AWA+D Presents The Rise: Building Downtown LA
Aryana Leland
In the short time that Antoni GaudĂ had to devote his life’s work to Sagrada FamĂlia, he undoubtedly earned himself a place in the architectural canon. Despite meeting God via public transit, GaudĂ could not have predicted that a viewer’s first impression of the church might be emerging from a dark Metro station, squinting at Google Maps in front of the Passion Façade. Today, the neighborhood surrounding Basilica de la Sagrada FamĂlia is entirely obsessed with Antoni GaudĂ, lined with shops like “Sweet GaudĂ” and “GaudĂ Shopping.” In its century-long construction phase, it seems that Sagrada FamĂlia has had two distinct lives: one under the watchful eye of GaudĂ, and one with the city of Barcelona.
Aryana Leland
In October 2022, Frida Escobedo gave the first of a series of talks on “Designing Tomorrow’s Met” in New York. At the museum, her studio had recently won the commission to design the Oscar L.Tang and H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang Wing for Modern and Contemporary Art. With a practice based in Mexico City, Escobedo’s first lecture gave patrons a glimpse into her design process. Earlier this year, Escobedo’s vision for the Tang Wing was unveiled, expertly navigating the museum’s stakeholders, a challenging set of existing conditions, and its users
Some new faces and new goals - get to know our incoming 2025-2026 AWA+D Executive Board through a Q+A, and what to look forward to!
Aryana Leland
Ashley Morales and I had the immense privilege of sitting down with two (very) busy third-year architecture students in the middle of a deadline, Aleena Hussain and Elizabeth Mayen. As we chatted, Aleena and Ellie joined us with the telltale signs of studio chaos happening in the background - models in different states of completion, bleary eyed students passing by, lots of coffee. They are in the middle of their tower project - a grueling hazing ritual that Ashley and I remember well - and we are lucky to be meeting with them during daylight hours.
While balancing their studio work, Aleena and Ellie are the Cofounders of an ambitious, promising new venture at Cal Poly Pomona: Stable Magazine.
Aryana Leland
There are over 121,000 licensed architects in the United States - yet only 1 in 4 are women.
A licensure candidate in the United States must pass six divisions of the Architectural Registration Exam to earn their license, which can be notoriously difficult. In 2024, the pass rate for the Project Management division was 60%, and 48% for the Practice Management Division. Despite these daunting numbers, the Practice Management and Project Management divisions are often the starting point for licensure candidates, and rely heavily on an understanding of key AIA contract documents. This is where Michael Hanahan comes in, unofficially.
