Academy of Architecture for Justice

Hi, my name is Albert Law, I am delighted to be selected as one of three Knowledge Scholars for this year’s AIA-AAJ national conference in Los Angeles. I will be following the court track sessions while two of my colleagues will be on the corrections/detention track and law enforcement/other track. I am looking forward to sharing my experience with conference attendees as well as those who are not able to participate in person. The main purpose of this blog/forum is to provide a platform for discussion as well as to provide a place where professionals with similar interests can share their experiences. 

I have been involved with the design of Justice facilities for the past 9 years. While working for RossDrulisCusenbery Architecture in Sonoma, I had the opportunity to have worked on various project including courthouses, law enforcement agencies and land port of entries. Justice facilities today are very different from those designed years ago, they are becoming more sustainable, more efficient and more user friendly. As designers we are not only tasked with creating new buildings, we should also look for ways to improve them in a cost effective way. While there are many aging facilities in place that may need to be rebuilt, retrofit and renovation may be more fitting for others.

As an emerging professional, I find myself learning everyday for new trends in design and technology. Conferences like these bring like minded professionals together and enable them to share with us any success stories. I am excited to be able to take part in this conference through the sponsorship of AIA and I will be providing updates on sessions in the coming days.