Save the date for the annual holiday fundraiser benefitting the AWAF Scholarship Program, to be held on Saturday, December 7, 2013.

You are invited to the AIA Los Angeles Holiday Party and 2014 Board Installation at DLR Group. Come join AIA|LA as we welcome our new board and celebrate the holidays with our members!

Dozens of industry leaders over two days of intense and energizing sessions…PSMJ’s 2013 A/E/C Industry Summit is the must-attend event of the year!

We are now circling back around to the future of the profession, and perhaps we can combine some of the topics:

Pearl Brickman (a longtime AWA+D member and docent at the Skirball Center) has offered to lead a tour of the exhibition for AWA+D members.

Join us for a behind the scenes tour of the LA office of SWA Group, a world leader in landscape architecture, planning and urban design. Hosted by Principal Ying-yu Hung, this visit offers a unique look at one of LA’s top design offices. The SWA studio visit is free for Members of AWA+D, but non-members can also attend by paying $20 at the door.

Come kick off your holiday season with a free music concert of architects playing their talent on stage for YOU! Unfrozen Music, produced by Craig Shimahara of Shimahara Illustration, is a fun family community event featuring an eclectic array of music from classical to blues. This is our fifth annual Unfrozen Music concert, performed by a collection of LA architects!

celebrate | network | mentor | lead | inspire | motivate

The AIA Women’s Leadership Summit 2013 gathers architects serving in leadership roles, including, principals, educators, owners, designers, environmentalists, and innovators, in an intimate setting to discuss the challenges and opportunities for women practicing architecture today. The Summit strives to engage speakers and attendees in an open, conversational setting to share both personal and work experiences toward positive contributions through the practice of architecture.

Topic: Learning to Thrive as an Architect/Designer in the NEW Post-Recession Paradigm

How can we survive and THRIVE in this new environment? What tools do we need? What skills should we develop?

Don’t miss this chance to stroll the streets of Silver Lake on an October afternoon, getting an exclusive peek inside the studios of Michael Maltzan Architecture, WTARCH, MASS Architecture & Design, Lehrer Architects and MAKE Architecture. Plus all proceeds will benefit our new Making LA series, where we’ll be highlighting awesome community-focused projects from local designers and architects. Afterwards, we’ll be celebrating happy hour at Hyperion Public with food and drink specials.  Get your tickets today!

The Living Building Challenge Water Petal is intended to redefine our relationship to water and ‘waste’ in the built environment. In this 4-hour in-depth review of the Water Petal, participants will gain an understanding of how to meet the water-related Imperatives of the Living Building Challenge: I-05 Net Zero Water and I-06 Ecological Water Flow. In addition to illustrating innovative water solutions from around the globe, this interactive session will include small group discussion to identify the major water challenges in their region.

Join the leaders of AWA+D as we launch a new fiscal year! The annual meeting is an opportunity for members and prospective members to celebrate the accomplishments of the past and hear more of the plans for our future.

Topic: Learning to Thrive as an Architect/Designer in the NEW Post-Recession Paradigm

How can we survive and THRIVE in this new environment? What tools do we need? What skills should we develop?

The goal of the 2013 Women In Green Forum (WIGF) is to create a venue for sustainability professionals to develop the skills necessary for professional success, to promote women’s leadership across the environmental industry, and to provide insightful approaches and innovative ideas to solving today’s environmental challenges.

Clarke Knight is chemistry major with a secret passion for the arts. At Smith College, she collaborated with architecture professor James Middlebrook to produce the book Footnotes in Architecture: An Annotated Bibliography of Women Designers. The text is a compilation of recent and past literature that describes the barriers women designers face in the professional world. With the work of academics and historians, much light is being shed on our controversial past so that we may understand, acknowledge, and celebrate the depth and breadth of female achievement in design.

AWA+D’s mentorship program has been growing strong and is pleased to continue supporting local design professionals of all levels with a growing group of mentors and mentees. Held at Richard Neutra’s recently restored VDL House, this member and non-member event will offer those interested in both sides of the mentorship relationship an opportunity to have brief one-on-one conversations followed by intimate group discussions. Connect with a mentor or mentee at this informal and lively event by RSVP’ing to the Mentoring Committee by July 19th. Please indicate your design profession, experience level and whether you are seeking for a mentor, mentee or both.

There are many reasons why women leave design professions without achieving leadership positions. Some pursue shifting interests in other careers. Others choose to have children and never make it back. Still others are discouraged by what they see as obstacles to success and never pursue responsibility and authority. As co-managing principal of Gensler in the North Central region, Nila R. Leiserowitz, FASID, IIDA, Associate AIA, believes there is untapped potential in the industry for women to lead alongside their male colleagues.

On Tuesday, June 25 we will complete our “Action Items” discussion.

Build It Green will hold a Certified Green Building Professional Training course in Irvine, California on June 18-19th. This course is designed for sustainability professionals, contractors, energy efficiency professionals, and consultants.