Archinect - News

AIA Los Angeles pens open letter to 2028 Olympics & Paralympics organizers

2023-09-11T18:43:00-04:00

The American Institute of Architects Los Angeles (AIA|LA) has released an open letter sent to organizers of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games on behalf of its members, encouraging their strategizing with the chapter toward outcomes they say will be a “big win” for multiple stakeholders in the community.

The text states the need for LA28 to consider the importance of placemaking and the games’ eventual aftermath, calling on organizers as a whole to work together on a progressive design agenda that benefits all while enshrining the region’s diversity and enhancing the events’ sustainable footprint.

Focusing on four key areas, the chapter’s letter calls for:

Engage with the AIA and the architecture & design community.
Consider the expansion of LA28’s legacy mission.
Expand partnerships with community stakeholders and leverage their resources to advance projects already in the Los Angeles pipeline.
Increase participation opportunities in the Games planning process and be a leader in in...

An open letter to LA's next mayor outlines 10 proposals to speed up the production of affordable housing

2022-09-30T13:20:00-04:00

The Los Angeles chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA|LA) has released an open letter to mayoral candidates Rick Caruso and Karen Bass suggesting 10 fixes to zoning requirements and the approval processes that would positively impact citywide efforts to tackle an ongoing housing crisis that has taken center stage ahead of the November election.

Echoing the tone of a recent LA Times op-ed, Koning Eizenberg principal and AIA|LA Government Outreach Committee member Brian Lane wrote on behalf of the organization, saying that, as the system is currently arranged, there are "a thousand ways to 'no.'" Their letter claims that city bureaucracy gets in the way of the design community's efforts and that production can be significantly increased via the proposed set of solutions.

"Dear Mayor," the text begins. "It takes about $600,000 and 5 years to build one affordable housing unit. That’s one person or family moved off the streets of over 69,000 experiencing homelessness in LA...

7 steps for ending homelessness proposed by AIA Los Angeles

2021-06-30T12:30:00-04:00

The American Institute of Architects Los Angeles (AIALA) has published a set of strategies urging LA city leaders to tackle the city’s homelessness and affordable housing crisis. The“House All Angelenos” Call-to-Action urges officials to adopt seven strategies aimed at accelerating the construction of affordable homes, and facilitate a more diverse, resilient housing portfolio for the 66,000 residents that lack adequate shelter in the region. The strategies encompass changes to zoning, subsidies, definitions of dwellings, and requirements for developers to provide affordable housing in new developments.

"On a daily basis, architects create supportive, affordable, and market-rate housing throughout the Los Angeles area. It is our responsibility to share the expertise we have garnered with our region at this time of crisis," says AIALA President Wade Killefer, FAIA. “While these strategies lead to housing for those currently without, they also elevate life for all Angelenos. They imp...

AIA|LA organizing desk loan initiative to benefit students without high-speed internet

2020-07-30T14:13:00-04:00

As students face increasingly dire circumstances for the coming fall semester, the American Institute of Architects Los Angeles (AIA|LA) chapter is working to connect local architecture firms with students who need quiet and reliable places to do their work.

Cognizant that local schools will likely operate on fully remote teaching schedules for the coming semester, the group's Desk Loan for Students effort seeks to share the overabundance of workspaces available at local firms that have opted for work from home arrangements with students who lack workspaces at home or find themselves without high quality internet connections.

AIA|LA asks, "Does your office have an extra desk and a fast Internet connection that could be utilized by a student? A good work environment can make a big difference and help students work more effectively and successfully."

AIA|LA awards Gold Medal to Michael B. Lehrer

2020-07-24T13:23:00-04:00

The American Institute of Architects Los Angeles (AIA|LA) has announced its 2020 AIA|LA Presidential Honorees, bestowing its prestigious 2020 AIA|LA Gold Medal on architect Michael B. Lehrer of Lehrer Architects.

The AIALA Gold Medal is the "highest honor the organization bestows on an individual" and was awarded this year to Lehrer, who, according to AIA|LA "embodies the high level of achievement loosely covering four areas that characterize this year’s AIALA Presidential Honorees class: design excellence, service to the region and country, the fostering of next generation designers, and support of the field."

Previously on Archinect: "Studio Visits: Lehrer Architects." Image courtesy of Archinect.

2020 AIALA President Greg Verabian, AIA. explained in a statement that “To Michael B. Lehrer, FAIA, the practice of architecture includes the rigorous investigation of strategies that deliver the benefits of design excellence to some of the region’s most vulnerable: individuals with menta...

SoCal NOMA launches Diversity Equity and Inclusivity Challenge

2020-07-15T11:22:00-04:00

In a joint statement from the American Institute of Architects Los Angeles Chapter (AIALA) and the Southern California Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (SoCal NOMA), a new tool to expand inclusion has been announced: the SoCal NOMA Diversity Equity and Inclusivity Challenge. In describing the new initiative, the statement reads:

The SoCal NOMA DEI Challenge is a ten-point plan that delivers a pathway to diversity for Los Angeles firms through touchpoints including: mentorship, recruitment and promotion, and pro bono services to underserved communities. The results of its clear implementable actions will be tracked, in the same way as the American Institute of Architects (AIA) 2030 Challenge, to determine areas where improvement continues to be needed and to identify successes in reaching these critical goals.

The 10 "actions" that firms can undertake as a part of this challenge each have a scoring threshold with a maximum of 100 potential points to be achi...