Blogs

Member spotlight: Mahbuba Khan, AIA, Public Architects Committee Chair

By Alison Karfeld posted 2 days ago
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The Immigrant Architects Coalition, a 501©(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering foreign- born architects and designers to build successful careers in the United States has released City Shapers, Volume II, edited by Mahbuba Khan, AIA, PAKC Chair. An Immigrant Architect’s Story of Service, Resilience, and City-Shaping The stories in this volume move beyond arrival and survival to explore growth, leadership, reflection, and responsibility. Contributors represent a wide range of cultural backgrounds, career stages, and design disciplines; yet, they are united by a shared willingness to speak honestly about their journeys. These ...
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The Road Less Traveled: Interview with new Fellow, Etty Padmodipoetro, FAIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 2 days ago
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Etty Padmodipoetro, FAIA, NOMA Loeb Fellow . Photo by Joe Allegro Congratulations to the Public Architects Committee, BoKnoCo, representative Etty Padmodipoetro, AIA Massachusetts, NOMA Loeb Fellow, who was elevated to the AIA College of Fellows. How did your career develop? Early in my career, I was practicing architecture in the traditional sense, designing buildings or - as the engineers call it - vertical infrastructure. That was my path until I had the opportunity to work on the Boston Central Artery/ Tunnel Project (the “Big Dig”), at the time the biggest and most expensive highway project in the country. ...
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Member Spotlight: Bryce Bounds, AIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 03-16-2026
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Bryce Bounds, AIA, is a Miami native and Architect in the Public Works Department of Broward County Government in South Florida. Here are his answers to some key questions that sought to highlight his personal experience, above and beyond his professional biography. How long have you been a member? I signed up for a CEU session at AIA24 in Washington, D.C. hosted by the Public Architects Knowledge Committee and realized almost instantly that I was sharing a room with people doing the same work I was doing at the County. I also quickly realized how professional everyone was, and how much I could learn from them all. I volunteered to join ...
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Letter from Ludmilla Pavlova-Gillham, FAIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 03-16-2026
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For me, one of the benefits of membership in the AIA is the opportunity it affords to meet other architects who feel the same passion as I do for architecture. It is a joy to share stories of design that overcomes great challenges, technical and otherwise, to create thriving, beautiful spaces. It is a reminder of the positive effects that good planning can have on communities. Almost 25 years ago the 9/11 terrorist attack destroyed the World Trade Center (WTC) Twin Towers along with the entire 16-acre WTC Site, devastating Lower Manhattan, including critical interstate and local transportation systems. Prime responsibility for planning and designing ...
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Committee on Architecture for Education Spring Conference 2026—Designing Belonging: Reciprocity, Resilience, and Regeneration

By Alison Karfeld posted 02-25-2026
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April 28–May 1 | Seattle | The Alexis Royal Sonesta Hotel Seattle Join us for the AIA Committee on Architecture for Education Spring Conference 2026! Set in a region defined by dramatic natural context, vibrant international trade, industrial innovation, ecological stewardship, and cultural diversity, this year’s program explores and builds on designing for belonging. Curated bus tours guided by architects, educators, clients, and community partners will highlight outstanding AIA award-winning and other projects across the learning continuum. Over four days, you'll gain place-based insight into how Seattle’s design community is advancing equity, belonging, ...
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City Opens New Health and Wellness Center for Homeless Youth

By Alison Karfeld posted 02-09-2026
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The new health and wellness center for unhoused, young adults features a large communal space City Opens New Health and Wellness Center for Young Adults Experiencing Homelessness As part of San Francisco’s push to serve and support young adults experiencing homelessness, a newly opened center in the Lower Nob Hill neighborhood, on the edge of the Tenderloin, aims to provide critical health and wellness services, from showers to laundry facilities and even a hair salon. Designed and managed by the Public Works Bureau of Architecture, which also provided construction administration services, the new Transitional Age ...
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New Behavioral Health Center for People in Crisis

By Alison Karfeld posted 02-09-2026
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Content provided by Julia Laue, FAIA, SF Public Works City Architect & Bureau Manager Public Works staff gather during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Stabilization Unit. City Opens a New Behavioral Health Center to Help People in Crisis Living on the Street As San Francisco continues to bolster its resources for people in urgent need of behavioral health care, a new emergency hub for those in crisis aims to provide rapid access to life-saving services, alleviate suffering on the City’s streets and free up local hospital emergency rooms. Located near the northern edge of the ...
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Letter from the chair, February 2026 - Mahbuba Khan, AIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 01-29-2026
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As we begin this new year, I'm honored to serve as Chair of the Public Architects Committee and bring my federal, local, and public sector experience to this role. I will be working alongside 2025 Award for Excellence in Public Architecture winner Kelly Hayes-McAlonie, FAIA, as vice chair, and AIA staff liaison, Lisa Berretta. I am energized by the momentum we gained in our 1st meeting of the year and humbled by the expertise and dedication within our committee. With over 6,500 members, the Public Architects Committee represents one of the most diverse groups of architects from federal, state, local, institutional, and private sectors. Your collective ...
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Letter from the chair, December 2025 - Phillip W. Neuberg FAIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 12-11-2025
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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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Letter from the chair - Phillip W. Neuberg, FAIA

By Alison Karfeld posted 10-03-2025
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Dear Members, On behalf of the Public Architects Committee leadership team, I've been honored to serve as chair of a passionate, engaged, and diverse knowledge community of both public servants and private practitioners. Whether you provide design expertise to federal, state, or local clients or represent a federal, state, or local public agency as a design professional, the Public Architects Committee encourages you to actively participate in our planning, programming, and advocacy efforts. The Public Architects Committee promotes excellence in public architecture and enhances the role of the public architect as an essential element ...
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Public Architects key takeaways from AIA25

By Alison Karfeld posted 07-16-2025
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Reflections on the AIA25 Public Architects Symposium in Boston By Phillip Neuberg, FAIA, Chair The Public Architects Symposium, held on June 4th, at AIA25 was a resounding success, with 78 participants and over a dozen speakers. Our leadership committee carefully orchestrated the program to provide a broad overview of the work of public architects - from local to state, federal and international scales of impact - and the majority of presentations can be found on our Public Architects Resources page . The Value of Public Architecture By Mahbuba Khan, AIA, MPA, LEED AP, President of MnKhan Architects PLLC ...
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The San Francisco Animal Care & Control Facility: The Adaptive Re-Use of a Historic Gem

By Julia Laue, FAIA posted 07-27-2021
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In 2015, I toured the existing San Francisco Animal Care & Control Center (SFACC). SFACC is a taxpayer funded open door animal shelter that provides housing, care, and medical treatment to stray, lost, abandoned, and sick animals, regardless of species. It is the city’s only open door animal shelter. I distinctly remember this walk-through of the old ACC building, because it was in bad shape and obviously not intended for a long-term animal care shelter. The acoustics were non-existent between the kennels and the smell was very unpleasant. It felt like the animals were wedged into the building and there was little or no separation between people who were ...
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PAKC year in review

By Adam Viorel Pantelimon-Negrut, FRIBA, Intl. Assoc. AIA posted 12-17-2020
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It would be hard to imagine anyone saying that 2020 has been just another typical year in any respect. The same was true, as the new year started, when I attended AIA Grassroots in New Orleans. This Event provided opportunities to share knowledge, experiences, and challenges, and network with AIA counterpart leaders from around the country, fueling the success of communities and offering solutions to the most pressing needs facing cities. One of the most important events AIA hosts for volunteer leaders it was organized virtually August 3–5 for Knowledge Leadership Assembly (KLA) 2020. This event was PA’s leadership opportunity to connect with AIA Knowledge ...
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USACE leadership reinforces qualifications based selection

By Charles Enos, AIA Member Emeritus posted 12-17-2020
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By Charles Enos, AIA, LEED AP, MBA and Edmond Gauvreau, FAIA, MPA AIA Federal Architecture Task Group (FATG) Over the last few years, we have noted inconsistencies among U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Districts and contracting teams in applying the qualifications-based selection process properly and that in some cases low price-based selection was being used. This phenomena was partially due to the prevalent use of Design Build as the primary method of construction contracting over the last 15 years, and contracting teams had gotten out of the practice of using the proper qualifications based selection guidance for Design Bid Build projects, including ...
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Catalyzing change at the 2020 AIA International Region Conference

By Adam Viorel Pantelimon-Negrut, FRIBA, Intl. Assoc. AIA posted 12-16-2020
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Now more than ever, we appear to be at a tipping point, the threshold of which has been spreading across the globe. This year’s conference theme, “Catalyzing Change” embraced the opportunity presented by the many challenges society is facing in 2020 and in the years to come. It have been identified potential for growth and ex/change, by imagining, debating and celebrating how architecture can be at the forefront of meaningful change that responds to our current crises of climate action, social justice, and health & well-being. With nearly 3,000 registrants, the first-ever AIA International Region Virtual Conference has been a resounding success. To ...
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Profile: Rona G. Rothenberg, FAIA

By Marilyn Wong-Wittmer, AIA Member Emeritus posted 12-16-2020
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I have the distinct pleasure to write an article about a friend and fellow public architect, the 2013 Chair of the AIA Public Architect’s Advisory Group, Rona Rothenberg, FAIA. Rona is the recipient of the 2020 Thomas Jefferson Award for Public Architecture recognizing architects in the public and private sectors, public officials, or other individuals who design distinguished public facilities and/or who advocate for design excellence. The award description describes Rona perfectly! Rona has dedicated her career to service within institutions, as an architect in government and industry, improving citizens’ lives through planning, design and construction ...
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PA Soundbites

By Julia Laue, FAIA posted 12-16-2019
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PA Soundbites Newsletter Sharing PA news and topics of interest Dr. Adam Pantelimon (who is on the PA 2019 AdHoc Committee and will be serving in the 2020 PA Advisory Group) was appointed as the incoming 2020-2022 President of the AIA Canada Chapter. In this capacity, Adam attended the AIA International Region Conference in Shanghai, China in November 2019. As a Representative of the Canadian Chapter, Adam signed the “Commitment to International Cooperation and Exchange” along with the International Region Leadership and the Architectural Society of Shanghai China. (AIA International Region (AIA-IR) was formed in late 2012. It encompasses all areas ...
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Summary - Built to Last: Why Public Architecture Needs to Stand the Test of Time

By Julia Laue, FAIA posted 12-16-2019
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Summary of A’19 Public Architects Pre-Conference Workshop held on June 5, 2019 Ever heard the phrase “ Good Enough (or “Close Enough”) for Government Work” ? Since the 1960’s, this phrase has been used to reference poor quality production and/or construction and has become somewhat of a joke. Believe it or not, this phrase was originally coined in WWII and referred to the highest quality and performance standards so that it could be used to win the war, just the opposite of the implied meaning today. In other words, if a project or product was NOT built to the highest exacting quality and standard of care, it was in fact NOT “ Good enough for Government ...
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Letter from the Chair - December 2019

By Marilyn Wong-Wittmer, AIA Member Emeritus posted 12-16-2019
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Greetings from the Public Architects Advisory Committee As 2019 comes to a close, it was another busy year for our Knowledge Community and Advisory Group! The PA Advisory Group and AdHoc committees are committed to our mission of promoting excellence in public architecture and enhancing the role of the public architect as an essential element in the planning, design, construction, and management of public facilities. We call upon an accomplished group of colleagues from many agencies and firms around the country to share their expertise, vision and solutions with our KC in the programs that we provide. This year we held an inspiring PA Workshop ...
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Check out SF Public Works TV latest episode on Preserving San Francisco's Architectural History!

By Julia Laue, FAIA posted 04-06-2019
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