Colorado Architecture News | 07.24.24
News from the Colorado Chapter of The American Institute of Architects | 07.24.24
In this Newsletter:
- Conference Call for Presentations submission window closes in 1 week
- CKLDP Summer Recap
- Code Class: 2021 IBC Overview in Castle Rock August 9th
- Public Health by Design: Shaping Healthier Environments
- Happy hour in Boulder with ULI Boulder Committee August 14th
- Steel House Denver construction tour August 15th
- Wild Bear Nature Center tour August 22nd
- Member news
- Partner news
- National news
- Premier Partner spotlight: Humboldt Sawmill and Allweather Wood
AIA COLORADO NEWS
Practice + Design Conference Call for Presentations now open
The Practice + Design Conference brings together the community of architects in Colorado for inspiring insights from global design leaders, advanced practice management methods, and practical innovations from industry partners. We’re interested in hearing from those in our community who are ready to contribute and lead a session at Keystone.
If you have a presentation in mind, visit the link below and start your submission today. Or, if you know someone who would be a great fit, encourage them to create a submission. The submission window closes Wednesday, July 31st at 5pm.
CKLDP Summer Recap
At this stage in the summer, AIA Colorado’s Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program is now officially past the halfway mark. Sessions 3, 4, and 5 focused on community engagement, business development and entrepreneurship, and contracts and negotiation, detailed in this summer’s recap. Continuing to build skills in areas that are oftentimes beyond daily exposure for emerging professionals, provides participants the opportunity to form a cohort with other emerging professionals in the field of architecture (sixteen are selected each year from a group of well-qualified applicants), developing their skills on several focused topics in the once-a-month sessions throughout the year.
Read the Summer Recap here.
AIA Colorado Events

Code Class: 2021 IBC Overview
Friday, August 9th, explore the major provisions of the International Building Code. The presentation will include discussions of the provisions addressing the following issues: occupancy classification, types of construction, means of egress, fire sprinklers and fire-resistive-rated construction, administrative provisions and accessibility. This class is designed to provide an introduction to the new provision of the code. This full-day program includes lunch. This class has been approved for 6.0 AIA LU|HSW.
RSVP here
Public Health by Design: Shaping Healthier Environments
Tuesday, August 13th, from 11am – Noon, join AIA Colorado’s Knowledge Community Academy of Architecture for Health for a virtual event to explore the intersection of public health. This session will explore the intersection of public health and design. Learn about essential public health services, health equity, and the social determinants of health (SDOH). Discover strategies to create healthy, equitable communities through case studies on transportation safety, food policy, and housing initiatives. Understand the role of data, community engagement, and multidisciplinary collaboration in enhancing public health outcomes, and learn how designers can effectively partner with public health professionals on healthcare projects. This virtual event has been approved for 1 LU|HSW.
RSVP here
AIA Colorado & ULI Boulder Happy Hour
August 14th, from 5 – 7pm, join AIA Colorado North members and ULI Boulder Committee members for a happy hour and mixer at Postino’s on Pearl Street.
RSVP here

Steel House Denver Construction Tour
Thursday, August 15th, join the Denver Local Advisors for a construction tour of Steel House, a new 12-story office building coming soon to the RiNo neighborhood. open studio architecture and GE Johnson Construction will conduct a 10-minute introduction and overview of a 12-floor building currently under construction in RiNo. From there, the tour will commence up from level 1 to the 12th floor, to tour a typical floor. We will then proceed to level 6 to review the amenities spaces, including outdoor terraces, basketball court, fitness center, and conference spaces. The tour will highlight LEED/well components of the project. Tour has been approved for 1 LU|HSW.
RSVP here

Wild Bear Nature Center Tour
Thursday, August 22nd, join AIA members for a tour of the Wild Bear Nature Center led by Arch11. The architecture of Nederland’s Wild Bear Nature Center aligns with the center’s curriculum as a teaching tool revealing phenomena and fostering a sense of wonder about the natural world. The net-positive design weaves together core values of the Institution: Education, Sustainability, Stewardship, and Community. From project siting to the selection and detailing of materials, the design is bound to the situation of place; both natural and human centric. The building, as a living organism, will provide opportunities to teach about the natural, its physical properties and how we inhabit it. This tour has been approved for 1 LU|HSW.
RSVP here
2024 Design + Honor Awards Celebration Event
September 12th, join AIA Colorado members as we unveil the recipients of the 2024 Design + Honor Awards and celebrate the exemplary work of Colorado architects.
Connect with like-minded professionals, forge new relationships, and expand your industry contacts as we celebrate this year’s Design + Honor Award recipients. We sincerely hope that your whole team, clients, friends, and family can join in the celebration. It will be a fantastic event and we’re looking forward to it!
Member News
Congratulations to Avik K Guha, AIA, for appointment by Governor Polis to The State Board of Licensure for Architects, Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors!
Partner News
Mentor students interested in architecture
Northeast Early College is seeking mentors for its students interested in engineering and allied professions like architecture. East High School is also seeking mentors for its Women in STEAM program. Mentoring is an excellent opportunity to impact the lives of high school students who might otherwise not consider architecture a career pathway. The commitment is typically once per month for 2.5 hours from September through April. If you’re interested, start by reviewing the mentor job description and submit an application. For cohort preference in the application, you can select in any order: NEC (Northeast Early College) Engineering Group-Coach, EngineeringConnect, or East High School Women in STEAM Program – 2024-2025, or another program focus or location of interest to you. The application deadline is July 31st. Once applied, you will be required to complete a background check and then attend a coach mentor training session, a 2-hour orientation and training taking place this Fall. Questions? Reach out to sarah@sarahgoldblatt.com.
Shigeru Ban in Conversation with Hans Ulrich Obrist at Aspen Art Museum
Friday, August 2nd, the Aspen Art Museum is hosting a conversation between Shigeru Ban and Hans Ulrich Obrist. On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the museum’s renowned building on the corner of Hyman and Spring streets, Ban and Obrist will discuss the architect’s singular approach to materials, and his ongoing efforts in disaster relief architecture. This event is free to attend and space is limited. Register here.
Colorado Green Building Guild’s Annual Green Home Tour
Sign up your home to be part of the Colorado Green Building Guild’s Annual Green Home Tour on September 14th! The tour highlights some of the most innovative green building projects in the Front Range and helps to promote the collaborative exchange of ideas on green building in the community. To get involved or sign up your home, fill out this intake form here, or direct questions to admin@cgbg.org. More information about the event can be found here.
City of Denver hosting two virtual town halls on the citywide ADUs project
As part of the Denver’s ongoing effort to expand housing availability and choice, the city is looking at potential updates to the Denver Zoning Code, zoning map, and Former Chapter 59 zoning to allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in all residential areas of the city. You’re invited to participate in an upcoming virtual town hall on Zoom to learn more about the proposed zoning code text amendment and what it might mean for your property. The same information will be presented at both town halls. Additionally, a draft of the text amendment will be available for public review and comment in the coming days on the Citywide ADUs project page.
Town Hall #1: Thursday, August 8, 6 pm| Town Hall #2: Wednesday, August 21, 6 pm
Earthworks and Land Art of Herbert Bayer
Join landscape architect Ann Mullins, on a tour of the earthworks and land art of Herbert Bayer on the Bauhaus-inspired, Bayer-designed Aspen Institute Campus. Offered on select Fridays at 11:00 am. More information and registration found here.
Denver Zoning Code text amendment bundle public review draft available
Just like infrastructure needs maintenance to stay in top condition, the Denver Zoning Code also needs regular upgrades to continue to respond to the needs of the city. The goal of text amendment bundles is to keep our zoning code modern, clear, and user-friendly. Review and comment on the public draft here.
Nominations now open for 2025 Mayor’s Design Awards!
Since 2005, the Mayor’s Design Awards have honored projects throughout the city for excellence in architecture, urban design, and place-making. The awards are presented to Denver homeowners, business owners, nonprofits, artists, and others for their creative contributions to Denver’s built environment through excellence and innovation. Many different types of projects are eligible. Mayor Mike Johnston and the Department of Community Planning and Development are seeking nominations for the Mayor’s Design Awards to be handed out in early 2025. Nominations are due Friday, November 1, 2024. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony early next year. Nominate a project here.
Career Corner
The AIA Colorado Job Board is updated daily. Job hunting? Take a peek to discover new opportunities. Hiring? Post your single job for 30 days. Connect with qualified candidates. Here are a few featured job openings:
NEWS AT NATIONAL
Young Architects Forum July newsletter
A newsletter from the AIA Young Architects Forum (YAF). Look out for important news, AIA updates, and ways to engage, no biggie. Read here.
Next to Lead Applications Are Open
To create an architecture profession that serves everyone, we must include everyone. That’s why AIA created Next to Lead—an association and professional leadership program that removes barriers to AIA volunteer leadership positions for racially and ethnically diverse women in architecture. Racially and ethnically diverse women who are AIA members and have at least five years of experience in architecture are invited to apply for the upcoming 2024 Next to Lead program! Apply at AIA.
Billings at Architecture Firms Remain in Decline, AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index Reports
Business conditions remained soft at architecture firms in June with the AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) reporting a score of 46.4. Read at AIA.
Construction spending gains projected this year, expected to stall in 2025
Spending on nonresidential buildings is projected to increase more than 7% this year, according to The American Institute of Architects mid-year Consensus Construction Forecast. The spending will slow to only 2% in 2025 as market challenges continue to impact the pace of growth. Read at AIA.
Premier Partner at AIA24

We’re proud to highlight one of AIA Colorado’s Premier Partners, Humboldt Sawmill and Allweather Wood, and look forward to their ongoing support and involvement serving Colorado’s architecture community.
Humboldt Sawmill Company, LLC manufactures redwood and Douglas-fir dimensional lumber, timbers, and uppers at the company’s sawmill in Scotia, California. Logs are sourced from company-owned timberlands totaling nearly 450,000 acres, and all products are certified to the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC® C013133). Products are available mill direct, as well as through company-owned distribution centers, servicing home improvement retailers and local lumberyards, including locations throughout Colorado.
Allweather Wood, LLC is the largest waterborne preservative treated lumber and plywood manufacturer in the western United States with six manufacturing facilities, including a facility in Loveland, Colorado. Treated products include borate, copper, and fire retardants available in Douglas-fir, Hem fir, and Southern Yellow Pine.
View the Humboldt Sawmill and Allweather Wood Premier Partner page to view AIA CES course offered, see case studies, and learn about specification information.
Allied Membership
Looking for Additional Resources?
Allied Members are better known as trusted industry colleagues and members of AIA Colorado—they’re the interior designers, the kitchen specialists, the engineering partners, and more who make up our AEC community in Colorado.
View AIA Colorado’s Allied Member Directory.
Helpful Links:
Save the Dates:
- 2024 Design + Honor Awards Event will be held September 12, 2024 at Mile High Station. View awards event sponsorship opportunities.
- 2024 AIA Colorado Practice + Design Conference will take place November 13-15, 2024 at Keystone Conference Center, Keystone, CO. View conference sponsorship opportunities.
AIA Colorado CKLDP 2024 – Summer Recap
AIA’s Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program provides participants the opportunity to form a cohort with other emerging professionals in the field of architecture (sixteen are selected each year from a group of well-qualified applicants), developing their skills on several focused topics in the once-a-month sessions throughout the year. The program honors Christopher Kelley’s legacy, an influential architect in the Washington D.C. community and an advocate for furthering the profession through mentorship. The program originated in Washington D.C., however local chapters now exist across the country, with additional chapters continuing to be established each year (Colorado’s first program year was 2017).
At this stage in the summer, the program is now officially past the halfway mark. Sessions 3, 4 and 5 focused on topics as detailed in this summer’s recap, continuing to build skills in areas that are oftentimes beyond daily exposure for emerging professionals. Through the program, the topics for each session are predefined, with a few loose guidelines, but each year is shaped by the participants, who organize, plan and host each session following bootcamp along with a partner from the program. It’s been exciting to see how this year’s scholars have pushed the session topics and content to new heights!
Session 3
Community Engagement
Date + Location
- May 10, 2024
- Dahlia Campus for Health + Well-Being
Speakers
- Marc Swackhamer, AIA, Chair of Architecture Department and Professor, CU Denver
- Hansel Bauman, Human-Centered Design Specialist, Founder and Principal, HB/A+P
- Dee Dee DeVuyst, Executive Director, Radian
- Lydia Prado, PhD, Former Vice President of Child and Family Services for the Mental Health Center of Denver, Founder, Lifespan Local
- Cath Bellem, Architect, Founder, Collective Potential
Organizers
- Mallory Esselman, AIA, and Zachary Sherrod, AIA
Through the lenses of subject matter experts engaged my Mallory and Zachary, in this session, scholars looked at best practices for engaging within their community, at the various scales and spheres by which a “community” may be defined. Design backed by research, an effort requiring process and dedication before a building or space is ever drawn, was a highlight of the session and a common theme through each speaker’s content. Real-life examples where shared through a walking tour of the North Park Hill neighborhood and of the Dahlia Campus, where the session was hosted.
Session 4
Business Development + Entrepreneurship
Date + Location
- June 14, 2024
- Interior Environments
Speakers
- Krista Trofka, National Business Development Leader, Senior Associate, DLR Group
- Sarah Cullen, President, Sidecar PR
- Adam Wagoner, AIA, Principal of High, Low, Buffalo, Host of Architect-ing Podcast
- Chris Holzwart, AIA, Principal and Owner of Holzarch
- Haily Tweedie, Founder, Tweed Studio
- Jennifer Olson, Partner, ForumPhi
- Samantha Hunt-Duran, Owner and Founder, Mountain Museum Management LLC
Organizers
- Sara Zezulka, AIA, and Sonya Shah, AIA, NOMA
Sara and Sonya developed this session to start with building a few key understandings with “Designing Your Impact” and “Starting with Why” presentations. Scholars were presented with effective business development and growth strategies, those that are driven by intention and purpose, then were encouraged to discuss and think about application of these ideas with a follow-up break out reflection period. Throughout later portion of the afternoon, additional conversation and perspective was shared via a panel moderated by Sara and Sonya. Participants in the panel discussed their varied experiences as entrepreneurs and industry leaders – Their successes, and their lessons learned.
Session 5
Contracts + Negotiation
Date + Location
- July 12, 2024
- Flight Building
Speakers
- Daniel T. Buelow, Managing Director, WTW A&E
- Jacqueline Pons-Bunney, Esq.,Managing Partner and Owner, W&D Law, LLP
- Kelly Smith, AIA, Owner, Studio | Shop
- Bryan Schmidt, AIA, LEED AP – Principal at Semple Brown
- Deborah Tan Lucking, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C, Director of Sustainability, Fentress
Organizers
- Erich Dernbach, AIA, and Taylor Higgins, AIA
In this session, hosted at the Flight Building by Erich and Taylor, the scholars learned more about the art of contracts and negotiation. Though not what may first come to mind in considering what it means to be an architect, understanding liability, legal consequences and the role of architect as advocate are all critical components to successful practice within the industry. Terms and responsibilities, the nuances in contracts, key items to be aware of, were shared during the session, as well as a number of legal case studies. The panel discussion, comprised of industry leaders, shed light on the architect’s part in educating prospective clients on the duties performed by the architects as well as how a well-executed contract is the best way to mitigate risk.
Colorado Architecture News | 07.10.24
News from the Colorado Chapter of The American Institute of Architects | 07.10.24
In this Newsletter:
- Conference Call for Presentations submission window is open
- Design + Honor Awards Event
- Happy hour in Denver at Union Station July 18th
- Code Class: 2021 IBC Overview in Castle Rock August 9th
- Happy hour in Boulder with ULI Boulder Committee August 14th
- Steel House Denver construction tour August 15th
- Wild Bear Nature Center tour August 22nd
- Member news
- Partner news
- National news
- Premier Partner spotlight: Humboldt Sawmill and Allweather Wood
AIA COLORADO NEWS
Practice + Design Conference Call for Presentations now open
The Practice + Design Conference brings together the community of architects in Colorado for inspiring insights from global design leaders, advanced practice management methods, and practical innovations from industry partners. We’re interested in hearing from those in our community who are ready to contribute and lead a session at Keystone.
If you have a presentation in mind, visit the link below and start your submission today. Or, if you know someone who would be a great fit, encourage them to create a submission. The submission window closes Wednesday, July 31st at 5pm.
AIA Colorado Events

Happy Hour in Denver at Union Station
Thursday, July 18th, from 4 – 6pm, join the Denver Local Advisors, AIA members, and prospective members for a Summer happy hour on the patio at Union Station. Spot the AIA Colorado banners and you’ll know that you’re in the right place! Drinks and food will be available for purchase.
RSVP here

Code Class: 2021 IBC Overview
Friday, August 9th, explore the major provisions of the International Building Code. The presentation will include discussions of the provisions addressing the following issues: occupancy classification, types of construction, means of egress, fire sprinklers and fire-resistive-rated construction, administrative provisions and accessibility. This class is designed to provide an introduction to the new provision of the code. This full-day program includes lunch. This class has been approved for 6.0 AIA LU|HSW.
RSVP here
AIA Colorado & ULI Boulder Happy Hour
August 14th, from 5 – 7pm, join AIA Colorado North members and ULI Boulder Committee members for a happy hour and mixer at Postino’s on Pearl Street.
RSVP here

Steel House Denver Construction Tour
Thursday, August 15th, join the Denver Local Advisors for a construction tour of Steel House, a new 12-story office building coming soon to the RiNo neighborhood.
open studio architecture and GE Johnson Construction will conduct a 10-minute introduction and overview of a 12-floor building currently under construction in RiNo. From there, the tour will commence up from level 1 to the 12th floor, to tour a typical floor. We will then proceed to level 6 to review the amenities spaces, including outdoor terraces, basketball court, fitness center, and conference spaces. The tour will highlight LEED/well components of the project. Tour has been approved for 1 LU|HSW.
RSVP here

Wild Bear Nature Center Tour
Thursday, August 22nd, join AIA members for a tour of the Wild Bear Nature Center led by Arch11. The architecture of Nederland’s Wild Bear Nature Center aligns with the center’s curriculum as a teaching tool revealing phenomena and fostering a sense of wonder about the natural world. The net-positive design weaves together core values of the Institution: Education, Sustainability, Stewardship, and Community. From project siting to the selection and detailing of materials, the design is bound to the situation of place; both natural and human centric. The building, as a living organism, will provide opportunities to teach about the natural, its physical properties and how we inhabit it. This tour has been approved for 1 LU|HSW. RSVP here
2024 Design + Honor Awards Celebration Event
September 12th, join AIA Colorado members as we unveil the recipients of the 2024 Design + Honor Awards and celebrate the exemplary work of Colorado architects.
Connect with like-minded professionals, forge new relationships, and expand your industry contacts as we celebrate this year’s Design + Honor Award recipients. We sincerely hope that your whole team, clients, friends, and family can join in the celebration. It will be a fantastic event and we’re looking forward to it!
Member News
Sean Jursnick, AIA, of SAR+, underscores how Paris’ low-carbon eco-district exposes a fundamental flaw in U.S. building codes. Read his thoughts in his debut Medium post, The Olympic Village: High-Performance Housing Illegal to Build in the U.S.
Tryba Architects celebrates the promotion of four Principals and two Associate Principals in Denver and Dallas-Fort Worth. Congratulations to AIA Colorado members Kathleen Fogler, AIA, Principal, Director of Urban Design, Sarah Komppa, AIA, Principal, Tommy Matthew, Assoc. AIA, Principal, Director of Design Communications, Brent Bartels, AIA, Associate Principal, and Emmett Harrison, AIA, Associate Principal!

“We found that the best way to maximize usable space on a small city lot and direct the sunlight was by getting away from having a true North orientation.” Chad Mitchell, AIA, Principal at Meridian 105 Architecture, shares about their intriguing new project in Denver’s Tennyson neighborhood in the cover story of this Summer’s Modern in Denver issue.
Pick up a copy today and view the issue online here.
Partner News
Don’t get tripped up by heat pumps
Have you wanted to use heat pumps in your projects but have not known where to start? Thursday, July 11th, from 5:30 – 7:30pm, join the Colorado Green Building Guild for a presentation and Q+A session featuring four heat pump experts who will share their recommendations for implementing air source heat pumps in new residential projects throughout Colorado’s front range. Attend in person at Confluence Small Business Collective, in Lafayette, or online via Zoom. RSVP here
Denver’s mid-century modern homes walking tour
Thursday, July 11th, join Historic Denver for a walking tour of Denver’s Mid-Century Modern Homes. If you love mid-century modern, you’ll love learning about the Cliff May homes. All 170 of the homes in Denver were built in the Harvey Park neighborhood, designed to be both prefabricated and elegant in their minimalism. Local expert Atom Stevens leads this tour in southwest Denver, while also sharing his personal experience as a longtime owner of a Cliff May home. Learn more and RSVP here.
USGBC Colorado building transformation forum: distilling decarbonization
Friday, July 12th, from 4 – 6pm, Aspen Distillers, located in the Roaring Fork Valley, is a local distillery committed to fine craft, sustainability and environmental stewardship. The Distillery is on track to achieve LEED Platinum certification and is pursing Living Building Challenge. Join for a discussion on local codes sustainability initiatives in the region and the opportunities and challenges of designing for two different rating systems. This will be followed by a tour of the campus’s onsite initiatives and small a networking reception. RSVP here
Career Corner
The AIA Colorado Job Board is updated daily. Job hunting? Take a peek to discover new opportunities. Hiring? Post your single job for 30 days. Connect with qualified candidates. Here are a few featured job openings:
NEWS AT NATIONAL
Revisions to fee limitations for federal design and construction projects now final, AIA commends DoD for increase
Architects welcome the finalization of a revision to the fee limitations for architects working on construction projects within the purview of the Department of Defense (DoD) from six to ten percent. Read at AIA
Architecture business conditions decline in May, AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index reports
The AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score declined to 42.4 in May, as more firms reported a decrease in billings than the month prior. The ABI score is a leading economic indicator of construction activity, providing an approximately nine-to-twelve-month glimpse into the future of nonresidential construction spending activity. Read at AIA
Premier Partner at AIA24

We’re proud to highlight one of AIA Colorado’s Premier Partners, Humboldt Sawmill and Allweather Wood, and look forward to their ongoing support and involvement serving Colorado’s architecture community.
Humboldt Sawmill Company, LLC manufactures redwood and Douglas-fir dimensional lumber, timbers, and uppers at the company’s sawmill in Scotia, California. Logs are sourced from company-owned timberlands totaling nearly 450,000 acres, and all products are certified to the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC® C013133). Products are available mill direct, as well as through company-owned distribution centers, servicing home improvement retailers and local lumberyards, including locations throughout Colorado.
Allweather Wood, LLC is the largest waterborne preservative treated lumber and plywood manufacturer in the western United States with six manufacturing facilities, including a facility in Loveland, Colorado. Treated products include borate, copper, and fire retardants available in Douglas-fir, Hem fir, and Southern Yellow Pine.
View the Humboldt Sawmill and Allweather Wood Premier Partner page to view AIA CES course offered, see case studies, and learn about specification information.
Allied Membership
Looking for Additional Resources?
Allied Members are better known as trusted industry colleagues and members of AIA Colorado—they’re the interior designers, the kitchen specialists, the engineering partners, and more who make up our AEC community in Colorado.
View AIA Colorado’s Allied Member Directory.
Helpful Links:
Save the Dates:
- 2024 Design + Honor Awards Event will be held September 12, 2024 at Mile High Station. View awards event sponsorship opportunities.
- 2024 AIA Colorado Practice + Design Conference will take place November 13-15, 2024 at Keystone Conference Center, Keystone, CO. View conference sponsorship opportunities.
Colorado Architecture News | 06.19.24
News from the Colorado Chapter of The American Institute of Architects | 06.19.24
In this Newsletter:
- Design + Honor Awards Event
- Conference Call for Presentations submission window is open
- 2024 Legislative Session Summary – Part 2
- Getting started with 2030 Commitment June 20th
- Populus Hotel tours June 24th
- One River North tour June 27th
- Code Class June 28th
- Member news
- Partner news
- National news
- Premier Partner spotlight: JVA, Inc.
AIA COLORADO NEWS
2024 Design + Honor Awards Celebration Event
September 12th, join AIA Colorado members as we unveil the recipients of the 2024 Design + Honor Awards and celebrate the exemplary work of Colorado architects.
Connect with like-minded professionals, forge new relationships, and expand your industry contacts as we celebrate this year’s Design + Honor Award recipients. We sincerely hope that your whole team, clients, friends, and family can join in the celebration. It will be a fantastic event and we’re looking forward to it!
Practice + Design Conference Call for Presentations now open
The Practice + Design Conference brings together the community of architects in Colorado for inspiring insights from global design leaders, advanced practice management methods, and practical innovations from industry partners. We’re interested in hearing from those in our community who are ready to contribute and lead a session at Keystone.
If you have a presentation in mind, visit the link below and start your submission today. Or, if you know someone who would be a great fit, encourage them to create a submission. The submission window closes Wednesday, July 31st at 5pm.
2024 Legislative Session Summary Part 2
With the 2024 legislative session in the book, let’s review the bills of interest to AIA Colorado. This year, there were 46 bills on our tracking list out of 705 introduced. Most importantly, our practice act was renewed! Five of the nine bills we supported passed and both bills we opposed failed. 2024 was a tight budget year so many bills that otherwise had a chance of passing did not have funding available.
Given the number of bills of interest to architects this year, we are reviewing highlights in both June newsletters. In this second part of the summary, we’ll cover additional bills that apply either to portions of our membership or impact the way firms are managed as businesses. Read the Legislative Session Summary Part 2 here.
Thank you to the Denver Local Advisors for organizing a tour of Populus for AIA members and to Katie Coyle, AIA, for the photos!

Last week in Fort Collins, AIA members, in conjunction with the Structural Engineers Association of Colorado (SEAC), attended a mass timber construction presentation by Chris Kendall of KL&A and Dan Craig, AIA, of SAR+. Many thanks to Chris and Dan for the presentation and to Kelly Albrecht, AIA, for the photo!

Also last week, AIA members learned about metro Denver’s economic outlook from Meredith Moon, Chief Economist and Director of Economic Competitiveness at the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, at the Alliance Center.
AIA Colorado Events
Getting Started with the AIA 2030 Commitment
June 20th, from Noon – 1pm, join the AIA Colorado Committee on the Environment for Member Education Session #1: Getting Started with the AIA 2030 Commitment. A few of the topics discussed will include:
- An understanding of the origins and current requirements of the AIA 2030 Commitment. What is it and how to become a signatory.
- Examples of successful and implemented Sustainability Action Plans.
- Compare how different size firms have found success with joining the 2030 Commitment and tracking performance data on projects.
- Investigate the online data collection platform called the DDx and what types of metrics firms are asked to collect on their projects in regard to operational and embodied carbon.
A Q+A session will follow the presentation.
RSVP here

Populus Hotel tours
Located on a prominent corner site, Populus is designed to reenergize Civic Center Park, connecting the Golden Triangle Creative District to downtown Denver. Join The Denver Local Advisors to tour this soon-to-be-iconic building. Tours have been approved for 1 LU|HSW and are available on the following dates and times:
- Thursday, June 13, from 4-5pm
- Monday, June 24, from 10-11:30am (waitlist available)
- Monday, June 24, from 11:30am – 1pm (waitlist available)
One River North tour
June 27, from 4-5:30pm, join the Denver Local Advisors to tour the project in the RiNo neighborhood that has certainly provided a captivating story with its crevasses running across its façade. This tour has been approved for 1 LU|HSW.
Join waitlist
Code Class: 2021 International Existing Building Code overview
Friday, June 28th, in Denver, join this one-day seminar addresses the relationship of the International Existing Building Code to existing buildings. The seminar, which includes lunch, focuses on the fundamental requirements on an existing structure that undergoes repair work, alteration, renovation activity or construction of an addition, and the effect of a change in the building’s occupancy classification. Discussion will also include the “Performance Compliance Alternatives” method of evaluating a building. This class has been submitted for approval for 6 LU|HSW.
RSVP here
Upcoming events in July:
- Key to Business Resilience • July 10
- Happy Hour at Union Station • July 18
Member News
Fentress Architects wins national AIA award for DC project as the Royal Norwegian Embassy was named an AIA Interior Architecture Award 2024 winner at the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design 2024 in Washington DC, recognizing the year’s best in interior architecture and design. This project previously was awarded a 2023 AIA Colorado Design Award of Merit.
June 21st, join Shape Architecture in Steamboat Springs for a new home construction site tour built by Canadian prefab Passive House specialists, Collective Carpentry. Event hosts will each give a brief overview of their involvement with the project followed by open time to socialize and ask questions. Learn more and RSVP here.
Partner News
NOMA Mid Year Celebration
June 27th, join NOMA Colorado at City Park for their 2nd annual mid-year celebration. Food, beverages, and lawn games will be provided. RSVP here
Happy hour in Boulder with ARCHITECT-ING
June 27th, meet at Rayback Collective for a casual happy hour for design aficionados to gather in Boulder! Hosted by Fernhill Construction and the ARCHITECT-ING Podcast. RSVP here

Project Pipeline – Architectural Summer Camp
July 1st – 3rd at Denver Museum of Nature & Science, join NOMA Project Pipeline Architecture Summer Camp, a 3 day summer camp for middle school students interested in architecture and design. This program introduces middle school students (ages 6-14/grades 1-8) to the profession of architecture. The students use their creative skills to develop an architectural design for a realistic site in Colorado. Students will learn and practice model making, architectural drawing, sketching, critical thinking and public speaking skills during this fun and challenging program.
More info and RSVP here.
Denver’s mid-century modern homes walking tour
July 11th, join Historic Denver for a walking tour of Denver’s Mid-Century Modern Homes. If you love mid-century modern, you’ll love learning about the Cliff May homes. All 170 of the homes in Denver were built in the Harvey Park neighborhood, designed to be both prefabricated and elegant in their minimalism. Local expert Atom Stevens leads this tour in southwest Denver, while also sharing his personal experience as a longtime owner of a Cliff May home. Learn more and RSVP here.
USGBC Colorado Building Transformation Forum: Distilling Decarbonization
Aspen Distillers, located in the Roaring Fork Valley, is a local distillery committed to fine craft, sustainability and environmental stewardship. The Distillery is on track to achieve LEED Platinum certification and is pursing Living Building Challenge. Join for a discussion on local codes sustainability initiatives in the region and the opportunities and challenges of designing for two different rating systems. This will be followed by a tour of the campus’s onsite initiatives and small a networking reception. RSVP here
Architect-ing Podcast Features David Tryba, FAIA
In this special live podcast event, David Tryba, FAIA, founder and architect of Tryba Architects joins host Adam Wagoner, AIA, in the Colorado Room at the History Colorado Center, which was designed by David and his team. David & Adam explore themes of contextual architecture, adaptive reuse, the impact of urban design on community building and resilience in the architectural profession. David reveals the formative experiences that shaped his architectural philosophy, including his childhood, education, varied job roles, and the challenges faced in a fluctuating economy. Watch on Youtube. Listen on Apple | Spotify | Amazon | Pandora
Career Corner
The AIA Colorado Job Board is updated daily. Job hunting? Take a peek to discover new opportunities. Hiring? Post your single job for 30 days. Connect with qualified candidates. Here are a few featured job openings:
NEWS AT NATIONAL
Safety Assessment Program (SAP) evaluator training 2024
June 26-27th, join this training to be certified as Building Evaluators in the nationally recognized Safety Assessment Program (SAP). This program utilizes volunteers and mutual aid resources to provide professional engineers, architects, and certified building inspectors to assist local governments in safety evaluation of their built environment in an aftermath of a disaster. More info and sign up here.
Explore AIA national committee volunteer opportunities
Explore 70+ different AIA national committee leadership volunteer opportunities including awards juries, leadership groups, advisory councils, codes and standards, AIA Knowledge Communities, the AIA Board of Directors, the AIA Strategic Council, and more. AIA Committees and Advisory Groups are now accepting nominations to serve on committees in 2025 and the deadline to apply is July 12th. Learn more here
Young Architects Forum May newsletter
A newsletter from the AIA Young Architects Forum (YAF). Look out for important news, AIA updates, and ways to engage, no biggie. Read more
AIA Awards 2024 Winners Announced in Nine Project Categories
- Architecture Awards: Honoring the best contemporary architecture regardless of budget, size, style, or type. See the winners here.
- COTE Top Ten Awards: The industry’s best-known award for sustainable design excellence. See the winners here.
- Education Facility Design Awards: Celebrating state-of-the-art learning environments, including early childhood, K-12, alternative, higher education, and non-traditional environments. See the winners here.
- Healthcare Design Awards: Recognizing the most innovative, functional, and sustainable projects in healthcare and design. Eleven winners were announced.
- Housing Awards: Honoring the best home design that showcases how beauty, safety, sustainability, and comfort come together. See the winners here.
- Interior Architecture Awards: Celebrating the most innovative and spectacular interior spaces across a range of projects. See the winners here.
- Regional & Urban Design Awards: Honoring the best in urban design, regional and city planning, and community development. See the winners here.
- Small Project Awards: Recognizing the value and design excellence that architects provide regardless of size and budget. See the winners here.
- Twenty-Five Year Award: Celebrating buildings that have set an architecture design standard of excellence for 26-35 years. See the winner here.
Premier Partner at AIA24

We’re proud to highlight one of AIA Colorado’s Premier Partners, JVA, Incorporated, and look forward to their ongoing support and involvement serving Colorado’s architecture community.
JVA is a consulting engineering firm with offices in Boulder, Fort Collins, Winter Park, Glenwood Springs, and Denver, Colorado. Since 1956, JVA has provided engineering services to architects, owners, building departments, and general contractors in Colorado and nationwide. Our Structural, Civil, and Environmental engineering departments offer highly skilled engineers who complement your experience to fully meet your design and construction needs. We take pride in our commitment to provide excellent service.
Learn More About JVA.
Allied Membership
Looking for Additional Resources?
Allied Members are better known as trusted industry colleagues and members of AIA Colorado—they’re the interior designers, the kitchen specialists, the engineering partners, and more who make up our AEC community in Colorado.
View AIA Colorado’s Allied Member Directory.
Helpful Links:
Save the Dates:
- 2024 Design + Honor Awards Event will be held September 12, 2024 at Mile High Station. View awards event sponsorship opportunities.
- 2024 AIA Colorado Practice + Design Conference will take place November 13-15, 2024 at Keystone Conference Center, Keystone, CO. View conference sponsorship opportunities.
AIA Colorado 2024 Legislative Session Summary Part 2
With the 2024 legislative session in the book, let’s review the bills of interest to AIA Colorado. This year, there were 46 bills on our tracking list out of 705 introduced. Most importantly, our practice act was renewed! Five of the nine bills we supported passed and both bills we opposed failed. 2024 was a tight budget year so many bills that otherwise had a chance of passing did not have funding available.
Given the number of bills of interest to architects this year, we’ll review highlights in both June newsletters. In this second part of the summary, we’ll cover additional bills that apply either to portions of our membership or impact the way firms are managed as businesses.
Read 2024 Legislative Sessions Summary – Part 1 here.
HB24-1091: Fire-Hardened Building Materials in Real Property
Bill status: Signed into law
AIA position: Support
Summary: The bill generally prohibits covenants and other restrictions that disallow the installation, use, or maintenance of fire-hardened building materials in residential real property, including in common interest communities. An exception is made allowing a unit owners’ association to develop reasonable standards regarding how fire-hardened building materials used for fencing within the community.
Impact: The driving force behind this bill was the 2021 Marshall Fire. Three years after the fire, more and more home rebuild projects are at or near completion and many are located within neighborhoods governed by homeowner associations. Individual homeowners started to receive reminders that certain building materials, fences and roofs in particular, had to be wood and of certain styles to meet HOA covenants or rules. These homeowners were rightly outraged, as flammable fences and roofs were a big part of why the wind-driven fire spread faster than firefighters could contain it. Architects will now be free to select appropriate building materials for our client who want fire-resistant homes.
HB24-1173: Electric Vehicle Charging System Permits
Bill status: Signed into law
AIA position: Monitor
Summary: The bill promotes an expedited permitting process for the approval of electric motor vehicle (EV) charging systems for local governments. They must adopt an application procedure for an applicant to apply for an EV charger permit to install an EV motor vehicle charging system. Once the application is complete, the county permitting agency or municipal permitting agency will review and approve, conditionally approve, or deny an EV charger permit:
Impact: Local governments in cities above 10,000 people and counties above 20,000 people will use objective standards for EV charger permits and report to the state periodically on how many applications were submitted as well as if they were approved or not. This may assist architects who’s projects incluce EV charges. An increase in EV chargers statewide may impact how individual clients consider whether or not to include chargers in their projects or local grid capacity.
HB24-1267: Metropolitan District Covenant Enforcement Policy
Bill status: Signed into law
AIA position: Monitor
Summary: The bill requires a metropolitan district engaging in covenant enforcement and design review services to comply with certain procedural requirements, including refraining from prohibiting residents from engaging in certain activities regarding the use of their property, including displaying flags and signs; parking a motor vehicle in a driveway; removing certain vegetation to create a defensible space for fire mitigation purposes; performing reasonable property modifications to accommodate disabilities; using xeriscape, nonvegetative turf grass, or drought-tolerant landscaping ; using a rain barrel; operating a family child care home; using renewable energy generation devices; and installing or using an energy efficiency measure. Additionally, a metropolitan district is prohibited from requiring residents to use cedar shakes or other flammable roofing materials.
Impact: Metro districts are a common means of funding development in land areas that require substantial up-front infrastructure investment. Architects working with clients whose project is within a metro district (most commonly single-family homes) will face fewer restrictions on sustainable and resilient design elements.
HB24-1307 HVAC Improvements for Public Schools
Bill status: Vetoed by governor
AIA position: Monitor
Summary: The bill requires a school administrative entity to satisfy certain requirements concerning installation, inspection, and maintenance of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in schools if the school administrative entity undertakes HVAC infrastructure improvement. It establishes mandatory criteria that an HVAC contractor must satisfy in order to perform work described in the bill. A school administrative entity that undertakes HVAC infrastructure improvements using money made available by a federal government source or by a federal government source in combination with a state government source must do so using only contractors on the certified contractor list established by the department of labor and employment.
Impact: In addition to periodic HVAC system maintenance and replacement, more school districts wish to install air conditioning systems in existing buildings in response to hotter temperatures. If this bill had been signed into law, districts would have been forced to use pre-approved HVAC contractors when accepting funding for such projects. Such contractors are located primarily along the front range, likely resulting in higher construction costs and therefore fewer/smaller projects for schools in more rural parts of the state.
SB24-073: Maximum Number of Employees to Qualify as Small Employer
Bill status: Signed into law
AIA position: Monitor
Summary: For the purposes of providing health insurance coverage, current law defines a “small employer” as any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, or association that employs between one and 100 employees during a calendar year. Effective January 1, 2026, the bill amends the definition to define a “small employer” as any person that employs between one and 50 employees during a calendar year.
Impact: “Small group health benefit plans” are offered to smaller businesses but may be kept for a certain duration after a company grows beyond a certain size. Principals for firms that are between 51-100 employees or approaching the new 50-person threshold are encouraged to consult with your health insurance provider to determine how 2026 plans may be affected.
SB24-214: Implement State Climate Goals
Bill status: Signed into law
AIA position: Monitor
Summary: The bill implements specific climate goals across numerous state agencies The most notable items include:
- Creation the Office of Sustainability in the Department of Personnel, who will work with state agencies and institutions of higher education to implement environmentally sustainable practices and oversee related available federal funding.
- A revolving fund to replace gas- and diesel-powered equipment located in ozone nonattainment areas.
- Extension of the deadline for the state energy code board to develop a model low energy and carbon code and specifies that the model low energy and carbon code can include appendices and resources to the international energy conservation code.
Impact: There may be an increase in sustainability-related projects for state agencies. The deadline changes for the state energy code board are minor and primarily based on accommodating the format and magnitude of updates in the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), now that it has been published.
SB24-218 Modernize Energy Distribution Systems
Bill status: Signed into law
AIA position: Monitor
Summary: Larger utilities are directed to modernize their electrical distribution systems to facilitate the transition away from fossil fuel utility connections and towards all-electric buildings. The bill details how such plans will be implemented and how costs to do so will be approved by the state. This bill will also create grants to support electrical linework apprenticeship programs.
Impact: The state wants to reduce carbon emissions over time and has identified all-electric buildings as an important part of that reduction. We anticipate that all-electric buildings will become the norm and then ultimately a code requirement in most parts of the state. Utilities need to update electric grids to facilitate this transition.
Colorado Architecture News | 06.05.24
News from the Colorado Chapter of The American Institute of Architects | 06.05.24
In this Newsletter:
- Practice + Design Conference Call for Presentations
- Legislative session wrap up
- CKLDP Spring recap
- AIA Colorado Fellows Scholarship
- Colorado Night at AIA24 June 6th
- West Virtual Connect June 11th
- Metro Denver Economic Outlook June 12th
- Mass Timber Construction presentation June 13th
- Populus Hotel tours June 13th and June 24th
- One River North tour June 27th
- Code Class June 28th
- Remembering Marvin Sparn, FAIA and Member news
- Safety Assessment Program (SAP) Evaluator Training 2024 and National news
- Premier Partner spotlight: JVA, Inc.
AIA COLORADO NEWS
Practice + Design Conference Call for Presentations now open
The Practice + Design Conference brings together the community of architects in Colorado for inspiring insights from global design leaders, advanced practice management methods, and practical innovations from industry partners. We’re interested in hearing from those in our community who are ready to contribute and lead a session at Keystone.
This year’s theme, GENERATE, focuses on what lies ahead for our architecture profession: the sustainability and resiliency needed in our craft, the rapidly advancing technology enabling new models of delivery, and the talent required for our future workforces. Our world is rapidly changing, and no profession is better suited to guide the places we will inhabit than architects. Sub-themes this year will include REGENERATE (sustainability), REGENERATION (resiliency), GENERATIVE (technology, digital fabrication), GENERATION (future of the profession, justice equity diversity & inclusion), and of course DESIGN.
If you have a presentation in mind, visit the link below and start your submission today. Or, if you know someone who would be a great fit, encourage them to create a submission. The submission window closes Wednesday, July 31st at 5pm.
2024 Legislative Session Summary Part 1
With the 2024 legislative session in the books, let’s review the bills of interest to AIA Colorado. This year, there were 46 bills on our tracking list out of 705 introduced. Most importantly, our practice act was renewed! Five of the nine bills we supported passed and both two bills we opposed failed. 2024 was a tight budget year so many bills that otherwise had a chance of passing did not have funding available.
Given the number of bills of interest to architects this year, we’ll review highlights in both June newsletters. This week we’ll cover our practice act and the many housing-related bills introduced. Please note that while some bills are still awaiting the governor’s signature, we do not anticipate any more will get vetoed than those already noted as such. Read the Legislative Session Summary Part 1 here.
CKLDP Spring recap
Since its first program here in Colorado in 2017, AIA’s Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program provides participants the opportunity to form a cohort with other emerging professionals in the field of architecture (sixteen are selected each year from a group of well-qualified applicants), developing their skills on several focused topics in the once-a-month sessions throughout the year. The 2024 program is well underway in its eighth year, with Bootcamp, Sessions 1, and Session 2 having recently taking place. Read a recap of the first three sessions here.

AIA Colorado Fellows Scholarship
Congratulations to CU Denver Architecture students Toni Alexander and Abigail Arredondo, the first-ever awardees of the AIA Colorado Fellows Scholarship. Recently, Toni joined AIA Colorado Fellows and Dean Stephanie Santorico, PhD, for a luncheon to celebrate their award.
Last week, the AIA Colorado North Local Advisors organized a private tour of the National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesa Laboratory where members learned about the facility and the legendary design of I.M. Pei.

The Future of Local Sustainability Codes event, held in Basalt at the Rocky Mountain Institute, enjoyed a great discussion with local community leaders and attendees from throughout the Roaring Fork Valley.
AIA Colorado Events

Colorado Night at AIA24
Thursday, June 6th, connect with fellow AIA Colorado members and University of Colorado alumni at Colorado Night at AIA24. Meet in the Silver Linden Room, Marriott Marquis, Washington, D.C. Join us!
RSVP here
West Virtual Connect
Tuesday, June 11, from 8-9:30am, join AIA Colorado West Director Andi Korber, AIA, and connect virtually with other Western Slope members for a time of conversation. Many of us are facing the same challenges day after day and we will gather regularly to share concerns, goals, and ideas for Western Colorado AIA membership. Hopefully, these conversations will create a springboard for more to come.
RSVP here
Metro Denver Economic Outlook
Wednesday, June 12, from 12-1pm, learn about labor market trends, consumer activity, inflation, projections on what the Fed is going to do, and other trends impacting our region’s economy.
Join waitlist

Mass Timber Construction presentation
Thursday, June 13th, from 4 – 6pm, in Fort Collins, join AIA North members and the Structural Engineers Association of Colorado (SEAC) for an overview on Mass Timber Construction. Chris Kendall of KL&A Engineers & Builders along with Dan Craig of SAR+ will present an overview of mass timber structures and constructibility concerns designers should be aware of when embarking on projects of this type. This presentation has been submitted for learning credits.
Join waitlist
Getting Started with the AIA 2030 Commitment
June 20th, from Noon – 1pm, join the AIA Colorado Committee on the Environment for Member Education Session #1: Getting Started with the AIA 2030 Commitment. A few of the topics discussed will include:
- An understanding of the origins and current requirements of the AIA 2030 Commitment. What is it and how to become a signatory.
- Examples of successful and implemented Sustainability Action Plans.
- Compare how different size firms have found success with joining the 2030 Commitment and tracking performance data on projects.
- Investigate the online data collection platform called the DDx and what types of metrics firms are asked to collect on their projects in regard to operational and embodied carbon.
A Q+A session will follow the presentation.
RSVP here

Populus Hotel tours
Located on a prominent corner site, Populus is designed to reenergize Civic Center Park, connecting the Golden Triangle Creative District to downtown Denver. Join The Denver Local Advisors to tour this soon-to-be-iconic building. Tours have been approved for 1 LU|HSW and are available on the following dates and times:
- Thursday, June 13, from 4-5pm
- Monday, June 24, from 10-11:30am (waitlist available)
- Monday, June 24, from 11:30am – 1pm (waitlist available)
One River North tour
June 27, from 4-5:30pm, join the Denver Local Advisors to tour the project in the RiNo neighborhood that has certainly provided a captivating story with its crevasses running across its façade. This tour has been approved for 1 LU|HSW.
Join waitlist
Code Class: 2021 International Existing Building Code overview
Friday, June 28th, in Denver, join this one-day seminar addresses the relationship of the International Existing Building Code to existing buildings. The seminar, which includes lunch, focuses on the fundamental requirements on an existing structure that undergoes repair work, alteration, renovation activity or construction of an addition, and the effect of a change in the building’s occupancy classification. Discussion will also include the “Performance Compliance Alternatives” method of evaluating a building. This class has been submitted for approval for 6 LU|HSW.
RSVP here
Upcoming events in July:
- Key to Business Resilience • July 10
- Happy Hour at Union Station • July 18
Member News
The AIA Colorado community mourns the passing of Marvin Sparn, FAIA.
“I had the good fortune to work with Marvin for about 40 years through AIA Colorado. As many know, Marv was elected president in 1991 and shortly after, due to great staffing difficulties, he and his wife, Yvonne, took over the day-to-day operation of the organization. For nearly a year, they basically ran AIA Colorado, a daunting task, especially as a volunteer! Marv was elevated to Fellowship in 1996 in recognition of his Service to the Profession. He was instrumental in helping start the AIA Colorado College of Fellows Scholarship Fund, which just recently awarded its first two student scholarships from its $100,000 endowment. From 1998 through 2001, Marvin represent the AIA Western Mountain Region as a Director on the National AIA Board. And in 2001 was awarded the AIA/WMR Silver Medal, the highest honor the six-state region of the AIA can bestow. Marvin was a great personal friend and a prodigious friend to the AIA. His passing should be a reminder of the example he set as a tireless advocate of the profession.” — Phil Gerou, FAIA
“Marvin was the most prolific supporter and attendee of Fellows and AIA activities I have known. He was always there. For those that don’t know even a little about him historically, AIA Colorado was on the verge of bankruptcy when he was president decades ago. He essentially “gave up” his practice to save it and did so successfully when there were only two staff people, one full time, and did it almost alone. Marvin is a true example of selflessness for the benefit of many. One of many examples.” — Gary Desmond, FAIA
“I will always miss his generous and welcoming friendship. His dedication to a more balanced and equitable architectural presence throughout our communities will be missed.” — Blake Chambliss, FAIA
In 2012, Marvin shared meaningful moments from his life journey as well as wide ranging thoughts on architecture with AIA Colorado’s History Committee and you can watch the video here.

Dana Ellis, AIA, AIA Small Firm Exchange (SFx) National Representative for Colorado, shared her journey to opening her firm on a recent episode of PRACTICE, the SFx interview series. Watch the interview here.
Hord Coplan Macht announced that Colorado-based Principal Matthew Porta, AIA, LEED AP, CDT, has been promoted to Director of Practice, a newly created position for the firm.
Semple Brown is celebrating four decades of cultivating leadership in the design profession and recognizing Associate Principal and Senior Associate team members who have played a critical role in providing the design quality, client service, and workplace culture that have defined the firm. Congratulations AIA members and Associate Principals Nathan Gulash, AIA, and Kaylyn Kirby, AIA!
Partner News
Denver’s mid-century modern homes walking tour
July 11th, join Historic Denver for a walking tour of Denver’s Mid-Century Modern Homes. If you love mid-century modern, you’ll love learning about the Cliff May homes. All 170 of the homes in Denver were built in the Harvey Park neighborhood, designed to be both prefabricated and elegant in their minimalism. Local expert Atom Stevens leads this tour in southwest Denver, while also sharing his personal experience as a longtime owner of a Cliff May home. Learn more and RSVP here.
Contribute case studies about using salvage lumber
The City of Boulder is working with the City of Eugene to support the development of ICC Residential code changes to include salvage lumber for structural and non-structural use. They are asking for case studies using salvage lumber in roofs/floors/walls with the understanding that walls can be structural or non-loadbearing with the hope that this will bring forward the possibility for the reuse and incorporation of salvaged lumber into the design/construction of buildings. As an allowable use, this will make it easier for all to deconstruct for salvage, increase the incorporation into design, and allow for potential new market uses for salvaged lumber. For more information about the purpose of the International Code Council Residential Code Proposal for Salvage Lumber, view here. To learn more about the code’s anticipated development timeline, view here.
To submit a case study, or get in contact to learn more, email Garian Cike.
Career Corner
The AIA Colorado Job Board is updated daily. Job hunting? Take a peek to discover new opportunities. Hiring? Post your single job for 30 days. Connect with qualified candidates. Here are a few featured job openings:
NEWS AT NATIONAL
Safety Assessment Program (SAP) evaluator training 2024
June 26-27th, join this training to be certified as Building Evaluators in the nationally recognized Safety Assessment Program (SAP). This program utilizes volunteers and mutual aid resources to provide professional engineers, architects, and certified building inspectors to assist local governments in safety evaluation of their built environment in an aftermath of a disaster. More info and sign up here.
AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index reflects another decline in April
Architecture firm billings remained soft in April, with an AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score of 48.3 for the month. The score rose from 43.6 in March but still indicates that billings continue to decline at most architecture firms. Read at AIA
How to understand architecture business conditions using the AIA’s Architecture Billings Index
To help readers better understand how metrics from ABI translate into the reality of design and construction and to equip them with the tools to interpret the numbers, understand their source, and delineate between various categories, Archinect has assembled a series of questions and answers pertaining to the index. Read at Archinect
Young Architects Forum May newsletter
A newsletter from the AIA Young Architects Forum (YAF). Look out for important news, AIA updates, and ways to engage, no biggie. Read more
AIA Statement on Architect of the Capitol Appointment
AIA congratulates Thomas Austin and looks forward to working with him as he assumes the critical responsibility as Architect of the Capitol. Read at AIA.
AIA24
We often talk about the future. This conference is where the AEC industry gathers to define it, design it, and connect across industries to build it. Join us in Washington, D.C., June 5–8, 2024, for the architecture and design event of the year! View conference website
Premier Partner at AIA24

We’re proud to highlight one of AIA Colorado’s Premier Partners, JVA, Incorporated, and look forward to their ongoing support and involvement serving Colorado’s architecture community.
JVA is a consulting engineering firm with offices in Boulder, Fort Collins, Winter Park, Glenwood Springs, and Denver, Colorado. Since 1956, JVA has provided engineering services to architects, owners, building departments, and general contractors in Colorado and nationwide. Our Structural, Civil, and Environmental engineering departments offer highly skilled engineers who complement your experience to fully meet your design and construction needs. We take pride in our commitment to provide excellent service.
Learn More About JVA.
Looking for Additional Resources?
Allied Members are better known as trusted industry colleagues and members of AIA Colorado—they’re the interior designers, the kitchen specialists, the engineering partners, and more who make up our AEC community in Colorado.
View AIA Colorado’s Allied Member Directory.
Helpful Links:
Save the Dates:
- 2024 Design + Honor Awards Event will be held September 12, 2024 at Mile High Station. View awards event sponsorship opportunities.
- 2024 AIA Colorado Practice + Design Conference will take place November 13-15, 2024 at Keystone Conference Center, Keystone, CO. View conference sponsorship opportunities.
AIA Colorado 2024 Legislative Session Summary Part 1
With the 2024 legislative session in the books, let’s review the bills of interest to AIA Colorado. This year, there were 46 bills on our tracking list out of 705 introduced. Most importantly, our practice act was renewed! Five of the nine bills we supported passed and both two bills we opposed failed. 2024 was a tight budget year so many bills that otherwise had a chance of passing did not have funding available.
Given the number of bills of interest to architects this year, we’ll review highlights in both June newsletters. This week we’ll cover our practice act and the many housing-related bills introduced. Please note that while some bills are still awaiting the governor’s signature, we do not anticipate any more will get vetoed than those already noted as such.
Read 2024 Legislative Sessions Summary – Part 2 here.
HB24-1329: Sunset Architects Engineers & Land Surveyors
Bill status: Signed into law
AIA position: Support
Summary: All licensed professionals in Colorado must undergo periodic reviews (at least every 15 years) by the state’s Dept. of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). They then make recommendations on changes or updates to the applicable practice act and the act must be repassed by the state legislature. Changes to our practice act were limited to cleaning up outdated language and references, as well as putting board-related practices in alignment with other similar DORA boards. There were no changes to the way architecture is practiced or the path to licensure. Land Surveyors successfully lobbied to implement their own version of continuing education requirements. We won’t have to go through another review for nine years.
Impact: If the legislature fails to pass a new practice act, architects would have no longer been licensed in the states. This was never a significant risk but AIA Colorado worked tirelessly to ensure a smooth process during the DORA report process in 2023 and this year’s bill as it made its way through the legislature.
HB24-1008: Wage Claims Construction Industry Contractors
Bill status: Vetoed by governor
AIA position: Oppose
Summary: For wage claims brought by individuals working in the construction industry, the bill requires that a subcontractor that receives a written demand for payment forward a copy of the written demand for payment to the general contractor within 3 business days after receipt. It specifies that a general contractor entering into a construction contract is liable for all amounts owed to an employee for the employee’s labor, construction, or other work, including amounts owed by a subcontractor acting under, by, or for the general contractor; and allows a general contractor to require certain information from each subcontractor acting under, by, or for the general contractor.
Impact: If passed, this would have raised construction costs on all projects in Colorado. General Contractors would have to increase their reserves and reevaluate subcontractors they would consider hiring. A similar bill that passed in California has increased tensions between GCs and subs.
HB24-1083: Construction Professional Insurance Coverage Transparency
Bill status: Failed
AIA position: Monitor
Summary: The bill requires the division of insurance (division) to conduct or cause to be conducted a study of construction liability insurance for construction professionals in Colorado.
Impact: Insurance rates for multifamily residential projects (and condos in particular) are significantly higher than other project types due to increased risk of lawsuits. Design and construction professionals, alongside the insurance industry, have been talking about the liability risk for years and don’t believe that a state-conducted study would have come to any other conclusion.
HB24-1125: Tax Credit Commercial Building Conversion
Bill status: Failed
AIA position: Support
Summary: The bill creates a new refundable tax credit to be claimed in tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2026, and before January 1, 2036. The credit may be claimed for certain costs related to the conversion of a commercial structure to a residential structure.
Impact: This bill was a victim of the state budget challenges faced this year. The appropriation of $5M would not have impacted a significant number of conversion projects though.
HB24-1152: Accessory Dwelling Units
Bill status: Signed into law
AIA position: Support
Summary: The bill requires a subject jurisdiction (in a metropolitan planning district) to allow, subject to an administrative approval process, one accessory dwelling unit as an accessory use to a single-unit detached dwelling in any part of the subject jurisdiction where the subject jurisdiction allows single-unit detached dwellings. The bill also prohibits subject jurisdictions from enacting or enforcing certain local laws that would restrict the construction or conversion of an accessory dwelling unit.
Impact: Local zoning codes have been a significant impediment to increasing the number of ADUs in the state. Even at current construction and financing costs, we believe there will a notable increased in ADUs constructed based on similar changes in other states.
HB24-1175: Local Goverments Rights to Property for Affordable Housing
Bill status: Sent to governor
AIA position: Monitor
Summary: The bill creates a right of first refusal and a right of first offer for local governments to certain types of multifamily rental properties. The right of first offer is temporary and terminates on December 31, 2029. For multifamily rental properties that are existing affordable housing consisting of not less than five units, a local government has a right of first refusal to match an acceptable offer for the purchase of such property, subject to the local government’s commitment to using the property as long-term affordable housing.
Impact: While this bill will preserve existing affordable housing in Colorado, the impact on architects directly will be minimal. Certain residential developers with an eye for a good deal may not be able to pursue for-profit improvement projects on affected multifamily residential properties.
HB24-1230: Protections for Real Property Owners
Bill status: Failed
AIA position: Oppose
Summary: The bill makes it a violation of the “Colorado Consumer Protection Act” to obtain or attempt to obtain a waiver or limitation that violates the aforementioned current law. It also requires a court to award to a claimant that prevails in a claim arising from alleged defects in a residential property construction, in addition to actual damages, prejudgment interest on the claim at a rate of 6% from the date the work is finished to the date it is sold to an occupant and 8% thereafter.
The bill increases the amount of time in which a lawsuit may be brought against contruction professionals from 6 to 10 years. IT also changes the time when a claim of relief arises to include both the discovery of the physical manifestation and the cause of the defect instead of when a defect’s physical manifestation was discovered or should have been discovered.
The bill voids a provision in a real estate contract that prohibits group lawsuits against a construction professional. It also prohibits governing documents of a common interest community from setting different or additional requirements than those in current law for a construction defect action.
Impact: If this bill had passed, it would have certainly increased our risk to lawsuits and as a result, would have substantially increased insurance costs for architects and all developers/construction professionals.
HB24-1239: Single-Exit Stairway Multifamily Structure
Bill status: Failed
AIA position: Support
Summary: The bill requires a local government to adopt a building code, or amend an existing building code, to allow up to 5 stories of a multifamily residential building to be served by a single exit. To satisfy this requirement, a local government shall incorporate by reference and adopt or adapt and adopt language from a portion of an existing building code that allows a single exit to serve no more than 5 stories of a group r-2 occupancy in the same building. If a local government so requests, the department of local affairs shall provide technical assistance to the local government in satisfying this requirement.
Impact: While taller single-stair residential buildings have a good safety record in other parts of the country, fire marshals lobbied hard against this bill. They had both general safety concerns and believed local governments may not have had the proper emergency response infrastructure to accommodate such buildings. We’ll continue to reach out to stakeholders to determine if there is an opportunity to reintroduce a similar bill next year.
HB24-1304: Minimum Parking Requirements
Bill status: Signed by governor
AIA position: Monitor
Summary: The bill prohibits a local government from enforcing minimum parking requirements for certain real property that is within a metropolitan planning organization. It applies to a land use approval for a multifamily residential development, adaptive re-use for residential purposes, or adaptive re-use mixed-use purposes which include at least fifty percent of use for residential purposes. Subject projects of 6-20 units may not have required parking minimums. Projects greater than 20 units may be required to provide no more than one parking space per unit. Various exceptions exist. Developers may opt to provide more parking, subject to maximums.
Impact: Developers interested in small-site residential projects are excited about the potential for more projects to become viable without existing onerous parking minimums. This will result in more work for certain architects though the bill won’t go into full effect until 2026.
HB24-1313: Housing in Transit-Oriented Communities
Bill status: Signed by governor
AIA position: Monitor
Summary: Local communities, of a minimum size within a metropolitan planning organization, are designated as transit-oriented communities. They must establish transit centers with minimum zoning densities of 15 units per acre. They must also establish and regularly report on a housing opportunity goal. The state will provide resources and funding to assist this effort.
Impact: Greater zoning densities required by the bill may result in more multifamily residential projects in affected areas.
HB24-1314: Modification Tax Credit Preservation Historic Structures
Bill status: Sent to governor
AIA position: Support
Summary: The bill extends and modifies the income tax credit for qualified costs incurred in preservation of historic structure. It increases the amount of the credit that may be awarded for residential rehabilitation expenditures from $50,000 to $100,000.
Impact: This bill made numerous minor tweaks to improve an existing program. Historic preservation architects may find more opportunities as a result but existing incentives are largely the same.
HB24-1352: Appliance Requirements & Incentives
Bill status: Failed
AIA position: Monitor
Summary: The bill prohibits the sale and distribution of certain air conditioners that are manufactured on or after January 1, 2027, unless they comply with certain technical standards to act as heat pumps for both heating and cooling. Financial incentives would be provided by the state for income-restricted households.
Impact: While this bill failed, the state remains committed to increasing adoption of heat pumps over natural gas-based HVAC systems.
HB24-1366: Sustainable Local Government Community Planning
Bill status: Failed
AIA position: Monitor
Summary: The bill requires state agencies to prioritize awarding grants that satisfy a list of criteria described in the bill. One requirement is that when updating a county or municipal master plan, the local government is to include a climate action element in its master plan. CDOT is to coordinate with metropolitan planning organizations to establish criteria that define growth corridors and identify these growth corridors. Having identified these growth corridors, the department and metropolitan planning organizations shall coordinate with local governments to develop transportation demand management plans for these growth corridors.
Impact: This bill could have improved local infrastructure that may have promoted new development, but it was unclear how much architects may benefit directly.
SB24-106: Right to Remedy Construction Defects
Bill status: Failed
AIA position: Support
Summary: The bill creates a right to remedy framework that must be followed prior to a claimant filing a lawsuit against any construction professionals, though the claimant has no obligation to accept the proposed remedy. Also under the act, a claimant is barred from seeking damages for failing to comply with building codes or industry standards unless the failure results in actual damage to real or personal property, actual loss of the use of real or personal property, bodily injury or wrongful death, a risk of bodily injury or death to, or a threat to the life, health, or safety of, the occupants. The bill would also increase the number of unit owners from a majority to 60% that must consent in writing to pursue a construction defect claim on behalf of an entire HOA.
Impact: We were hopeful that this bill would have reduced the number of construction defect lawsuits in multifamily residential projects. This would have opened the door to lower insurance rates and therefore more condominium development. While it failed, there remains strong interest at the capitol to find ways to make up our shortfall in the state of affordable entry-level homes such as condos.
SB24-112: Construction Defect Action Procedures
Bill status: Failed
AIA position: Amend
Summary: The bill adds certain disclaimers to the Construction Defect Action Reform Act (CDARA) regarding warranties. Construction professionals would not be vicariously liable for the acts or omissions of a licensed design professional for any construction defects. The bill would also update the process by which unit owners must be informed of and give consent to pursuing a construction defect claim on behalf of an entire HOA.
Impact: This bill was an alternative approach to accomplish what SB24-106 tried to do. We worked closely with the bill’s sponsor to ensure it wouldn’t be unfair towards archtiects, but he opted to pull the bill from consideration.
SB24-154: Accessory Dwelling Units
Bill status: Failed
AIA position: Support
Summary: The bill establishes a subject jurisdiction as the unincorporated portion of a county that is not within a unit owners’ association or an area identified as having a high fire intensity. Within these areas, local governments must allow the conversion of an accessory dwelling unit. The bill also prohibits subject jurisdictions from applying a restrictive design or dimension standard to an accessory dwelling unit.
Impact: We were interested in every ADU-related bill introduced but this version didn’t gain traction. Likely due to the low number of existing rural buildings that could have been converted into ADUs.
SB24-174: Sustainable Affordable Housing Assistance
Bill status: Sent to governor
AIA position: Support
Summary: The bill requires the department of local affairs to develop reasonable methodologies for conducting statewide, regional, and local housing needs assessments and reasonable guidance for a local government to identify areas at elevated risk of displacement. They must, every six years, conduct a statewide housing needs assessment that analyzes existing and future statewide housing needs and publish a report identifying current housing stock and estimating statewide housing needs.
The bill requires local governments to conduct and publish a local housing needs assessment to be used for the state’s regular reports. The bill outlines the process for a local government conducting a local housing needs assessment and for determining when a local government is exempt from conducting a local housing needs assessment. The state will offer funding and technical assistance.
Impact: One of the big challenges in affordable housing discussion was that there was no mutual understanding of which cities/counties were proactively trying to increase their housing stock and which have policies that limit growth. This bill will give the legislature a much better understanding of future housing development opportunities and what sorts of statewide policies would be most effective.
Additional housing bills that do not impact the architecture profession directly:
| HB24-1007 | Prohibit Residential Occupancy Limits | Signed by governor |
| HB24-1057 | Prohibit Algorithmic Devices Used for Rent Setting | Sent to governor |
| HB24-1078 | Regulation of Community Association Managers | Failed |
| HB24-1098 | Cause Required for Eviction of Residential Tenant | Signed by governor |
| HB24-1166 | Expand Homestead Exemptions | Failed |
| HB24-1337 | Real Property Owner Unit Association Collections | Sent to governor |
| HB24-1383 | Common Interest Community Declarations | Signed by governor |
| HB24-1434 | Expand Affordable Housing Tax Credit | Sent to governor |
| SB24-033 | Lodging Property Tax Treatment | Failed |
| SB24-097 | Property Tax Distraint Sale Mobile Home | Failed |
| SB24-144 | Real Property Valuation | Failed |
| SB24-183 | Mobile Home Taxation Task Force | Sent to governor |
Colorado Architecture News | 05.15.24
News from the Colorado Chapter of The American Institute of Architects | 05.15.24
In this Newsletter:
- Design + Honor Awards submission deadline is this Friday at 5pm
- Resilience/Adaptation update
- Inaugural “Design Like a Girl” workshop series wrap up
- Jeopardy CEU and Happy Hour in Fort Collins May 16th
- 16th St Mall renovation tour May 16th
- Buy Clean Colorado – A Practitioners’ Perspective event May 21st
- Happy hour in Boulder May 23rd
- The Future of Local Sustainability Codes May 30th
- National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesa Laboratory Tour May 31st
- Member News
- National news
- Premier Partner spotlight
AIA COLORADO NEWS

Resilience/Adaptation update: Climate Justice and Disaster Recovery
When architects engage in disaster recovery efforts, technical expertise gets the most attention for how we can contribute to the process. This is no accident; AIA’s Safety Assessment Program (SAP) prepares architects to participate in rapid building assessment in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. These efforts are vital to helping local governments understand the magnitude of a disaster, where to prioritize their efforts, and determine if residents can return to their homes. Consider an invitation to get SAP trained and consider new ways to apply your skills—in the wake of weather events and more.
Read the article by Nikolaus Remus, AIA, AIA Colorado’s Advocacy Engagement Director.
Inaugural “Design Like a Girl” workshop series concludes
AIA Colorado’s J.E.D.I. Committee is proud to announce the successful conclusion of the inaugural Colorado “Design Like a Girl” (DLAG) workshop series. ‘Design Like a Girl’ aims to inspire the next generation of female-identifying designers by organizing full day design workshops for middle school students. Local architecture, design, and engineering professionals volunteer as mentors to guide, instruct, and inspire the young designers. The final workshop, which focused on interior architecture and sustainability, took place on Friday, April 19th at CU Denver College of Architecture and Planning.
Read about the third workshop and the series here.
AIA Colorado Events
CEU jeopardy game and happy hour in Fort Collins
May 16th, join members in the North at Odell Brewing’s Community Room in Fort Collins for a fun and interactive jeopardy style game discussing basic hardware while earning 1 HSW|LU with Allegion. Followed by happy hour.
RSVP here
16th St Mall renovation tour
Tomorrow, May 16th, Stantec and Dig Studios will conduct a 20-minute introduction and overview of the renovation of the historic 16th St Mall, followed by a walking tour to highlight the various stages of construction of the mall. The tour and presentation will focus on the various systems being introduced along this historic corridor to improve drainage, tree health, longevity of the paver system being implemented, and the overall urban design strategy. This tour has been approved for 1 LU|HSW.
RSVP here
Buy Clean Colorado – A Practitioners’ Perspective
The Colorado Buy Clean Colorado Act establishes maximum acceptable global warming potential limits for certain building materials used in state-funded construction projects administered by the Office of the State Architect. Tuesday, May 21st, at 7:30am, join AIA–AGC–ACEC Colorado Liaison Committee (A3LC) to learn more about this new legislation that went into effect January 1st of 2024. The presentation will include an overview of the act, why it was created, what it covers, how to comply, “is it enough?”, and future directions. This free event is only available to AIA members.
RSVP here
Happy Hour in Boulder
Thursday, May 23rd, join AIA members and prospective members on the rooftop at Avanti for a social happy hour with your fellow design industry professionals. Food and drink available for purchase. See you there!
RSVP here

The Future of Local Sustainability Codes
Thursday May 30th, join members in the West for a panel discussion and Q&A opportunity with Roaring Fork building officials, construction industry leaders, and elected officials about the current state and future goals for sustainability codes. This panel event is a forum to discuss what’s working, and how construction industry professionals can be a part of the next steps.
RSVP here
National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesa Laboratory Private Group Tour
Friday May 31st, join AIA members in the North for a private tour covering the architectural history of the iconic NCAR Mesa Laboratory, designed by modernist architect, I.M. Pei. The building was completed in 1966, and in 1997 received the AIA Colorado Twenty-five Year Award. The tour will also cover the atmospheric science, climate science, and current research being conducted at the National Science Foundation NCAR.
RSVP here
Upcoming events in June:
- Business of Architecture Roundtable: Contracts + Legal Documents • June 4 (new location)
- Colorado Night at AIA24 • June 6
- West Virtual Connect • June 11
- Metro Denver Economic Outlook • June 12
- Populus tour at 10am and tour at 11:30am • June 24
- Code Class: 2021 International Existing Building Code Overview • June 28
Member News
Sarah Goldblatt, AIA, was recently honored with the DPS Career Development Company Advocate of the Year award for her volunteer work to advance career exploration, specifically architecture, including the Design Like a Girl architectural workshops, Coach mentorship, and numerous guest speaker appearances.
Raphael Chavez, AIA, was honored by DPS with the Perennial Partner of the Year award, recognizing his work over the past ten years to offer career exploration events and host interns creating a unique learning opportunity that has been replicated year after year.
Congratulations to Sarah and Raphael for the much deserved recognition!
HOK expands Denver architecture and design studio as the Colorado office moves to a larger studio to support increased staff and better serve clients throughout the Mountain States. Hear from Ana-Maria Drughi, AIA, and her colleagues about the studio’s rapid growth and their vision for HOK’s future in the region.
Davis Partnership Architects has announced new leadership across multiple areas of the firm. Congratulations to Patrick Lee, AIA, who assumes the role of Director of Design and to Ryan Estes, AIA, Jonathan Fertig, AIA, John Glenn, AIA, Mark Hageman, AIA, Evan Miller, AIA, Anthony Mitchell, and Dominic Senska, who have been promoted to Senior Associates or Associates within their respective specialties in the Architecture Studio.
NEWS AT NATIONAL

AIA24
We often talk about the future. This conference is where the AEC industry gathers to define it, design it, and connect across industries to build it. Join us in Washington, D.C., June 5–8, 2024, for the architecture and design event of the year!
Colorado Night at AIA24
Enjoy connecting with fellow AIA Colorado members and University of Colorado alumni at Colorado Night at AIA24. Join us!
AIA announces Global Campus for Architecture & Design
The AIA headquarters building renewal is a once-in-a-generation project that addresses the urgent need for climate action and will dramatically transform the user experience for staff, members, and visitors. Read at AIA
Premier Partner at AIA24
Discover the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), a leading authority in structural steel design and innovation since 1921. For over a century, AISC has set the standards for steel construction and continues to drive industry advancements. Visit us at booth 1319 during the AIA 24 conference in Washington, D.C., next month to explore our new Architecture Center and learn about the wealth of resources available to architects. Join AISC’s speaking session and tour at AIA 24, DC.
Have questions about designing with structural steel? Look no further! AISC’s Designing with Structural Steel: A Guide for Architects is a resource, straight from the technical experts who write Chapter 22 (Steel) of the International Building Code. It offers a comprehensive look at designing your next project with a structural steel framing system, from sound isolation and architecturally exposed structural steel (AESS) to sustainability and resilience.
Elevate your projects with steel. Click here to learn more about AISC and the invaluable resources available to architects.
Looking for Additional Resources?
Allied Members are better known as trusted industry colleagues and members of AIA Colorado—they’re the interior designers, the kitchen specialists, the engineering partners, and more who make up our AEC community in Colorado.
View AIA Colorado’s Allied Member Directory.
Helpful Links:
Save the Dates:
- 2024 Design + Honor Awards Event will be held September 12, 2024 at Mile High Station. View awards event sponsorship opportunities.
- 2024 AIA Colorado Practice + Design Conference will take place November 13-15, 2024 at Keystone Conference Center, Keystone, CO. View conference sponsorship opportunities.
Inaugural “Design Like a Girl” Workshop Series Concludes
AIA Colorado’s J.E.D.I. Committee is proud to announce the successful conclusion of the inaugural Colorado “Design Like a Girl” (DLAG) workshop series.
The program, originally founded in Washington, D.C., by the Washington Architectural Foundation and was brought to Colorado through the inspiration and hard work of Sarah Goldblatt, AIA, and Britany Soler, Assoc. AIA, with the support of the AIA Colorado J.E.D.I. Committee. ‘Design Like a Girl’ aims to inspire the next generation of female-identifying designers by organizing full day design workshops for middle school students. Local architecture, design, and engineering professionals volunteer as mentors to guide, instruct, and inspire the young designers.
The first and second workshops in the three-part series focused on architecture and engineering. The final workshop, which focused on interior Architecture and sustainability, took place on Friday, April 19th at CU Denver College of Architecture and Planning.
The day began with an introduction to the role of Interior Architects and designers and how they shape space through creative uses of building elements, furniture, color, and materials. Aided by a diverse library of materials donated by mentors, the girls crafted their own color palette.
Following the color exploration, CAP alumna, Jenny Arzberger of JARZ Design Studio, whose work focuses on creating safe and calming spaces for neurodivergent children and teens, shared her design process, from selecting inspirational imagery to conveying her ideas to clients, and gave the girls a sneak peek of renderings for an upcoming interior design project at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.
Claire Messer, a CU Denver CAP student and president of the school’s All for Women in Architecture (AFWIA) chapter, provided an engaging tour of the School’s studios and fabrication labs, providing a glimpse into the future if the girls decide to pursue a design education.
After a quick introduction to sustainable materials and biophilic design, the second half of the day was dedicated to a wellness space design project. The girls first created inspiration boards and then moved to carefully constructing models of their chosen wellness program, using material, color, and furniture to define space. Some models featured elements of biophilic design using materials the girls had brought in from their own backyards. A final presentation allowed the girls to present their work in front of the group.
This workshop series would not have been possible without the collaboration of Sondra Osif and the whole team at the Spark Early Career Exploration Program at Denver Public Schools, who recruited students through an application process, organized transportation for the girls, and provided on-site support.
Get Involved
Planning is already underway for next year’s round of workshops. If you, or your firm, is interested in getting involved with the program, please reach out to Brittany Soler, Assoc. AIA, or Sarah Goldblatt, AIA.
Thank you
The leaders of the workshop would like to extend their gratitude to the mentors who helped make this final workshop a success:
- Anna Friedrich, Assoc. AIA
- Sarah Goldblatt, AIA
- Brittany Soler, Assoc. AIA
- Gabriella Wakulchik, AIA
- Courtney Minter, AIA
- Kitty Yuen, AIA
- Claire Messer
- Jenny Arzberger
- Beth Cook
Special Thanks to:
- Joanna Schmickel, FAIA, CGS Architects
- Our Guest Speakers:
- Jenny Arzberger, ASID, JARZ Design Studio
- Clare Messer, CU Denver College of Architecture and Planning M.ARCH student, All for Women in Architecture (AFWIA) Chapter President
- AIA Colorado J.E.D.I. Committee
- NOMA Colorado
- Sondra Osif with Spark Early Career Exploration Program, Denver Public Schools
- Washington Architectural Foundation (WAF)
- District Architecture Center (DAC)
- CU Denver College of Architecture and Planning
- Workshop Host
- Rowland & Broughton: Architecture & Interior Design
- Lunch Sponsor
AIA Colorado CKLDP 2024 – Spring Recap
AIA’s Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program provides participants the opportunity to form a cohort with other emerging professionals in the field of architecture (sixteen are selected each year from a group of well-qualified applicants), developing their skills on several focused topics in the once-a-month sessions throughout the year. The program honors Christopher Kelley’s legacy, an influential architect in the Washington D.C. community and an advocate for furthering the profession through mentorship. The program originated in Washington D.C., however local chapters now exist across the country, with additional chapters continuing to be established each year (Colorado’s first program year was 2017).
The program is well underway in its eighth year, with Bootcamp, Sessions 1 and 2 having occurred, where participants engaged in knowledge sharing from industry experts, team building and collaborative activities, and overall improving upon their professional skills. See below for a summary and highlights of the events thus far.
Bootcamp
Date + Location
- January 19, 2024
- AlA Colorado – The Alliance Center
Speakers
- Rachel Yee, AIA, NCARB, EDAC – Architect, Founder of CKLDP Colorado Chapter, and former President of AIA Colorado
- Jamie Perkins – Communications Consultant, Jackalope Strategy
- Rebekah Wagoner, AIA – Architect, CKLDP Colorado Alumni and Former Chair, AIA Colorado Young Architect of the Year 2024
Organizers
- CKLDP Colorado Executive Committee
This year’s program started with the “bootcamp session” hosted by AIA Colorado at The Alliance Center. Scholars (program participants) introduced themselves PechaKucha style, met the executive committee and learned the program’s expectations and responsibilities for the year to come. They were joined by guest speakers Rachel Yee, AIA, and Rebekah Wagoner, AIA, who were both able to share their experiences with CKLDP, some history of the program, and their advice to emerging professionals in the field of architecture. The session also included a workshop led by Jame Perkins of Jackalope Strategy to set group norms around values, decisions making, conflict resolution, meetings and communication/tools to be applied throughout the year.
Session 1
Management + Mentorship
Date + Location
- March 8, 2024
- McCarthy Construction
Speakers:
- Michele Raftery, FSMPS, CPSM, WELL AP – Principal and Partner 4240 Architecture
- Rick Peterson, FAIA, LEED AP – Principal Oz Architecture; Geneva Kowalski, NCARB, LEED AP, CPHT – Principal and Partner Studio K2 Architecture
- Todd Afflerbaugh, RA, LEED AP – Senior Associate BVH Architecture
- Bob Binder, AIA, LEED AP BD + C – SW Region Leader DLR Group; Katelyn Wager, PE – Commercial Division Leader EVstudio Structural Engineering
- Jordan Swisher – Commercial Real Estate Brue Baukol; Jason Coughlin – VP of Operations McCarthy Constructions
Organizers
- Hannah Hobbs, AIA, and Mackenzie Huber, AIA
The first session hosted by scholar pairing Hannah Hobbs, AIA, and Mackenzie Huber, AIA, included presentations by architectural leaders and principals in our local community covering topics such as the importance of active listening in leadership, improving interpersonal connections, balancing the team, client and architectural design stakeholders in projects, creating a supportive environment, and informal/formal mentorship. The session wrapped up with a panel comprised of representatives from the A/E industry where participants discussed their experiences with mentorship, where the relationships and benefits to be had, go both ways.
Session 2
Equity, Diversity + Inclusion
Date + Location
- April 12, 2024
- DLR Group
Speakers:
- Tom I. Romero II, Ph.D, J.D. – Director of Interdisciplinary Research Institute for the Study of (in)Equality at the University of Denver
- Brian J. Fagerstrom, AIA, Inupiaq – Founder and CEO Amaktoolik Studios
- Adriana Medina-López-Portillo, Ph.D, CMC, ELI-MP Founder and CEO Pangea Training
- Summer Westbrooks – Owner and CEO Aloha Spirit Marketing
- Jessica Bantom – Global Leader of Equity, Diversity, and Belonging DLR Group, Interior Design consultant
Organizers
- Wei Zhao, AIA, and Ash Baldwin, AIA
The second session, hosted by Wei Zhao, AIA, and Ash Baldwin, AIA, focused on ways to be more inclusive as a design professional and how to better understand others’ perspectives, unpacking biases within ourselves and the industry. The session began with “A Brief History of the Color Line in Colorado” by Dr. Tom Romero, discussing architecture’s connection to the land, organization by law, the history and recognizing impacts. The second speaker, Brian Fagerstrom, AIA, shared the Native American land perspective, and one particular project, where a large effort was made to bring together more than 30 tribes from six states to be consulted prior to the start of design for Fishers Peak State Park. Adriana Medina-López-Portillo facilitated a workshop with Summer Westbrooks to unpack how explicit and implicit biases occur. Jessica Bantom presented “6 Habits of Culturally Competent Designers”, reminding the group that consistent effort is needed to embody cultural competence. Lastly, the session wrapped up with a Safe Place Discussion, asking “Where do we go from here?” joined by members of the AIA Colorado JEDI Committee.






