AIA California

Have you seen the Terner Center’s 2025 California Legislative Preview? Lawmakers are considering strategies to accelerate housing production, strengthen tenant protections, and refine policies to make development more efficient. These conversations will intersect with many of the issues AIA CA is tracking, including CEQA reform, permit streamlining, and adaptive reuse. For a link to the preview, and a look at AIA California's consideration of bills relevant to the profession, click: https://loom.ly/9kHH3Yo

??Come for the concept, stay for the ??photographs. Thanks, Architectural Record, for a re-visit of Dawson's Book Shop's ?? "Los Angeles Before the Freeways," which is about to be re-published. * For a taste of this timely tome, click: https://loom.ly/DjwYSn4

AIA California is delighted to announce the recipients of the 2025 Academy for Emerging Professionals Awards: ?? Young Architect Award – Daniel Zweig, AIA ?? Associate Award – Ali Rafieetari, Assoc. AIA ?? Firm Mentorship Award – SmithGroup ?? Chapter Award – AIA Silicon Valley Collectively, these two emerging practitioners, a firm, and an AIA component, demonstrate the capacity for early career excellence, advocacy that advances emerging professionals as a whole, commitment to mentorship and support, and valuable education. Discover more about their contributions to the field, click: https://loom.ly/C3z9SI8

AIAs in California are producing a wide variety of resources that support resiliency in the wake of the recent disastrous Southern California fires. In that vein, is "Hardening for Wildfire Resilience," a terrific article by William Melby, FAIA and Libby Barnes AIA LEED AP BD+C. * Originally published on June 21, 2023, it emphasizes the impacts of fire on California and costs and resources for Fire Resilient Design. Information even more important today as the human cost as well as statistics regarding damage and destruction become more extreme. Here's the link: https://loom.ly/B89VOCc

cityLAB UCLA, always up to something good... (And we're always up for a nice Ed Ruscha reference.) Story: the good journos at The Architect's Newspaper. https://loom.ly/b0BEMxc

An architect on a mission to create more inclusive spaces within design, Julia Weatherspoon, AIA, NOMA, is our next Black History Month honoree. Her featured project, which she worked on under the aegis of SmithGroup, is UC Davis Teaching and Learning Complex, a new classroom building on the center of the University Campus. At 100,000 sf and 4 stories tall, the building has a series of lecture halls, classrooms, and collaboration spaces for students of all backgrounds. Along with formal learning spaces, the project provides informal learning spaces, stadium stair seating, study nooks, as well as gender neutral restrooms, a lactation room and soft seating collaborations area. Julia is a champion for change and uses her voice to challenge people to look at design holistically and through an equity lens. Her inspiration is driven by the belief that architecture and design can do more. It has the power to change our perspective, elevate the human experience, and transform our lives.

AIA California leadership took to the Capitol on Wednesday, February, 26, to discuss fire recovery, resilient design policy, and housing, with California's Senators, as part of AIA's annual Leadership Summit. Debrief to come. * ??: In front of Senator Adam Schiff’s office, L to R: Jessica Orlando, AIA, DBIA, WELL AP, AIA, President-Elect AIA Pasadena & Foothill; Chava Danielson, President AIA Los Angeles; Ginger Thompson, AIA, First Vice President/President-Elect AIA CA; Jamie Thompson, Legislative Aide; Scott Gaudineer, AIA, Strategic Counselor, Scott Terrell, Director of Government Relations, AIA CA. * ??: In front of Senator Alex Padilla’s Office, L to R: Andrew Carillo, Legislative Aide; Scott Gaudineer, AIA, Strategic Counselor; Ginger Thompson, AIA, First Vice President/President-Elect AIA CA; Jessica Orlando, AIA, DBIA, WELL AP, AIA, President-Elect AIA Pasadena & Foothill; Chava Danielson, AIA, President, AIA Los Angeles, Andrew Baratta, Legislative Aide; Scott Terrell, Director of Government Relations, AIA CA.

The California Architectural Practice Experience (capX) Program is now open for enrollment! Led by the California Architectural Foundation (CAF)--AIA CA's 501(c)(3), this statewide initiative aims to increase paid internship and job shadowing opportunities for aspiring architects with firms and architectural practice settings. Students & Aspiring Architects: Take your first steps into the profession with real-world experience and mentorship. Firms & Practitioners: Host an intern or job shadow participant, tailored to your needs. Already have an internship program? Your interns can help host a job shadow participant! Educators & Mentors: Share this opportunity with students and help strengthen the pipeline of future architects. In its first year, capX is prioritizing Community College students but is open to everyone, including graduates and those on the experience-only path. The enrollment deadline is March 7th. Learn more and sign up today! https://lnkd.in/gqj27pCJ

2025 AIA California President Carina Mills, AIA, with some thoughts from the AIA Leadership Summit.

We are thrilled to post information about today's Black History Month Honoree: James C. Dodd, FAIA, for so many reasons. * As we are based in Sacramento, we see his Sacramento Community/Convention Center almost daily. High time for us to learn that he was the co-architect of this continually-used and visited convention center. What were we thinking not asking before?! Knowing that Dodd was the first licensed African American architect in California makes the experience of place even richer. * The Convention Center Complex consists of the SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center (formerly Community Center Theatre), the Memorial Auditorium, and the Jean Runyon Little Theater. The Convetnion Center features an exhibit hall with 134,000 square feet of exhibit space, a ballroom, and 31 meeting rooms. * The theater hosts national touring artists and performing arts groups such as the Sacramento Ballet and the Philharmonic Orchestra. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. * photo credit: SAFE Credit Union/City of Sacramento