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COD January Letter from the Chair, John Myefski, AIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 12 hours ago
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I am excited to serve as the 2026 Chair of the American Institute of Architects Committee on Design. It has been a pleasure to work with past Chairs during my time as Chair of Sponsorship. This experience has been both fulfilling and invaluable in preparing me for my new role. I am following in the footsteps of many leaders who, since 1969, have advanced design within the AIA. I would like to extend special thanks to our most recent Chair, Craig Brandt, FAIA, for his passion and dedication in delivering a fabulous year of events, including conferences in Miami and Helsinki. I would also like to thank our Past Chair, Susan Chin, FAIA, who nominated me for this ...
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Current YAF State Representatives (YARs)

By Kathleen McCormick posted 2 days ago
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State Representative Alabama Ashley Askew, AIA Alaska ChungTse Lin, AIA Arizona Sarah Potzler, AIA Arkansas Lauren Miller, AIA California Magdalini Vraila, AIA Colorado Lauren Falcon, AIA Connecticut James Regnier, AIA DC Mika Naraynsingh, AIA Delaware Lauren DeSimone, AIA Florida Bryce Bounds, AIA Georgia Adam Drummond, AIA Hawaii Krithika Penedo, AIA Idaho Katie Darter Bennett, AIA Illinois Raquel Guzman Geara, AIA Indiana Rachel Lindemann, AIA International Jason Holland, AIA Iowa Ben Hansen, AIA Kansas Garric ...
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Current YAF Advisory Committee

By Kathleen McCormick posted 2 days ago
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Name Role Kiara Gilmore, AIA Chair Anastasia Markiw, AIA Vice Chair Sarah Woynicz, AIA Past Chair Nicole Becker, AIA Director, Communications Arlenne Gil, AIA Director, Knowledge Tanya Kataria, AIA Director, Advocacy Kumi Wickramanayaka, AIA Director, Community Kaylyn Kirby, AIA Director, Strategy Lisa Lamkin, FAIA College of Fellows Liaison Ashley Thornberry, AIA Strategic Council Liaison Hillary Cole CACE Liaison Get involved! Apps open in May 2026 for 2027 terms. The American Institute of Architects actively promotes a diverse profession, including race, ...
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Current SFx State Representatives

By Kathleen McCormick posted 2 days ago
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State Representative Email Alabama Barrett Penney, AIA barrett@fosheecompanies.com Alaska Tim Whiteley, AIA tim@welshwhiteley.com Arizona Ryan Short, AIA rshort@cottonarchitecture.com Arkansas Tim Maddox, AIA mad@demxarch.com California Marcos Santa Ana, AIA marcos@alloi.us Colorado Emily Adams, AIA emily.adams@neoerainc.com Connecticut Karin Patriquin, AIA karin@patriquinarchitects.com DC Jonathan Kuhn, AIA jonathan@kuhnarchitect.com Delaware VACANT Florida Alex Silva, AIA Asilva@silvaarc.com Georgia Jordache K Avery, AIA jordache@xmetrical.com ...
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Current SFx Board

By Kathleen McCormick posted 2 days ago
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2026 SFx Board Table Legend: Bold = Chair / Bold = Executive Committee Board member Email Alyse Makarewicz, AIA Alysem@ambarchitects.com Bart Shaw, FAIA bart@ibanezshaw.com Christopher Hong, AIA chris@whisperarchitects.com Darguin Fortuna, AIA dfortuna@flow-design-studio.com Jeremiah Russell, AIA jeremiah@roguearch.com Joshua Zinder, AIA jzinder@joshuazinder.com Julie Carpenter julie@aiacincinnati.org Kristen Locke, AIA Klocke@beehyyve.com Marisol Gallagher, AIA marisol@marisolstudios.com Paul Lewandowski, AIA prl@pauldesignsproject.com ...
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HCD at the center of National Housing advocacy - AIA Housing Summit Recap

By Chelsea Johnson, AIA posted 21 days ago
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The availability and affordability of housing in American communities of all scales and types has continued to worsen in recent years, taking shape as a defining national issue that is impacting social and economic viability. On October 21, 2025, 8 advisory group members of the AIA Housing and Community Development Knowledge Community (HCD) joined leaders at the AIA Housing Summit in Washington, DC, hosted by AIA President Evelyn Lee. The Summit brought together AIA National Leadership, senior leaders from approximately 20 national housing organizations, volunteer leaders, and AIA staff to advance coordinated housing advocacy and action within the AIA and ...
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2025 CRAN Grant Recipients

By Susan Parrish posted 23 days ago
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CRAN® Chapter Grant The CRAN Executive Committee established the Chapter Grant to support local AIA chapters in developing impactful programs and activities led by existing or emerging CRAN committees. The grant is intended to advance the practice of custom residential architecture by fostering professional development, community engagement, and peer-to-peer learning at the local level. For the 2025 cycle, the call for proposals was distributed to AIA component executive directors nationwide. Of the 20 submitted proposals, five were selected based on their alignment with CRAN’s mission, potential impact, and ability to deliver meaningful value to custom ...
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BPKC Resources

By Jessica Saravia, AIA posted 29 days ago
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The BPKC Leadership Group is going to create an updated page for building performance and building science resources. Stay tuned for developments and please feel free to reach out if you have suggestions for resources or topics that we might be missing. BPKC Documents and Resources Building Performance Definitions Project - A thorough compilation of terms related to building enclosures, building performance, and building science produced and edited by BPKC leadership group members past ahttps://aiau.aia.org/course/details/decarbonizing-the-built-environment-improving-building-performance-through-regenerative-design-1134nd present. ...
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Letter from the chair, December 2025 - Phillip W. Neuberg FAIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 29 days ago
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What a productive twelve months it has been, thanks to the enthusiastic contributions of our leadership and Ad hoc members, consisting of architects and allied professionals working in the public sphere to develop, execute, and celebrate exemplary designs for the various communities we serve internationally. For its more than 6,500 members, the PAKC this year created stimulating programs and AIAU certified webinars: Revitalizing Urban Infrastructure: Transforming Underutilized Transportation Corridors into Sustainable and Vibrant Public Spaces ; Reimagining Behavioral Health & Homeless Services in San Francisco ; a day-long symposium entitled: Architecture ...
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Fresh Perspectives: Meet Your Incoming COTE Leadership

By Katie Nordenson posted 29 days ago
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Pictured from left to right: Beth Brant, Timothy Lock, and Lisa Richmond. The Committee on the Environment (COTE) is thrilled to welcome three new Leadership Group members, each of whom will be an incredible addition to the team. Let’s learn a bit about who they are, what makes them passionate about design excellence, and resources and projects they love. Beth Brant, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, LFA , is a Principal and Director of Sustainability at DSGN Associates , where she leads the firm’s commitment to regenerative design and the adaptive reuse of existing buildings. With over two decades of experience, Beth has built a career around transforming underutilized ...
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From the President's Desk

By Southern Ellis, AIA posted 12-09-2025
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Dear Members of the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health, How will we define 2025? Personally speaking, I’ll define the year, in part, through the lens of a newfound love of running. Most mornings, before the kids wake up, I stride into the darkness with a tiny flashlight and a series of pace and mileage goals for my morning run. Some mornings my legs feel great, my lungs are alive, the temperature is perfect, and the wind is at my back. Other mornings are a struggle. There are setbacks and injuries, but ultimately, progress each day is built upon the many steps and miles that have preceded. Time on the trail has become cherished time of silence, prayer, ...
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[Webinar] AIA COTE Top Ten 2025 Showcase: Celebrating Sustainable Design Excellence

By Lindsey Falasca, AIA posted 12-08-2025
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Join us for an inspiring showcase of the AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) Top Ten 2025 Award Winners . The COTE Top Ten is the industry’s premier recognition program for sustainable design excellence. This pecha kucha-style webinar will highlight the winning projects from 2025, exploring how architects are pushing boundaries to create buildings that are not only beautiful and functional but also resilient and deeply responsive to their communities and the environment. What: Webinar to learn more about each of the 2025 award winners When: Tuesday, January 27, 2pm ET How: Register here! (Get a sneak preview of the projects here) ...
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Letter from the Chair: Where do we go from here? The critical quest to widen the circle.

By Ellen Mitchell, AIA posted 12-08-2025
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2025 was a tough year for sustainability. Federal incentives were repealed, renewable energy projects stalled, and even our language around environmental issues came under increased scrutiny. The sense of momentum we had been building over the last decade suddenly slowed, and many in the profession were left asking: Where do we go from here? As the national landscape grew more uncertain, a familiar refrain grew louder: we must now focus our efforts on a more local level. The advice is simple enough - talk to your neighbors, engage your community, step outside your bubble – but I’ve come to realize that this is much more complex than it sounds. It ...
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RUDC Letter from the Chair (December, 2025)

By Alison Karfeld posted 12-05-2025
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As many of us review our year-end “wrapped” summaries—whether from our music, reading, or even transit apps—we thought it fitting to offer an RUDC Wrapped for 2025 . It has been a transformative year across AIA, and throughout this period of change, one constant has stood out: the remarkable consistency and depth of engagement from our members. This year, RUDC surpassed 10,300 active participants on the AIA Community Hub . If you're not yet connected there, we encourage you to join the conversation—subscribe, share your thoughts, and tell us how RUDC can better support your practice and your city. RUDC now connects 22 state and local chapters ...
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AIA Interfaith Design Knowledge Community Project Spotlight: St. Patrick Catholic Church

By Alison Karfeld posted 12-05-2025
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Project Name: St. Patrick Catholic Church, Firm: RDG Planning & Design What and where is this project? In the heart of Elkhorn, Nebraska—where suburban growth has transformed once-rural farmland into flourishing neighborhoods — St. Patrick Catholic Church has served its community for more than 150 years. But as the number of parish families surged to nearly 3,000, it became clear that the original church campus could no longer support the vitality and diversity of the parish’s ministries. So, the parish set out to reimagine its entire campus, and, working alongside RDG Planning & Design, began to envision a place simultaneously rooted ...
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December Letter from the 2025 IDKC Chair, Elisabeth Bakker Johnson, AIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 12-05-2025
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Dear Colleagues and Friends, As my term as Chair of the AIA Interfaith Design Knowledge Community (IDKC) comes to a close, I write with deep gratitude, reflecting on a year rich in dialogue, shared learning, and spiritual depth. It has been an honor to serve this remarkable community of architects, designers, scholars, and seekers who believe in the power of design to connect, heal, and inspire. This year, we explored the sacred through a variety of lenses—cultural, architectural, and spiritual. In March, our Town Hall brought together voices from across the country to discuss the IDKC’s 2025 theme of adaptive reuse and to share visions for the future of ...
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Together for a Living Future

By Kira Gould, Hon. AIA posted 12-03-2025
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Together for a Living Future By Kira Gould, Hon. AIA As you consider the learning and gathering opportunities in the year ahead, I’m here to remind you about Living Future . This year, it is in Seattle -- the Pacific Northwest was the first home to the organization and its leading-edge certification program, the Living Building Challenge (which turns 20 later this year -- two decades of pushing boundaries and lifting standards! ). Most of you know me as a COTE community member, but I am also a member of Living Future. As such, I’m eager to share a bit about why I will be at Living Future 26 in April in Seattle. For starters, I’m ...
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COTE Book Review: What We Can Do Right Now: Allison Anderson’s Climate Adaptation for Architects: A Design Toolkit

By Kira Gould, Hon. AIA posted 12-03-2025
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Please join us for the COTE book talk about this book – with the author, Allison Anderson, FAIAI, and the reviewer, Megan Recher Campos, AIA – on 24 February 2026, from 12-1pm Eastern Time. The virtual event is being hosted by the AIA North Carolina COTE with AIA Triangle COTE. Register here . COTE Book Review What We Can Do Right Now Allison Anderson’s Climate Adaptation for Architects: A Design Toolkit by Megan Recher Campos, AIA The increasing number of natural disasters worldwide makes investing in adaptation and resilience critical to the future of the design profession and the built environment. Sometimes it can be overwhelming ...
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Share your Circular Economy Example Case Study

By Kjell Anderson, FAIA posted 12-03-2025
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HI everyone - As you know, the circular economy space doesn’t have a long list of published case studies, so practitioners are not able to cite examples. We’d love to hear about your example! Some of us have created a brief survey, perhaps 5 minutes per project if you have the information handy. Most of the questions are not required to finish the survey, so feel free to skip them if it’s keeping you from submitting one of your projects. What case studies are relevant? This survey focuses on projects that engage in any kind of product salvage, reuse, or both. What will we use this for? This may be used for many things, from asking people to participate ...
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December Member Spotlight: Dave Robar, AIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 12-03-2025
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Dave Robar, AIA, grew up in rural Michigan, developing a love of the outdoors, fishing in ponds and wading in swamps to capture and play with every creature possible. With the freedom to experiment with building things outdoors, including tree forts and hidden underground dens in what seemed like far-away places at the time, in retrospect he was developing a keen sense of nature and our interwoven relationship to it. At the same time, coupled with a love of making art, Dave’s first exposure to architecture was watching father/architect Mike Brady on The Brady Bunch , using his built-in problem solving skills to help every challenging situation have a better ...
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