December 7, 2013

Cost:  $35-40

Save the date for the annual holiday fundraiser benefitting the 绿帽社 Scholarship Program, to be held on Saturday, December 7, 2013.

More information to come.

AIA Los Angeles Holiday Party & Board Installation

December 5, 2013 6:00 pm

DLR Group
3130 Wilshire Blvd, 6th Floor 
Santa Monica 90403

You are invited to the AIA Los Angeles Holiday Party and 2014 Board Installation at DLR Group. Come join AIA|LA as we welcome our new board and celebrate the holidays with our members!

RSVP to  info@aialosangeles.org

2013 A/E/C Industry Summit

December 4, 2013

Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas
(702) 632-5000
3960 Las Vegas Boulevard South 
Las Vegas, NV 89119 

Dozens of industry leaders over two days of intense and energizing sessions鈥SMJ鈥檚 2013 A/E/C Industry Summit is the must-attend event of the year!

It鈥檚 time to get back to GROWING your design firm鈥OW!

Do you want to guarantee success in 2014 and beyond? Now鈥檚 the time to position your firm for growth. Too many firms act on fear and are ill prepared to pounce on the numerous opportunities now available. Don鈥檛 be behind the curve of growth鈥� register NOW for this year鈥檚 A/E/C Industry Summit to ensure you get ahead (and stay ahead) of the rest of the industry.

This year鈥檚 A/E/C Industry Summit is a severe wake-up call to your firm to recognize the potential growth that is yours for the taking With first-hand knowledge of industry trends, analyses of historical precedents, and projections based on hard data, we will prepare your firm for what the world and the A/E/C practice will look like in the coming years. You鈥檒l come face-to-face with other CEOs and design firm leaders who have walked in your shoes, find solutions to your issues, and develop new strategies for 2014. Imagine how successful you and your firm will be if you start the year off on the right foot with the right advice.

PSMJ鈥檚 2013 A/E/C Industry Summit will take place on December 5th and 6th, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada with informative pre-conference programs taking place on December 4th.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER: 

November 26, 2013 7:00 pm

AZ Architecture Studio
1631 Stanford Street 
Santa Monica 90404

Topic: The Future of Architecture/Future of Women in Architecture

Last fall we had a series of discussions regarding the Future of Architecture. Here are some of the topics we discussed:

 1. Technology, representation and BIM with Changes in process and delivery, risks, consortiums

 2. Loss of tactility in process and product, together with looking at Pritzker Prize and Venice Biennale

 3. Pro bono work, unpaid internships with architecture as a civil right, ways of doing meaningful public work and ad-hoc interventions

 4. Collaboration, virtual offices, with community input

We then engaged in a series of discussions about the status of women in the profession, and then how to thrive in the post-recession reality we find ourselves in.

We are now circling back around to the future of the profession, and perhaps we can combine some of the topics:

1. How do we position ourselves to engage our strengths while addressing needed markets?

2. What are the skills we need for future success?

3. How do look to the future as leaders in the profession?

Send your thoughts on related ideas for discussion.

Please RSVP by Monday, November 25 to Stephanie Reich. Look forward to seeing you there!

Refreshments provided- bring a beverage or small snack if you wish!

Global Citizen: The Architecture of Moshe Safdie

November 16, 2013 2:00 pm

Cost:  $7 

Skirball Cultural Center
2701 N Sepulveda Blvd 
Los Angeles, CA 90049 

Pearl Brickman (a longtime AWA+D member and docent at the Skirball Center) has offered to lead a tour of the exhibition for AWA+D members.

Meet at Zeidler鈥檚 Cafe at the Skirball Center at 2PM, tour begins at 3PM

$7 (group rate)

RSVP to Programs Committee by Thursday, November 14.

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

Journey through a three-dimensional landscape of striking architecture in this career-spanning exhibition of Moshe Safdie鈥檚 work. Global Citizen: The Architecture of Moshe Safdie surveys the renowned architect鈥檚 career from his formative period in the 1960s and early 1970s to his recent projects around the world, exploring his aesthetic language of transcendent light, powerful geometry, and iconic forms. Using sketches, models, photographs, and films of twenty-five projects, the exhibition portrays Safdie鈥檚 architecture not only as visual art but as a medium for advancing social, political, and cultural goals.

More info about the exhibition is here: 

SWA Group Studio Visit

October 29, 2013 7:00 pm

SWA Los Angeles Studio
811 W. 7th Street Suite 430 
Los Angeles, CA 90017 

Join us for a behind the scenes tour of the LA office of SWA Group, a world leader in landscape architecture, planning and urban design. Hosted by Principal Ying-yu Hung, this visit offers a unique look at one of LA鈥檚 top design offices. The SWA studio visit is free for Members of AWA+D, but non-members can also attend by paying $20 at the door.

RSVP鈥檚 are required, please send an email to Programs Committee by October 28.

As the recipient of multiple national and international awards including the 2009 National ASLA Honor Award for Zobon City Sculpture Garden and 2008 ASLA National Honor Award, Chongming Island North Lake Region, Shanghai, PR China, Ms. Hung is both a designer and a planner, with the innate ability to integrate form with function, and the vision to protect our exhaustible resources with sustainable development. Her other notable projects include the Giant Group Campus in Shanghai 鈥� a 40 hectare campus that includes office/residences, programmed open spaces and wetlands for storm water retention and infiltration. Milton Park is an interpretative public park along the bank of the Ballona Creek in Los Angeles, California; Kaohsiung Waterfront Urban Design in Kaoshiung Taiwan that examines the potential for post-industrial waterfront; and Sands Bethworks in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania which will be a precedent setting example of integrated historic preservation and adaptive reuse.

Ying-Yu believes that the act of design leads beyond form giving and the built object. For her, landscape architecture has become a meta discipline that guides other disciplines 鈥搊ne that protects the resources of the world and sets strategies to curtail global warming, to augment habitats for endangered species, and to minimize the human footprint. Under this broader definition of landscape architecture, Ying-Yu is a conceptual thinker who looks to the context and its participants for clues that may lead to an answer beyond traditional solutions. A San Francisco Bay Area transplant recently moved to downtown Los Angeles, Ying-Yu is highly energized by the dynamism of the city and seizes every opportunity to investigate the issues of cultural diversity, public and private interests, and the overriding importance of green technology and practices in the urban environment.

Unfrozen Music: Architects in Concert

October 26, 2013 7:00 pm

Cost: Free

Organizer:

Santa Monica Main Library
310-450-9612
601 Santa Monica Blvd 
Santa Monica, CA 90401 

Come kick off your holiday season with a free music concert of architects playing their talent on stage for YOU! Unfrozen Music, produced by Craig Shimahara of Shimahara Illustration, is a fun family community event featuring an eclectic array of music from classical to blues. This is our fifth annual Unfrozen Music concert, performed by a collection of LA architects!

Sam Lubell, California Editor, The Architect鈥檚 Newspaper, will once again preside over the free event which plays with the relationship between the design of architecture and the composition of music. Sam is pleased to be a part of the event who states, 鈥淎rchitects work within a fascinating paradox of rigorous precision and free-flowing creativity. I always love seeing this duality played out on stage, and I never cease to be amazed by designers鈥� wealth of talent.鈥�

The annual concert series, created by Craig Shimahara of Shimahara Illustration, is named Unfrozen Music in reference to a quote from nineteenth century German theorist, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who stated, 鈥淚 consider architecture frozen music.鈥�

鈥淎rchitects are passionate people, and that passion often pours out through multiple channels of expression,鈥� said Craig. 鈥淎fter listening to an architect play a violin solo, it鈥檚 fun to imagine what kind of buildings he or she might design.鈥�

Doors open at 6:30pm. Open seating for 140 guests
Admission is free.

For more information:
(310) 450-9612

October 24, 2013 7:00 am

Los Angeles Athletic Club - Centennial Ballroom
431 West 7th Street 
Los Angeles, CA 

celebrate | network | mentor | lead | inspire | motivate

$30.00 per person
$375 for Table of 10 (includes table signage and designation of table leader)
$300 Event Sponsorship (includes 2 tickets, logo recognition in future correspondence and at event)

Discounted parking available onsite for $4.50

AGENDA

7:00 AM Doors Open, Registration & Coffee

7:30 AM Event Begins ~ Welcome

7:45 AM Moderated Panel Discussion followed by Q&A

Tessa Charnofsky, Government Affairs Manager, First 5 LA

Nurit Katz, Chief Sustainability Officer, UCLA

Karen Mozes, President & Founder, Cinco Consulting Solutions LLC

Alison Suffet-Diaz, Executive Director & Founder, Environmental Charter Schools

9:00 AM Table Discussions

9:30 AM Breakfast Ends

October 24, 2013

The AIA Women鈥檚 Leadership Summit 2013 gathers architects serving in leadership roles, including, principals, educators, owners, designers, environmentalists, and innovators, in an intimate setting to discuss the challenges and opportunities for women practicing architecture today. The Summit strives to engage speakers and attendees in an open, conversational setting to share both personal and work experiences toward positive contributions through the practice of architecture.

Summit Goals:
Raise the Profile of Women Principals and Leaders in the Profession
Share and Promote the Design Work of Women
Explore New Paths to Leadership
Learn from Each Other: Issues and Challenges

Featured Speakers:
Hsinming Fung, AIA
Sharon E. Sutton, FAIA
Marilyn Jordan Taylor, FAIA
Billie Tsien, AIA

Don鈥檛 miss this opportunity for personal and professional growth, to connect with your peers, and to network with change agents and up-and-coming leaders within the profession. Seats are limited.

Register online today!

October 22, 2013 7:00 pm

Home of Stephanie Reich

Topic: Learning to Thrive as an Architect/Designer in the NEW Post-Recession Paradigm

How can we survive and THRIVE in this new environment? What tools do we need? What skills should we develop?

Thanks to all who attended in September.

In September we talked about defining our primary interests and how to bring them together into a thriving practice, as well as learning how to better value the broad variety of skills we bring as having value in the marketplace.

Issues for continued discussion include:

路       How can technology be used to the advantage of both the architecture and the bottom line;

路       How to best use communication and social networking tools to increase your market (and when not to use them);

路       Branding yourself and your business where the market IS now and will be;

路       Understanding where the gaps (needed services not provided) are in the market and how you can fill them.

We hope to share our wisdom, but may not have many answers. Please join us to share your own struggles, lessons and insights.

RSVP by Friday, October 18 to Stephanie Reich.

Refreshments provided- bring a beverage or small snack if you wish!

October 19, 2013 3:00 pm

Cost: $20

Organizer:

Don鈥檛 miss this chance to stroll the streets of Silver Lake on an October afternoon, getting an exclusive peek inside the studios of Michael Maltzan Architecture, WTARCH, MASS Architecture & Design, Lehrer Architects and MAKE Architecture. Plus all proceeds will benefit our new Making LA series, where we鈥檒l be highlighting awesome community-focused projects from local designers and architects. Afterwards, we鈥檒l be celebrating happy hour at Hyperion Public with food and drink specials.  Get your tickets today!

 Hyperion Avenue Open Studio Tour
Saturday, October 19
3:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Self-guided tour followed by buy-your-own happy hour at Hyperion Public

Tickets are $20

Buy tickets here
All details here

October 11, 2013 8:15 am

Cost: $130-235

Organizer: Living Future Institute

Audubon Center at Debs Park
4700 N Griffin Ave 
Los Angeles, CA 90031 

The Living Building Challenge Water Petal is intended to redefine our relationship to water and 鈥榳aste鈥� in the built environment. In this 4-hour in-depth review of the Water Petal, participants will gain an understanding of how to meet the water-related Imperatives of the Living Building Challenge: I-05 Net Zero Water and I-06 Ecological Water Flow. In addition to illustrating innovative water solutions from around the globe, this interactive session will include small group discussion to identify the major water challenges in their region.

To learn more, click  here.

September 28, 2013 3:00 pm

Home of Nicole Davis Tinkham

Join the leaders of AWA+D as we launch a new fiscal year! The annual meeting is an opportunity for members and prospective members to celebrate the accomplishments of the past and hear more of the plans for our future.

President-elect Nicole Davis Tinkham will host this informal event where new officers and key members will be unveiled and a lovely venue and refreshments will support the fun! This free event for members and their non-member guests is a fantastic opportunity to meet the leaders and volunteers guiding AWA+D into a truly exciting year.

R.S.V.P.
Because this is a private home, RSVP鈥檚 for members and their non-member guests is required in order to obtain the exact address. Please reply no later than Friday, September 20th to our Programs Committee.

September 24, 2013 7:00 pm

Topic: Learning to Thrive as an Architect/Designer in the NEW Post-Recession Paradigm

How can we survive and THRIVE in this new environment? What tools do we need? What skills should we develop?

In August we shared experiences, getting a sense of our perspectives on what the environment for architecture is, and what clients are looking for. We learned it鈥檚 just as important to know what work to turn away as it is to know what work to go after.

In September we鈥檇 like to have a more focused discussion. Some topics to consider are:

How can technology be used to the advantage of both the architecture and the bottom line?
What are other tools people are using that appear useful?
What are areas of practice and skill to consider to focus and grow?

We hope to share our wisdom, but may not have many answers. Please join us to share your own struggles, lessons and insights.

RSVP by Monday, September 23 to Stephanie Reich.

Refreshments provided 鈥� bring a beverage or small snack if you wish!

August 28, 2013 8:00 am

Driving Leadership Through Innovation
A dynamic program featuring the 鈥渨ho鈥檚 who鈥� of the environmental industry

The goal of the 2013 Women In Green Forum (WIGF) is to create a venue for sustainability professionals to develop the skills necessary for professional success, to promote women鈥檚 leadership across the environmental industry, and to provide insightful approaches and innovative ideas to solving today鈥檚 environmental challenges.

Each year, the WIGF Advisory Board reviews speaker submissions and develops the conference agenda based on the most pressing topics of the day. Sessions designed for the 2013 West Coast Women In Green Forum will fit into the following tracks:

TRACK ONE: ENTREPRENEUR + topics and sessions designed for business owners or those who are interested in starting new ventures.

TRACK TWO: CAREER PROFESSIONAL + topics and sessions designed for professionals working within corporate, government or nonprofit organizations.

For more information, please visit the WIGF website.

Conversation with Clarke Knight

August 4, 2013 3:00 pm

Home of Anne Zimmerman

Clarke Knight is chemistry major with a secret passion for the arts. At Smith College, she collaborated with architecture professor James Middlebrook to produce the book Footnotes in Architecture: An Annotated Bibliography of Women Designers. The text is a compilation of recent and past literature that describes the barriers women designers face in the professional world. With the work of academics and historians, much light is being shed on our controversial past so that we may understand, acknowledge, and celebrate the depth and breadth of female achievement in design.

On August 4, Clarke will present her findings to AWA+D members. Please join us for a lively discussion!

RSVP to Programs

Mentorship Mixer

July 21, 2013 11:00 am

VDL House
2300 Silver Lake Boulevard
Los Angeles 90039

AWA+D鈥檚 mentorship program has been growing strong and is pleased to continue supporting local design professionals of all levels with a growing group of mentors and mentees. Held at Richard Neutra鈥檚 recently restored , this member and non-member event will offer those interested in both sides of the mentorship relationship an opportunity to have brief one-on-one conversations followed by intimate group discussions. Connect with a mentor or mentee at this informal and lively event by RSVP鈥檌ng to the Mentoring Committee by July 19th. Please indicate your design profession, experience level and whether you are seeking for a mentor, mentee or both.

June 27, 2013 7:00 am

Haworth Showroom, The Water Garden
1601 Cloverfield Boulevard, Suite 1000 North 
Santa Monica, CA 90404 
United States

AWA+D recommends Women of Design鈥檚 third annual Breakfast with Inspiration.

Featured Panelists include Annie Chu, Ann Sacks, and Dr. Sherry Nooravi
Moderated by Lee Pasteris
鈥�
鈥�7:00-8:00am Networking/Continental Breakfast
8:00-9:30am Conversation with our Panelists

There are many reasons why women leave design professions without achieving leadership positions. Some pursue shifting interests in other careers. Others choose to have children and never make it back. Still others are discouraged by what they see as obstacles to success and never pursue responsibility and authority. As co-managing principal of Gensler in the North Central region, Nila R. Leiserowitz, FASID, IIDA, Associate AIA, believes there is untapped potential in the industry for women to lead alongside their male colleagues.

To that end, Leiserowitz organized 鈥淲omen in Design,鈥� a work session for professional and personal growth intended to close the perceived gap between the early career design professionals and those with 20 years of more experience. Co-hosted by Laurel Harrison and Walt Cousineau, 鈥淲omen of Design鈥� assembles together a panel of three executives from different sectors of the design industry to share insights on how to achieve success in the workplace.

This year Gensler and Haworth welcome the next generation of women design leaders to an inspirational morning of success stories and motivational thought. 鈥淲omen of Design鈥� is meant to inspire, empower and connect women from all aspects of design.
鈥�
Together we can succeed.

Free General Admission. Space is Limited.

For more information, including a link to register, please visit: 

June 25, 2013 7:00 pm

Home of Stephanie Reich

On May 20, we had a rich and engaging conversation about the nature of the challenges facing women, and began a discussion of what we can do as individuals and as an organization. On Tuesday, June 25 we will complete our 鈥淎ction Items鈥� discussion.

Space is limited! RSVP to Stephanie Reich by Friday June 21.

Refreshments provided. Please feel free to bring a beverage or a healthy snack.

Some links for reference:

This article asks the question 鈥渨hy do women leave architecture?鈥� (funded by the RIBA, research done by two women from the University of West England in Bristol)

And there鈥檚 a recent NY Times Op Ed 鈥淲hy Gender Equality Stalled鈥漷hat posits that since there is not enough support for two-parent households, childcare responsibilities invariably fall on the female half of the partnership. A compelling argument.

It鈥檚 also interesting to see where we鈥檝e come from. To that end, there鈥檚 an amazing documentary on PBS called , a three-hour chronicle of the women鈥檚 movement, this being the 50th anniversary of The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan.

June 18, 2013

Build It Green will hold a Certified Green Building Professional Training course in Irvine, California on June 18-19th. This course is designed for sustainability professionals, contractors, energy efficiency professionals, and consultants.

Tuesday, Jun. 18 | 8:00 am鈥�5:00 pm

Wednesday, Jun. 19 | 8:00 am鈥�5:00 pm, 1-hour exam at 4:00 pm

This 2-day course introduces the main principles of green building and the systems approach to the design, construction, and operation of buildings. It provides an understanding of energy efficiency, resource conservation, water conservation, and indoor air quality, and how to effectively convey the importance of these principles and market your business to homeowners.

For more information, please visit the Build It Green website.