Blogs

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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Navigation Centers – A Different Approach to Shelter the Homeless

By Akanksha Singh posted 05-20-2018
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By Julia Laue, AIA, LEED AP Principal Architect & Division Manager San Francisco Public Works, Building Design & Construction – Architecture Division One day, in late December of 2014, the Director of San Francisco Public Works, Mohammed Nuru, called together three of his deputies, including the City Architect, City Engineer and Operations chief, and asked them to meet him at an abandoned school yard in the Mission District. This school yard was full of vacant modular classrooms, offices and restrooms, surrounding a central blacktop open space. Three months later, in March of 2015, San Francisco Public Works, in partnership with other City agencies, ...
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The Long and Winding Road - One Year After

By Edmond Gauvreau, FAIA posted 05-18-2018
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Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash I am flying back from a conference in San Antonio, realizing that it has been just over a year since I received my letter announcing that I was elected to the AIA College of Fellows. I keep thinking back to the path taken to achieve that honor, and how life has changed since both the letter and my subsequent investiture. I still get a feeling of disbelief for every piece of correspondence addressed to me with the postnomial FAIA – what did I do to deserve it? Then I consider the outreach to my new peers – the fraternity of brothers and sisters who all share one common idea – raising the bar for architecture. Over ...
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Sight-see Public Architecture in New York

By Paula Loomis, FAIA posted 05-18-2018
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The AIA Convention and Public Architects’ presentations are in New York City in just one month (June 2018). As we prepare for fun, learning and an intense architectural experience here are recommended public architecture highlights to see during breaks or before/after the convention. . Walking tour of Manhattan Manhattan is bustling with construction. Hudson Yards is one of the largest sites currently under construction. When it is finished it will contain 16 skyscrapers containing more than 12,700,000 sf. Other highlights include the Highline (a great public connector space), a new residential unit by Zaha Hadid along the Highline, and West 57th Residential ...
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Public Architects Influencing the Profession & Built Environment

By Marilyn Wong-Wittmer, AIA Member Emeritus posted 05-18-2018
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Image credit: iStock This year’s Public Architects Preconvention Workshop Public Architects: Driving Innovation in the Industry’s Best Practices promises to be an informative, thought provoking workshop focusing on the impact public architects have in influencing the profession’s best practices and the built environment. The collaboration of agency public architects and architects within private sector firms, who manage public sector projects, are at the forefront of urban development, leading social and technical initiatives that drive the industry’s best practices. Please join us on Wednesday, June 20, 2018 , 8:30 am to 5:30 pm at the Javits Center ...
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2018 May Cornerstone: Letter from the Chair

By Lee Solomon posted 05-18-2018
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Image credit: iStock To our Architectural colleagues in the AIA, we once again renew our year with a greater sense of urgency and commitment to the realm of Public Architecture. It has been a distressing winter with harsh winds, rains and snowstorms making our lives rife with challenges. This only goes further to support the knowledge that climate change is very real and change is very necessary. The current social, economic & political forces which shape the world, which we design and build Civic Structures, has proven to be even more contentious than ever before. Funding has been cut from a great many Federal Agencies, which support housing, ...
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Allied organization of the AIA's Public Architecture KC

By Brian McLaren posted 12-31-2017
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Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) The mission of the SAME Architectural Practice Committee is to promote architectural practice within SAME broaden the organization’s exposure in the architectural community recruit more architects, along with expanding networking and mentoring opportunities. Read newsletter or learn more about APC at www.same.org/apc .
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Resources for Public Architects

By Brian McLaren posted 12-31-2017
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PA Symposium Presentations 2025 PA Symposium Presentations 2024 PA Symposium Presentations Citizen Architect Handbook Citizen Architect Handbook The Citizen Architect Handbook offers insight into the important role architects play in advancing public policy and methods that encourage greater civic engagement by architects. Inspired by the work of AIA chapters across the country, the handbook features examples for establishing a local citizen architect committee, and strategies for engaging at a local, state, and national level. It also discusses pro bono work and the growing public architecture movement. The Roadmap to Sustainable Government ...
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The Journey to Urbahn Medal

By Edmond Gauvreau, FAIA posted 12-04-2017
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By Ed Gauvreau, FAIA, M.SAME As much as the path to gaining Fellowship in the American Institute of Architects (AIA) was long and winding, becoming the 21 st recipient of the SAME Urbahn Medal was an equally interesting and divergent road. It was especially challenging when the bulk of your work over the years does not involve extensive major military construction projects or programs, but incremental work at various installations or developing policy for such programs. As an introduction, the Urbahn Medal is the only award given by the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) for achievement in architecture. The medal is named for Max O. Urbahn, ...
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2017 November Issue of Cornerstone: Letter from Chair

By Emily Marthinsen, FAIA Member Emeritus posted 12-04-2017
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Welcome to the latest “issue” of Cornerstone —the on-line newsletter of the AIA Public Architects Knowledge Community! Twice each year, a Board member of the Public Architects Advisory Group collects and edits material of professional interest to share with the wider community of architects and designers who work for and with public agencies of all kinds. Public architects play many roles in the development of our shared environment; and articles in Cornerstone reflect the diversity of our work and wide-ranging interests of our members. Public architects, through their work in shaping and managing tens of thousands of individual projects and in setting ...
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