October 20, 2022
Contact: Tibby Rothman, Hon. AIA|LA
Communications Director, AIA California
trothman@aiacalifornia.org

Anne Fougeron, FAIA

Anne Fougeron, FAIA

Anne Fougeron, FAIA, is the 2022 Maybeck Award Recipient

Architect’s commitment to communities, as well as quality and craft throughout her body of work is recognized.

(Sacramento, CA)—San Francisco-based architect, Anne Fougeron, FAIA, who founded her eponymous firm Fougeron Architecture in 1985 has been named the AIA California’s 2022 Maybeck Award recipient. Named for Bernard Ralph Maybeck, the California architect who has influenced designers for over a century, the award recognizes outstanding achievement in architectural design as expressed in a body of work produced by an individual architect over a period of at least 10 years.

“Anne Fougeron is an incredibly impressive architect whose work consistently challenges the profession’s thinking about the role of architecture in our society.  Her belief in architecture’s ability to change lives and that everyone deserves access to design’s transformative potential results in thoughtful, unique, and refined solutions,” noted the jury in awarding Fougeron the highest design award the AIA California bestowed an individual architect. “Her diverse body of work embodies her commitment to quality and craft, regardless of the budget. Anne’s holistic and inclusive approach to her practice, the profession and to the architectural community is outstanding.”

In accepting the 2022 Maybeck Award, Fougeron observed, “California is such a unique and special place. When I look at the distinguished list of Maybeck Award recipients – which includes people I feel so fortunate to call mentors and colleagues – I’m reminded of what a privilege it is to forge one’s practice here. This landscape and our communities call upon us to grasp the big picture, aim higher, and always strive for the greater social good – individually and collectively as a profession. It is an honor to receive this award and to continue the legacy it represents.”

Fougeron set the tone of her work through early breakthrough projects such as the 440 House and a clinic for Planned Parenthood which reflected commitments to technical finesse, humanism, and equity that still underpin her practice today. She has noted that the pioneering use of structural glass in a California home and the essential need for secure, yet nurturing nonprofit women’s health clinics warranted the same depth of inquiry.

“She makes it all look easy, but the back stories illuminate the dexterity it takes to achieve,” observed Julie Eizenberg, FAIA, LFRAIA, the co-founding principal of the California firm KoningEizenberg.

Working with a deliberately-kept-small team, Fougeron crafts a diverse body of work united by her vision of humane modernism, architecture that engages the full range of people’s lives and society’s fundamental responsibilities in the language of today.

400 Grove | Photo: William Timmerman
400 Grove | Photo: William Timmerman
Kapor Center | Photo: Connie Zhou
Kapor Center | Photo: Connie Zhou
Suspension House | Photo: Joe Fletcher
Suspension House | Photo: Joe Fletcher
Fall House | Photo: Joe Fletcher
Fall House | Photo: Joe Fletcher

2019 Maybeck Award recipient Jim Jennings, FAIA, who, as a Bay-area based designer has observed Fougeron’s work for years, noted the facility with which she adapts to “different building types, scales, topographies, and urban conditions. That variety of circumstance brings with it a corresponding range of pressure and expectation to conform to type, which Anne consistently defies.”

Fougeron is also heralded for another layer of practice. “Anne is an award-winning designer as well as a passionate and fearless advocate for women architects,” said 2022 AIA President Rona Rothenberg, FAIA. “She has elevated the profile of women in the field and provided role models for emerging professionals.”

The 2022 Maybeck Award jury was comprised of: Kevin Alter, AIA – Partner, alterstudio; Oonagh Ryan, AIA IIDA – Founding Principal, ora_arch; Claire Conroy – Editor-in-Chief, Residential Design Magazine; and Neal Schwartz, FAIA – Founder + Principal ^A | Schwartz and Architecture.

Fougeron will be honored, in person, at the 2022 Monterey Design Conference, which takes place October 28 – 30 and during a virtual celebration of the 2022 AIA California Design Award winners in December.

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2022 AIA California Design Awards Recipients Announced

October 13, 2022| Press Room/Releases|

For Immediate Release : October 13, 2022
For images of winning projects and jury comments, click here
Or use this URL: https://aiacalifornia.org/2022-design-awards-recipients/
Contact:  Tibby Rothman, Hon. AIA|LA
Communications Director, AIA California
trothman@aiacalifornia.org

Buildings that Address the Climate Crisis through Architecture are Top Winners of AIA California Design Awards

Architectural association recognizes design that improves quality of life in places ranging from affordable housing to civic spaces

(Sacramento, CA) Led by three buildings that exemplify architecture’s capacity to address the most pressing challenge of our time—climate change—twenty-five projects were named by the American Institute of Architects California (AIA California) as 2022 AIA California Design Awards recipients today.

Winners of Climate Action Awards—the highest-level design award the AIA CA bestows on architectural projects—were required to meet rigorous environmental performance standards in response to the rapidly changing environment. These awards recognize architects who have protected and enhanced the delicate interface between the natural and the built environment, while also stewarding our precious and limited resources.

While all twenty-five design award recipients met a sustainability framework, Atherton Library, designed by WRNS Studio; The Harvey B. Milk Terminal 1 the work of Woods Bagot / ED2 International / HKS / KYA / Gensler / Kuth Ranieri; and The Prow by architects Aidlin Darling Design reached the highest performance and sustainability goals.

Each of these three projects met “strong, holistic consideration” of sustainability. Each “explicitly incorporates effective performance/sustainability strategies in multiple areas (energy, water, materials, health, ecology, resilience),” noted the team of experts convened by the AIA California to review Design Awards submissions and develop consideration criteria based on the Common App—benchmarks American Institute of Architects members have agreed to strive towards on a national level.

“The recipients of the Climate Action Awards represent the most creative and visionary, environmentally sensitive architecture and design, which is required to reverse the record-breaking temperatures seen this summer and ensuing planetary crises,” noted 2022 AIA California President Rona Rothenberg, FAIA. “They demonstrate design in service of place and people, and showcase the very best of what we can achieve as a profession for our clients and the planet.”

Added AIA California Executive Vice-President Nicki Dennis Stephens, Hon. AIA, who attained LEED certification herself to better understand the process of members she represents: “These awards demonstrate tangible ways architects are making immediate and meaningful impacts in communities while recognizing the importance of climate action and the critical urgency of the issue.”

The 2022 AIA California Design Winners were awarded across four different levels: From highest they are: the aforementioned Climate Action Awards; Honor Awards (4); Merit Awards (10); and Special Commendations for specific areas of attainment as outlined in the AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence (9). Each achieved varied sustainability benchmarks; projects that did not reach minimum standards in California were not considered for awards.

A jury of four, Kevin Alter, AIA – Partner, alterstudio; Oonagh Ryan, AIA IIDA – Founding Principal, ora_arch; Claire Conroy – Editor-in-Chief, Residential Design Magazine; and Neal Schwartz, FAIA – Founder + Principal ^A | Schwartz and Architecture pre-reviewed two-hundred and six design awards submissions for this year’s program, discussing them together over the course of two days before finalizing the list of twenty-five winners.

Composed of both in-state and out-of-California-based individuals, they noted that the first challenge to their task was “what elevates a project to an award when there is so much proficiency and talent” amongst California designers.”

The architectural firms and projects who met this mark are listed below. For images of winners, comments from the jury on each project, and more, visit: https://aiacalifornia.org/2022-design-awards-recipients/

Climate Action Awards

(In parallel to aesthetic design considerations, design at minimum, explicitly incorporates effective performance/sustainability strategies in multiple areas—energy, water, materials, health, ecology, resilience)

Atherton Library (Atherton, California)
Architect: WRNS Studio
The Harvey B. Milk Terminal 1 (San Francisco, California)
Architect: Woods Bagot / ED2 International / HKS / KYA  / Gensler / Kuth Ranieri
The Prow (Seattle, Washington)
Architect: Aidlin Darling Design

Honor Awards

(In parallel to aesthetic design considerations, each project at least explicitly incorporates performance/sustainability principles, and does so *effectively* in at least one area—from designing for Energy Efficiency to designing for Discovery. For a complete list, visit AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence.)

11 NOHO (North Hollywood, California)
Architect: Brooks + Scarpa
Desert Palisades (Palm Springs, California)
Architect: Woods + Dangaran
High Desert Retreat (Palm Springs, California)
Architect: Aidlin Darling Design
Sister Lillian Murphy Community (San Francisco, California)
Residential Architect: Paulett Taggart Architects with Associate Architect StudioVARA

Merit Awards

(In parallel to aesthetic design considerations, each recipient was at least minimally compliant—by California standards–with basic but complete performance/sustainability considerations…)

Caymus-Suisun Winery (Fairfield, California)
Architect: Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
Glorya Kaufman Performing Arts Center (Los Angeles, California)
Architect: AUX Architecture
Kol Emeth (Palo Alto, California)
Architect: FieldArchitecture
Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television (Los Angeles, California)
Architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
MacLac Building D – Rebirth of An Historic Paint Factory (San Francisco, California)
Architect: Marcy Wong Donn Logan Architects with PLAD Peter Logan Architecture and Design
Mar Vista (Los Angeles, California)
Architect: Woods + Dangaran
SoFi Stadium and Entertainment District (Inglewood, California)
Architect: HKS Architects, Inc.
The Press (Costa Mesa, California)
Architect: Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects
Three Gables (Napa, California)
Architect: Aidlin Darling Design
UC Riverside Plant Research 1 (Riverside, California)
Architect: Perkins&Will

Special Commendations

(New this year – recipients in this category are recognized by the jury for design which excelled specifically in one of the 10 principles as outlined in the Framework for Design Excellence)

Design for Integration
Clifford L. Allenby Building (Sacramento, California)
Architect: ZGF Architects, Lionakis, Rudolph & Sletten

Design for Integration
Hayward Library & Community Learning Center (Hayward, California)
Architect: Noll & Tam Architects

Design for Resources
Geneva Car Barn & Powerhouse (San Francisco, California)
Architect: Aidlin Darling Design

Design for Energy
Jeff and Judy Henley Hall: Institute for Energy Efficiency (Isla Vista, California)
Architect: KieranTimberlake

Design for Change
La Selva Beach Library (La Selva Beach, California)
Architect: Jayson Architecture

Design for Equitable Communities
Leimert Park Community Fridge (Los Angeles, California)
Architect: Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects

Design for Discovery
UCSD North Torrey Pines Living and Learning Neighborhood (San Diego, California)
Architect: HKS Architects, Inc. and Safdie Rabines Architects

Design for Discovery
TIDE Academy (Menlo Park, California)
Architect: LPA Design Studios

Design for Water
SoFi Stadium and Entertainment District (Inglewood, California)
Architect: HKS Architects, Inc.

 

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AIA California Announces 2022 AIA California Robert J. Kain Healthcare Design Education Scholarship Recipients

September 27, 2022| Press Room/Releases|

For Immediate Release

September 27, 2022

Contact:
Tibby Rothman, Hon. AIA|LA
Communications Director, AIA California
trothman@aiacalifornia.org

The AIA California is delighted to honor the four 2022 Robert J. Kain Healthcare Design Education Scholarship recipients:

◾ Maria Echeverria ($2,000)

◾ Bennett Grisley ($2,000)

◾ Robert Heckey ($1,500)

◾ Monica Shenouda ($1,500)

Maria Echevarria
Bennett Grisley
Robert Heckey
Monica Shenouda

Founded by AIA California’s Healthcare Facilities Forum Committee in memory of their colleague, the Robert J. Kain Healthcare Design Education Scholarship, known as The Kain Scholarship, strives to encourage and support architecture students interested in pursuing a career in the design and delivery of hospitals and healing environments. With forces that continually shift and improve healthcare delivery, this scholarship opportunity supports the importance of developing the next generation of architects to create the innovative design and delivery needs of tomorrow’s healthcare facilities.

The scholarship recipients were noted for holding tremendously “unique design perspectives that are promising for the future,” by the scholarship jury.

The following bios demonstrate the range of backgrounds and interests among the four recipients. All embody the commitment to healthcare in design that the jury described as emblematic of design students in the state of California submitting work.

Bennett Grisley is a 4th year Bachelor of Architecture student at California College of the Arts in San Francisco. His prior experience as a Search and Rescue Helicopter Crewman in the U.S. Navy motivates him to think deeply about spaces of care and their design.

Maria Echeverria is a student at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, California. She has lived in Los Angeles for 23 years and believes it is time for her to give back to her community. After four years of studying architecture, Maria decided to showcase Health Care Design in her Senior Year Project. She is ready for her design to be used to advocate for social injustices in the Hispanic community. She will design a Micro Hospital for the East Los Angeles community as her senior project. Maria is taking a significant step forward in her design because she wants to learn more about Health Care Design. She is prepared to be a lifelong student of architecture and to design a project.

Monica Shenouda was born in Egypt and came to the United States with her family in 2012. She is a fifth-year architecture student at Cal Poly Pomona, and will obtain her bachelor’s degree in May 2023. Her ambition is to work in healthcare architecture and to be able to design buildings that aid in the healing process of patients. Some of her hobbies include portrait drawing and baking.

Robert Heckey is a 4th year Architecture student attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He is honored to be recognized with the 2022 Kain Scholarship and is looking forward to continuing his pursuit of a career in healthcare design.

The 2022 Kain Scholarship jury was composed of: Niloofar Badihi, Assoc. AIA; Jhiah Chang, AIA; and Gary Goldberg, AIA.

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AIA California represents the interests of more than 11,000 architects and allied professionals in California. Founded in 1944, the organization, in collaboration with local components, is dedicated to serving its members, advancing the value of architects, and improving the quality of the built environment. Today, AIA California is the largest component of the national AIA organization. For more information, visit www.aiacalifornia.org.

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Bill Protecting Architects’ Copyright is Signed into California Law

September 20, 2022| Press Room/Releases|

 

 

For Immediate Release
September 20, 2022
Contact:
Tibby Rothman, Hon. AIA|LA
Communications Director, AIA California
trothman@aiacalifornia.org

Bill Protecting Architects’ Copyright is Signed into California Law
State Senator Brian Jones Carried SB1214 Bill initiated by AIA California Member Cary Bernstein, AIA

(Sacramento, CA) The American Institute of Architects California (AIA California) is pleased to announce the passage and signing of California legislation the organization sponsored that protects the copyright of architectural drawings submitted to local government planning departments.

SB1214 (Jones) helps stop local governments from violating federal law by limiting the type of information prepared by architects that local planning departments can make available to the public in a copyable format. This limit is put into place to protect the intellectual property rights of architects as protected by the Federal Copyright Act. SB 1214 goes into effect January 1, 2023.

“The law balances California’s Ralph M. Brown act which ensures the public’s right ‘to attend and participate in meetings of local legislative bodies’ with long-standing federal copyright laws that protect architectural drawings,” notes Cary Bernstein, AIA, the AIA California member who initiated the bill.

With the advent of electronic permit filing, some planning departments have posted architectural drawings online, in the spirit of government transparency, but with the effect of providing global access to architectural drawings in ways they can easily be downloaded and copied without the designer’s knowledge or consent, a violation of the federal Copyright.

The bill allows for site plans and massing diagrams to be provided to the public digitally or on paper: these drawings provide members of the public with primarily quantitative information such as the distance between buildings, setbacks distances, location of parking lots, property lines, landscaped areas, and a three-dimensional form of buildings that describe the general profile, bulk, and size but limits the exposure of design expression which is the primary concern of copyright protection.

Non-digital, printed plans will remain accessible to the public on the premises of the planning agency and during hearings of the planning agency or legislative body.

Bernstein began working on what would become SB1214 when a colleague let her know that they had downloaded an application she had filed for a “complicated entitlement approval” from a city’s planning department’s website. “It was a compliment,” she says, “but it also initiated questions for me about why my drawings were available online and could be copied by anyone at any time.”

She began researching state management of federal copyright laws in 2019.

“I happen to love law and this issue allowed me to indulge my interest through a project for AIACA,” says Bernstein. When “it became clear that a state-level response was warranted” she brought the issue and a draft remedy for it to the AIA California Advocacy Advisory Committee of which she is a member. California State Senator Brian Jones subsequently agreed to carry the bill.

Bernstein also credits attorney Steven Weinberg of Holmes Weinberg, PC, who was a co-author of the 1990 amendment to federal architectural copyright law known as the Architectural Works Copyright Protection Act for the advice he provided during early stages. “There are few people more first-source than Steven and he was gracious with his time and counsel,” she notes.

Bernstein worked with the AIA California’s Advocacy Advisory Committee, the AIA California Vice President of Government Relations Robert Ooley, FAIA, and AIA California staff and consultants during the roughly two-year process.

“SB 1214 is reflective of two major tenets,” says AIA California Executive Vice President Nicki Dennis Stephens, Hon. AIA, “The equivalence of an architect’s work with other fields such as art and music, and the capabilities of the individual to make a change. The AIA California was honored to work with Cary Bernstein, AIA, on this important law, as well as the members of its Advocacy Advisory Committee led by Robert Ooley, FAIA.”

Signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on August 29th SB1214 will take effect on January 1, 2023 as Government Code 65103.5.

 

 

 

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The American Institute of Architects California announces winners of the 10TH  Architecture at Zero competition

February 15, 2022| Press Room/Releases, Specialist|

AIA California
The American Institute of Architects

Contact: Margie O’Driscoll

(415) 350-9955

margie.odriscoll@gmail.com

 

The American Institute of Architects California announces winners of the 10TH  Architecture at Zero competition

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—February 11, 2022, the American Institute of Architects, California (AIA CA) announces the winners of the tenth annual Architecture at Zero competition a design competition for decarbonization, equity and resilience, open to students and professionals worldwide. It serves to engage the fields of architecture, design, engineering and planning in the pursuit of sustainable design.

The 2021-22 competition challenged entrants to develop affordable housing for farmworker families in Visalia, California, one of the world’s most productive farming regions. Winners were chosen by a panel of international experts and awarded $25,000 in total prizes.

“The American Institute of Architects, California has been excited to collaborate on this important initiative that affirms the role of architects in leading efforts to use design to curtail climate change,” said Rona Rothenberg, FAIA, President of AIA CA.

The competition strives to generate new, innovative ideas for a decarbonized future to help achieve California’s goal for all new residential construction to be ZNE by 2020 and all new commercial construction to be ZNE by 2030.

Student winners include:

  • Honorable Mention was awarded to: EZB HOUSE a proposal developed by a team of students from UNIVERSITY OF CARDIFF, CARDIFF, UK & TEXAS A&M, COLLEGE STATION, TX
  • MERIT award that goes to the entry “URBAN VILLAGE” submitted by students from WROCŁAW UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE, POLAND

Professional winners include:

  • SPECIAL RECOGNITION award to:SOL HARVEST VILLAGE, submitted by BAR ARCHITECTS in San Francisco
  • SPECIAL RECOGNITION award to: IT’S A WOONERFUL LIFE by RNT ARCHITECTS in SAN DIEGO, CA
  • MERIT award to: PUENTES VISALIA by PASSIVE HOUSE BB in SAN FRANCISCO, CA
  • MERIT AWARD to: SEMILLAS Y RAICES (Seeds and Roots) from the DLR GROUP in LOS ANGELES, CA
  • MERIT AWARD to: “DE LA TIERRA” by PAUL HALAJIAN ARCHITECTS in CLOVIS, CA, LEED A

Competition entries were juried by international experts including Paul Torcellini, Principal Engineer, National Renewable Energy Laboratory; Lance Collins, AIA, a Director at Partner Energy, Architect Siboney Díaz-Sánchez, project and design manager at Opportunity Communities in Boston; Mary Ann Lazarus, FAIA  a consultant with the firm of Cameron MacAllister Group and Allison Williams, FAIA.

To learn more, visit www.architectureatzero.com.

This program is funded by California utility customers and administered by SCE, SDGE, SoCal Gas and PG&E under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.

 

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CARINA MILLS, AIA TO LEAD AIA CA VOLUNTEER PRACTICE COMMITTEE

January 7, 2022| Press Room/Releases, Specialist|

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shannon Calder
Communications Director
(916) 642-1718
scalder@aiacalifornia.org

 

CARINA MILLS, AIA TO LEAD AIA CA VOLUNTEER PRACTICE COMMITTEE

AIA California announces new officer in Professional Practice

VP of Professional Practice<br> Carina Mills, AIA

VP of Professional Practice
Carina Mills, AIA

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—The American Institute of Architects California (AIA CA) welcomes Carina Mills.

Mills is a graduate of Cal Poly Pomona’s BArch program and began her service to AIA as soon as she moved to Long Beach and joined the local chapter. She served for only a few years on the local Board of Directors in the roles of Director and representative to AIA CA, before serving as VP/President of the AIA CA’s Academy of Emerging Professionals.

Over the last 2 years Carina’s perspective on practice issues has shifted as she took on roles of VP of the AEP, and Senior Director of Talent Management for a medium size firm in Long Beach.

Mills began her career dedicated to developing her skills as a technical architect, but she has taken on leadership roles to support practice improvements in each firm for whom she has worked. She is an exceptional communicator who often jumps in to help translate across stakeholder lines, and this strength has increased in value as she advances through leadership roles. Mills has a deep love for the profession coupled with a tenacious commitment to change aspects of it. She harbors a genuine belief that everyone should have ample opportunity to find joy, reward, and life-balance in their career, and her work in AIA has often focused on empowering emerging professionals. In her term as VP of Academy of Emerging Professionals, Mills challenged common assumptions about mentorship and culture being tethered to in-person office work. This was also in direct response to the COVID pandemic as firms had no choice but to work remotely.

As VP of Professional Practice, her primary ambition is to see an understanding of mentorship and culture evolve to be more inclusive of younger generations while honoring traditions of the profession that still serve us well. This is motivated by a passion for making the profession more inclusive and equitable, and understanding that junior talent pools have been increasingly diverse while leadership ranks remain mostly homogeneous.

 

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The AIA CA represents the interests of more than 11,000 architects and allied professionals in California.  Founded in 1944, The AIA CA’s mission supports architects in their endeavors to improve the quality of life for all Californians by creating more livable communities, sustainable designs and quality work environments. Today, The AIA CA is the largest component of the national AIA organization. For more information, visit www.aiacalifornia.org.

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2022/2023 AIA California Secretary/Treasurer Elected: Sujendra Mishra, AIA

January 7, 2022| Press Room/Releases, Specialist|

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shannon Calder
Communications Director
(916) 642-1718
scalder@aiacalifornia.org

 

2022/2023 AIA CALIFORNIA SECRETARY/TREASURER ELECTED:

Sujendra Mishra, AIA

 

Secretary/ Treasurer<br> Sujendra Mishra, AIA

Secretary/ Treasurer
Sujendra Mishra, AIA

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—AIA California, the largest state association of architects, held their executive officers elections in November. Sujendra Mishra, AIA was selected to serve as the 2022/23 Secretary Treasurer. He succeeds Robert Murrin, FAIA.

Mishra  is a licensed architect who has held various roles; as Owner representative, a business owner, and, lately as an employee/shareholder for large architecture & engineering firms. After graduating from University of California in Berkeley with a BA major in Architecture, Mishra completed his post-graduate degree in MBA with a minor in project management. He has volunteered as a facility advisor/secretary/treasurer for UCB Theta Xi Alumni Board and Planning Commissioner in San Bruno for 12 years.

When asked about his goals for holding this position, Mishra wrote, “As an individual who has had the opportunity to serve on multiple boards, commissions, alumni association, and leadership taskforces, I believe that I have right balance of soft/technical skills and experience for this role. Architects are agents of change; we design and assist in the execution of changes for our clients and community. I have spent the last 5 years evaluating our business-as-usual protocols with an equity and justice focused lens. To respond to emerging issues, we need to keep an open mind and deliberate how we can proactively advance our profession. With this Secretary/Treasurer role I would like to balance enforcing our by-laws and encouraging the exchange of ideas that help us be a stronger organization that promotes the needs of our diverse membership.

 

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The AIA CA represents the interests of more than 11,000 architects and allied professionals in California.  Founded in 1944, The AIA CA’s mission supports architects in their endeavors to improve the quality of life for all Californians by creating more livable communities, sustainable designs and quality work environments. Today, The AIA CA is the largest component of the national AIA organization. For more information, visit www.aiacalifornia.org.

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