Virtual Connect: City of Denver’s New Permitting Process
Virtual Connect
City of Denver’s New Permitting Process
This past April 2025, the City of Denver announced the creation of the Denver Permitting Office, aimed at overhauling the City’s permitting and development approval processes to make building easier, fast, and more predictable. Utilizing 280 employees across seven different departments, this office intends to complete all permits within 180 days of city review. As architects, we’re encouraged by the creation of this new office and hope this marks a turning point in the permitting process with faster review times and a more streamlined experience.
Jill Jennings Golich was appointed to the role of Director of the newly created Denver Permitting Office as of April 14, 2025. Previously she served as deputy director for Denver’s Community Planning and Development Department overseeing the areas of policy, regulation and development. From June 2019 – April 2021 she served as Director for Community and Economic Development for Adams County. Prior to that she was at Community Planning and Development with the City of Denver, the Auraria Higher Education Center leading their planning efforts, and began her work as a consultant in the private sector.
Robert Peek is the Director of Development System Performance with the newly established Denver Permitting Office. He previously held the same role within Denver’s Community Planning and Development Department, where his work was sponsored by the Mayor’s Office. Before that, Robert served as a Process Improvement Specialist with the City’s Peak Academy, focusing on streamlining city operations. Earlier in his career, he worked in advocacy and clean energy. Robert holds a Bachelor of Science from Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
Meet Jill and Robert and hear from them about the changes that have taken place and how we as architects can support the new streamlined arrangements.
Conversation facilitated by AIA Colorado’s CEO Mike Waldinger, Hon. AIA.
Presentation on Denver’s Affordable Housing Fast Track Process
Join city development review staff to learn how Denver is proposing to meet Proposition 123 Fast Track requirements and how this will affect future housing projects.
August 20th, 10:30 – 11:10am
Formal Site Development Plans and Plan Amendments
SDP Submittal Requirements
The Denver Site Development Plan Manual is a customer guide to assembling a site development plan for city review. The manual helps customers provide a comprehensive, standardized, flexible, and clear presentation of the development proposal. Review submittal requirements on this page or click the button link below to download the full manual.
July 23 Event Slides
View the slides from July 23rd’s Virtual Connect event here.
Colorado Architecture News | 07.23.25
News from the Colorado Chapter of The American Institute of Architects | 07.23.25
In this Newsletter:
- Practice + Design Conference Call for Presentations closes July 31st
- Resiliency and Disaster Response Efforts at AIA25
- BOSS.architects featured in most recent ByDesign episode
- July 24 Emerging Professionals and Young Architects (EP/YA) happy hour
- July 30 Fox Park tour
- August 6 Front Range Retreat tour
- August 8 Code Class: 2024 IEBC Overview
- August 14 Denver Central Library tour
- August 21 Boulder Fire Station #3 tour
- August 22 Lone Rock Retreat tour
- Partner News
- National news
- Premier Partner spotlight: K3 Technology
AIA COLORADO NEWS
Call for Presentations Closes July 31st
The Practice + Design Conference brings together Colorado’s architecture community for inspiring insights from global design leaders, advanced practice management strategies, and practical innovations from industry partners.
We’re seeking members of our community who are ready to contribute their expertise and lead a session this fall in Keystone. If you have a session in mind, visit the link below and start your submission today. Or, if you know someone who would be a great fi, encourage them to apply. The submission window closes Thursday, July 31st.
Learn more about this year’s conference theme, THE POWER OF, and submission instructions for this year’s Call for Presentations here.
Resiliency and Disaster Response Efforts at AIA25
AIA Colorado’s Advocacy Engagement Director, Nikolaus Remus, AIA, co-Chair of AIA’s Resilience and Disaster Response Community, shares about Resiliency and Disaster Response discussions at AIA25. Read at AIA.
BOSS.architecture’s CABIN, a 2023 AIA Colorado Design Award recipient, is featured on the latest America ByDesign episode. Watch the episode here.
AIA Colorado Events
July 24 • Emerging Professionals and Young Architects (EP/YA) Happy Hour
Thursday, July 24, at 4pm, join AIA Colorado’s new Emerging Professionals and Young Architects (EP/YA) Leadership Council members for a happy hour at Schoolyard Beer Garden, in Denver. Meet other EP/YA’s, network, and share your ideas on programming or resources that you would be interested in, or simply chat. More information and RSVP here.
July 30 • Fox Park Tour
Wednesday, July 30th, join AIA members for a tour of Fox Park, a 41-acre masterplan set to transform Denver’s Globeville neighborhood. Denver’s $600M infrastructure investment has expanded the downtown core, with Fox Park being next master planned community to be re-imagined and developed by VITA. The 41-acre redevelopment area blends cityscape and nature, featuring cultural, retail, hotel, office, and residential spaces connected by 14 acres of urban park. Parking and service areas are discreetly placed below grade in a terraced design. At the center is Fox Square, a modern cultural hub with workspaces, a boutique hotel, event venues, retail, and urban agriculture. This tour has been approved for 1 LU|HSW. More information and RSVP here.
August 6 • Front Range Retreat tour
Wednesday, August 6th, join AIA members in Boulder for an architectural tour of the Front Range Retreat located in Boulder. Sited on Wonderland Lake, this residence is designed to complement the landscape of a unique site that bridges a neighborhood and the foothills of the Front Range. More information and join the waitlist here.
August 8 • Code Class: 2024 IEBC Overview
Join us Friday, August 8th, for a seminar addressing the relationship of the International Existing Building Code to existing buildings. The class 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 Simulated Performance Alternative path of evaluating a building. This full-day program includes lunch. This tour has been approved for 7 LU|HSW. Late Registration pricing starts this Friday, July 25th. More information and RSVP here.
August 14 • Denver Central Library tour
Thursday, August 14th, join us for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Denver Central Library renovation—an ambitious project focused on modernizing one of the city’s most iconic civic spaces. From upgraded technology to newly designed children’s and teen areas, discover how this historic library is being thoughtfully adapted for 21st-century needs. This tour has been submitted for 1.5 LU|HSW. More information and RSVP here.
August 21 • Boulder Fire Station #3 tour
Thursday, August 21st, join us for an AIA members-only tour of the new Boulder Fire Station #3, an all-electric, 100-year facility, designed to meet the City of Boulder’s Energy Conservation Goals (CoBECC). Its design serves as a beacon of safety, supported by columns created from reclaimed steel from the decommissioned Boulder Community Hospital, lowering the facility’s embodied carbon. The 22,000-sf station is augmented with 6,000 sf of administration space and a community room designed for use by the public without compromising security and privacy of operations spaces. More information and RSVP here.
August 22 • Lone Rock Retreat tour
Friday, August 22nd, join a tour of Lone Rock Retreat, a nonprofit resort-style experience located near Bailey, CO designed exclusively for use by the education community, was designed for thorough integration into its iconic Colorado landscape. The design team from OZ Architecture will lead a tour facility. AIA Colorado Premier Partner IMEG Structural will speak to the mass-timber system used to create the sculptural shape of the lodge.This tour has been submitted for 1.5 LU|HSW. More information and RSVP here.
PARTNER NEWS
Colorado Building Symposium West
Coming up September 4th & 5th, join architects and builders in the West for an annual residential building science driven symposium for Colorado Builders, Architects, and Trades People. After a successful first Symposium, Held in Denver this past January, this event features builders and building science experts, all based in Colorado, speaking to Colorado specific issues. A single track symposium offers the additional opportunity for robust conversation and debate at breaks and receptions, as everyone has heard the same presentations. View the schedule, meet the presenters, and register here.
Practice Disrupted pocast featuring American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC)
Listen in as Evelyn M. Lee, FAIA, 2025 AIA President, speaks with Nima Balasubramaniam, Director of Architecture at AISC, and Parke MacDowell, Associate Principal at Payette and Director of Fabrication, as they share about the Architecture Center at the American Institute of Steel Construction. While AISC has long been known as a technical hub for structural engineers, the Architecture Center is shifting that narrative, offering architects better access to tools, knowledge, and support when working with steel. Listen 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
July 2025 AIA Consensus Construction Forecast
Nonresidential building spending to remain sluggish through 2026, with no turnaround in sight. There is some good news and some bad news in the latest outlook for nonresidential construction spending on buildings, according to the latest AIA Consensus Construction Forecast. Read at AIA.
Next to Lead
Next to Lead is a leadership development training program for racially and ethnically diverse women in architecture who aspire to be AIA leaders. The cohort will engage in a ten-month program aimed at enhancing their association leadership acumen, tackling challenges faced by women in the workplace and the architecture profession, and refining their leadership skills. Participants benefit from monthly virtual learning opportunities and in-person workshops, led by expert speakers and AIA staff. Applications close August 8th. Learn more and apply at AIA.
Online Course: Implementing the Guides for Equitable Practice
The AIA Guides for Equitable Practice make the moral, business, ethical, and societal cases for equitable practice in the profession of architecture. They provide key insights to hear insights on how the guides can change firm culture and create an environment that nurtures retention and inspires limitless thinking. In this course, participants will discover recommendations on how to achieve goals found within the Guides through utilization in practice and as a resource in connecting these goals with the work of their firm/organization. View at AIAU.
Premier Partner Spotlight
We’re proud to highlight one of AIA Colorado’s Premier Partners, K3 Technology, and look forward to their ongoing support and involvement serving Colorado’s architecture community.
K3 Technology, a Denver based Information Technology Solutions Provider (ITSP/MSP) that was recently named a Colorado Company to Watch and recognized as one of Americas Fastest Growing Companies on the Inc. 5000 list. While many technology providers have a “come one, come all’ approach, they have a dedicated focus on the AECO and Creative industries. Why? Because they don’t think technology should be a bolt-on item to your business, it should be integrated into making you a better, more efficient, more profitable company.
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:
AIA Colorado Firm Directory
- Add your firm to the directory here.
Save the Dates:
- 2025 Design + Honor Awards
- Celebration Event: September 18th, at Tivoli Turnhalle in Denver, CO.
- Sponsorship
- 2025 AIA Colorado Practice + Design Conference
- Expo Hall is open
- July 1 – July 31: Call for Presentations
- August 6: Early Attendee Registration opens
- November 12-14, 2025 at Keystone Conference Center, Keystone, CO.
- Sponsorship
2025 Design Award Jury
Meet the 2025
Design Award Jury
This year’s AIA Colorado Design Awards jury gathered in Denver, bringing national expertise to review the inspiring projects submitted by our members. Struck by the creativity and depth of the work, they engaged in thoughtful discussion as they selected this year’s recipients.
Join us September 18 at the Awards Celebration at Tivoli Turnhalle in Denver as we reveal their selections!
AIA Colorado extends sincere thanks to our 2025 jurors: Ron Stelmarski, FAIA, Adrianne Steichen, FAIA, and Benjamin Gilmartin, AIA.
Get Started on your
Award Submissions
Learn more about the 2025 Design Awards, the project categories, eligibility, and submission instructions here. View the 2025 Honor Awards and submission instructions here.
The submission window for the 2025 Design + Honor Awards is now open and closes Friday, June 20th, at 5pm.
Join AIA Colorado as we unveil the recipients of the 2025 Design + Honor Awards and celebrate the exemplary work of Colorado architects September 18th at Tivoli Turnhalle, in Denver.
Colorado Architecture News | 07.09.25
News from the Colorado Chapter of The American Institute of Architects | 07.09.25
In this Newsletter:
- Practice + Design Conference Call for Presentations is now open
- AAH/ACHA Summer Leadership Summit
- Catch up with Committee on the Environment’s four-part event series
- Meridian 105 Architecture featured in Hotels ByDesign episode
- July 17 Custom Residential Architects Network (CRAN) in Boulder
- July 23 Virtual Connect: City of Denver’s New Permitting Process
- July 24 Emerging Professionals and Young Architects (EP/YA) happy hour
- July 30 Fox Park tour
- Member news
- National news
- Premier Partner spotlight: K3 Technology
AIA COLORADO NEWS
Call for Presentations
Submissions for the 2025 AIA Colorado Design and Honor Awards close Friday, June 20, at 5pm. The Practice + Design Conference brings together Colorado’s architecture community for inspiring insights from global design leaders, advanced practice management strategies, and practical innovations from industry partners.
We’re seeking members of our community who are ready to contribute their expertise and lead a session this fall in Keystone. If you have a session 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 apply. The submission window closes Thursday, July 31st.
Learn more about this year’s conference theme, THE POWER OF, and submission instructions for this year’s Call for Presentations here.
Catch up with Committee on the Environment’s four-part event series, including the most recent session “Beyond the Surface: Vetting Materials for Health, Carbon, & Impact” on sustainable design and construction, criteria and resources, industry trends, occupant health, and Material Pledge guidelines. The sessions are all available to watch on the committee’s webpage here.
AAH/ACHA Summer Leadership Summit
With the growing impacts of climate change on our communities, how can health care organizations prepare for stability during environmental disasters? How do facilities build resilient infrastructure, maintain supply chains, and provide everyday health care needs while also addressing emergency demands during unforeseen events? What are the ?scal challenges and realities for health care facilities as part of the emergency response network in communities both large and small?
The Summer Leadership Summit (SLS) is co-organized by the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health (AAH) and the American College of Healthcare Architects (ACHA). Taking place in Denver, July 18-20, join AIA architects and earn up to 13.5 LU|HSW. Learn more and register here.
The Berkeley Hotel, designed Meridian 105 Architecture, was recently featured on an episode of Hotels ByDesign. Watch the segment here.
Yesterday, Members in the North enjoyed a sketching session through Old Town, Fort Collins, followed by a happy hour.
AIA Colorado Events
July 17 • Custom Residential Architects Network (CRAN) in Boulder
Thursday, July 17, at 5pm, join the Custom Residential Architects Network (CRAN) in Boulder, meet other Colorado CRAN members, and impact how this committee will engage with Colorado in the coming years. Meet at 5pm on the patio at Rodwin Architecture’s offices (929 Pearl St #250). At 6pm, we’ll head to Rosetta Hall (1109 Walnut St) for networking, conversation, and happy hour libations. More information and RSVP here.
July 23 • Virtual Connect: City of Denver’s New Permitting Process
This past April, the City of Denver announced the creation of a new Denver Permitting Office, aimed at overhauling the City’s permitting and development approval processes to make building easier, fast, and more predictable. Wednesday, July 23, at Noon, virtually join Jill Jennings Golich, Director of the Denver Permitting Office, and Robert Peek, Director of Development Systems Performance for the City and County of Denver, as they share about the arrangement and the processes the City of Denver is employing to build an easier, faster, and more predictable permitting and development approval process. They will be joined by AIA Colorado CEO Mike Waldinger, Hon. AIA, who be facilitating member questions during a Q+A portion of the virtual session. More information and RSVP here.
July 24 • Emerging Professionals and Young Architects (EP/YA) Happy Hour
Thursday, July 24, at 4pm, join AIA Colorado’s new Emerging Professionals and Young Architects (EP/YA) Leadership Council members for a happy hour at Schoolyard Beer Garden, in Denver. Meet other EP/YA’s, network, and share your ideas on programming or resources that you would be interested in, or simply chat.
AIA Colorado is proud to support the next generation of architects through Emerging Professional (EP) and Young Architect (YA) programming, leadership development, and national representation. This Council has been created to better connect and coordinate these efforts, to serve as a central hub for EP/YA leaders across the state and national levels to collaborate, share resources, and shape strategic programming for Colorado’s architecture community. More information and RSVP here.
July 30 • Fox Park Tour
Wednesday, July 30th, join AIA members for a tour of Fox Park, a 41-acre masterplan set to transform Denver’s Globeville neighborhood. Denver’s $600M infrastructure investment has expanded the downtown core, with Fox Park being next master planned community to be re-imagined and developed by VITA. The 41-acre redevelopment area blends cityscape and nature, featuring cultural, retail, hotel, office, and residential spaces connected by 14 acres of urban park. Parking and service areas are discreetly placed below grade in a terraced design. At the center is Fox Square, a modern cultural hub with workspaces, a boutique hotel, event venues, retail, and urban agriculture. This tour has been approved for 1 LU|HSW. More information and RSVP here.
Member News
Jocelyn Parlapiano, Assoc. AIA, of Rodwin Architecture was recently interviewed by Voyage Denver and shared about her career in architecture, work with the Colorado Green Building Guild and ACE Mentorship Program. Read the interview here.
Dana Ellis, AIA, shares why she enjoys collaborating with her SFx colleagues on the SFx instagram account. Watch it here.
Rowland + Broughton’s Sarah Broughton, FAIA, has designed the first “conceptual design room” as part of the curated ArtCrush Auction Exhibition at the Aspen Art Museum. Titled In the Garden, the Design Room is an experiential tableau vivant, meticulously composed with sculptural furnishings, lighting, and artworks selected in collaboration with the Aspen Art Museum curatorial team. The Design Room offers a quiet invitation into the personal rituals of collecting, hosting, and living with art.
“This project offered a rare opportunity to fuse narrative, architecture, and art into a single immersive environment,” Sarah Broughton, FAIA, shared recently in a Rowland+Broughton newsletter. “In the garden, we gather to break bread, pause in the solitude, enjoy life’s beauty, and are thankful.”
Unfolding as an intimate portrait in space, the Design Room will be on view at the museum from July 15 through August 2, 2025, in the lead-up to the ArtCrush Gala on August 1.
Elizabeth Hallas, FAIA, Anderson Hallas Architects was recently elevated to the College of Fellows along with Thom Walsh, FAIA, Fentress Architects, and 91 others. Colorado has been fortunate since 1886 to witness 110 of our members elevated to Fellowship.
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 June Newsletter
A newsletter from the AIA Young Architects Forum (YAF). Look out for important news, AIA updates, and ways to engage, no biggie. Find the newsletter here.
Connection Q3 + AIA Architect: Steering the Future of the Profession is looking for submissions of articles, editorials, project profiles, interviews/spotlights and the call for submissions is open until August 1st. Submission info also found in YAF June newsletterhere.
2026 AIA Awards
Several award application windows are open with August 7 deadlines, including awards for Architecture Firm, Gold Medal, and the Whitney M. Young Jr. Award, among others. Opening July 18th are awards for Young Architect and Honorary AIA Membership. Learn more about AIA Awards submission dates and access application links here.
Next to Lead
Next to Lead is a leadership development training program for racially and ethnically diverse women in architecture who aspire to be AIA leaders. The cohort will engage in a ten-month program aimed at enhancing their association leadership acumen, tackling challenges faced by women in the workplace and the architecture profession, and refining their leadership skills. Participants benefit from monthly virtual learning opportunities and in-person workshops, led by expert speakers and AIA staff. Learn more and apply at AIA.
AIA President Evelyn Lee Leads National Conversation on America’s Housing Crisis
AIA President, Evelyn Lee, FAIA, joined Florida Congresswoman Kathy Castor and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria to discuss the urgent need for cities to adopt forward-looking housing policies and build more safe, affordable housing. Read at AIA here.
Premier Partner Spotlight
We’re proud to highlight one of AIA Colorado’s Premier Partners, K3 Technology, and look forward to their ongoing support and involvement serving Colorado’s architecture community.
K3 Technology, a Denver based Information Technology Solutions Provider (ITSP/MSP) that was recently named a Colorado Company to Watch and recognized as one of Americas Fastest Growing Companies on the Inc. 5000 list. While many technology providers have a “come one, come all’ approach, they have a dedicated focus on the AECO and Creative industries. Why? Because they don’t think technology should be a bolt-on item to your business, it should be integrated into making you a better, more efficient, more profitable company.
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:
AIA Colorado Firm Directory
- Add your firm to the directory here.
Save the Dates:
- 2025 Design + Honor Awards
- Celebration Event: September 18th, at Tivoli Turnhalle in Denver, CO.
- Sponsorship
- 2025 AIA Colorado Practice + Design Conference
- Expo Hall is open
- July 1 – July 31: Call for Presentations
- August 1: Early Attendee Registration opens
- November 12-14, 2025 at Keystone Conference Center, Keystone, CO.
- Sponsorship
Call for Presentations
2025 PRACTICE + DESIGN CONFERENCE
THE POWER OF
THE POWER OF is an invitation to explore and to act. The power of architecture goes beyond the built environment—it’s the power to influence policy, shape processes, build stronger communities, and challenge the forces that define our built environment.
In a time of both challenge and opportunity, we ask: How are you using your power? Are you ready to lead, or content to react? Together, we’ll connect with others who are engaging with changing forces—policy, technology, climate, community—and explore how design can be a proactive tool of influence and aspiration for the future.
AIA-Generate-2024-Previews_TheUnfoundDoor-32 | Unfound Door
Kati Peditto, PhD | Unfound Door
Call for
Presentations
The Practice + Design Conference brings together Colorado’s architecture community for inspiring insights from global design leaders, advanced practice management strategies, and practical innovations from industry partners. We’re seeking members of our community who are ready to contribute their expertise and lead a session this fall in Keystone.
If you have a session 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 apply.
The submission window closes Thursday, July 31 at 5 p.m.
Submission Instructions and Tips:
- New to the system? Click “Need an account? Sign up here.” underneath the login button in the bottom-right corner of the submission page. Once your account is created, return to the same page to log in.
- After logging in, complete the “My Profile” questionnaire—this is required to begin your session submission.
- Once your profile is complete, click the “New Submission” tab in the upper-left corner to start entering your proposed session details.
- You may include up to three additional speakers, and all speakers must agree to the terms of service before submission.
Additional Notes:
- Want to submit more than one session? Simply log in again and select “New Submission.”
- To view or edit your entries at any time before the deadline, visit the “My Submissions” tab.
- New this year: If you add additional speakers to your submission, the system will automatically send them instructions to log in and view the session—or create one of their own.
We can’t wait to see what you’re working on—and how your ideas will shape the future of architecture in Colorado!
Beyond the Surface
Beyond the Surface: Vetting Materials for Health, Carbon, & Impact
The 2025 AIA Colorado Committee on the Environment “Beyond the Surface: Vetting Materials for Health, Carbon, & Impact”
AIA Colorado’s Committee on the Environment invites you to an educational session on sustainable design and construction, featuring Green Badgers Founder & CEO Tommy Linstroth. Additionally, we’ll review selection criteria and resources, industry trends, occupant health, and Material Pledge guidelines.
Presenters:
- James Erickson, Ph.D., LEED + WELL AP | Climate Responsive Designer at Fentress Studios
- Andrea Arias, Assoc. AIA | Design Professional II at Fentress Studios
- Tommy Linstroth, LEED Fellow | Founder and CEO of Green Badger
- Deborah Lucking, FAIA., LEED AP BD+C | Director of Sustainability, Fentress Studios
Colorado Architecture News | 06.18.25
News from the Colorado Chapter of The American Institute of Architects | 06.18.25
In this Newsletter:
- Design + Honor Awards submission window closes this Friday
- Legislative session recap: Part 2
- Denver Affordable Housing Challenge Announces Jury
- Member Perspectives: AIA25 Recap
- True Nature Healing Arts Kiva tour
- June 18 Business of Architecture: Employees to Owners & Transition to Leadership
- June 19 Committee on the Environment Session 4
- Partner news
- National news
- Premier Partner spotlight: KL&A
AIA COLORADO NEWS
2 Days left to submit!
Submissions for the 2025 AIA Colorado Design and Honor Awards close Friday, June 20, at 5pm. Whether you’re submitting a project or nominating a peer, now is the time to finish your submission so the jury can review your great work. Submit today and help us honor the people and projects driving our profession forward.
Don’t miss your chance to be recognized! Start your submission here
2025 Legislative Session Summary • Part 2 now available
2025 was a busy year at the State Capitol for AIA Colorado. Despite a significant state budget shortfall, we tracked more legislation than usual affecting the architecture profession. We identified 26 bills of interest to our members and took positions on 12 of them. We’re proud to report that every bill AIA Colorado supported passed, and every bill we opposed failed.
In Part 1, we took a deep dive into the most impactful bills related to housing and sustainability/resiliency. In Part 2, we cover professional liability, building codes, project funding, and legislation affecting the construction trades.
Denver Affordable Housing Challenge Announces Jury
The City of Denver, AIA Colorado, and Buildner, a leading global design competition platform, have launched an international call for ideas to address Denver’s housing needs with a focus on the role of design excellence. Submissions will be reviewed and selected based on creatively addressing design excellence, sustainability, demonstrating how affordability and design can coexist. We’re pleased to announce the competition’s jury:
- Lucy Begg, AIA, Thoughtbarn, Austin, TX
- Troy Fosler, AIA, Koning Eizenberg Architecture, Santa Monica, CA
- Dean Maltz, AIA, Shigeru Ban Architects, New York City
- Katie Swenson, Assoc. AIA, MASS Design Group
- Julien De Smedt, JDS Architects, Denmark
- Andrew Maynard, Austin Maynard Architects, Australia
- Rozana Montiel, Rozana Montiel Estudio de Arquitectura, Mexico
- Kendra Garrett, City and County of Denver
- Caeli Hill, City and County of Denver
- Gosia Kung, Denver Housing Authority
- Brenna Maloney, Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency, City and County of Denver
- Susan Powers, Urban Ventures, LLC, Denver
Meet the jury here.
Untitled-2 |
marisol1 |
Member Perspectives: AIA25 Recap
Last week, AIA Colorado members traveled to Boston for AIA25 and we asked them to share a few reflections from their experience. From inspiring keynotes to conversations with peers across the country, here’s what stood out to members Scott Rodwin, AIA, Kaylyn Kirby, AIA, Andy Nielson, FAIA, Sarah Broughton, FAIA, Nikolaus Remus, AIA, Marisol Gallagher, AIA, and David Beal, AIA. Read it here.
Last week, members in the West enjoyed a tour led by West Director Andi Kober, AIA, Land+Shelter, of True Nature Healing Arts Kiva, a 2024 AIA Colorado Design Award recipient.
AIA Colorado Events
June 18 • Business of Architecture: Employees to Owners & Transition to Leadership
Wednesday, June 18th, join AIA Colorado’s Business of Architecture Committee for a roundtable discussion. This is a hybrid event, taking place in person in Denver and via Teams. There will be two parts to the discussion with part one’s topic including discussion about employees to owners and the second part a discussion about the transition to leadership. More information and RSVP here.
June 19 • Committee on the Environment: Beyond the Surface: Vetting Materials for Health, Carbon, and Impact
Thursday, June 19th, at Noon, join AIA Colorado’s Committee on the Environment for virtual, educational session on sustainable design and construction, featuring Green Badgers Founder & CEO Tommy Linstroth. Additionally, we’ll review selection criteria and resources, industry trends, occupant health, and Material Pledge guidelines. More information and RSVP here.
Member News
The Western Mountain Region College of Fellows (WMR COF) published its 2025 Awards Issue. Learn about the regions’ newest Fellows—including our own Elizabeth Hallas, FAIA, and Thomas Walsh, FAIA—and view the recipients of the WMR COF’s awards. The issue also spotlights AIA Colorado’s 2024 Architect of the Year AdamWagoner, AIA, and Creating the Regenerative School, the new book by Alan Ford, FAIA. See the Awards issue here.
Fentress Architects acquired by Populous. Read about the acquisition here.
Modern in Denver’s new Summer issue highlights several AIA member projects and stories, notably:
Renee del Gaudio’s gas-free residential project above Boulder’s Betasso Preserve.
A West Highlands home designed by Fuse Studio and Davis Urban architects.
Step inside Tomecek Studio’s new live/work space as they celebrate their 20-year firm anniversary.
Partner News
Passive House Synergy: Certifier, Engineer, Architect, Consultant in Convo
Learn how teams across Colorado are collaborating on high performance design in diverse climate zones. Panelists include:
- Marisol Sanchez Gallagher, AIA, Owner at Marisol Studios
- Steven Forrester, Principal at DMA Engineering
- Enrico Bonilauri, Co-Founder + Chief Product Officer, Passive House Certifier
- Amanda Poindexter, Full Circle Construction Services, Owner
More info and 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
AIA Trust Launches New Climate Risk Factsheet to Help Architects Design Responsibly—and Protect Their Practice
New tool provides site-specific, climate projections for hazards such as wildfire, flooding, windstorm, and extreme heat—allowing architects to better inform resilient design strategies and document their professional standard of care. View and order Climate Factsheet here.
Soft Business Conditions Persist at Architecture Firms
The AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) remained in negative territory in May with a score of 47.2, up from 43.2 in April. Any score below 50 indicates a billings decline, although this month’s score indicates that somewhat fewer firms reported a decline in billings in May than in April. Read at AIA.
2025 Annual Business Meeting addresses AI usage in architecture, Fellowship qualifications
Delegates passed three bylaws amendments and one resolution at the annual meeting. Read at AIA.
Three new leaders elected to AIA Board of Directors.
AIA delegates elected:
- Yiselle Santos Rivera, AIA, 2026 President-elect/2027 President
- Jason Takeuchi, AIA, as 2026 – 2028 At-Large Director
- Lisa L. Kennedy, FAIA, as 2026–2027 Treasurer
Meet the new delegates at AIA.
Pete Buttigieg calls on architects to lead at a “delicate time” for America
At AIA25, the former U.S. Secretary of Transportation joined AIA President Evelyn Lee for a conversation on the vital local role architects play in rebuilding trust and community. Read at AIA.
Allie K. Miller inspires architects to lead in the AI age at AIA25
AI expert Allie K. Miller shared how architects can amplify creativity, boost productivity, and shape a more agile, human-centered future with AI. Read at AIA.
Dami Lee encouraged architects to harness the power of storytelling at AIA25
The architect and YouTube creator demonstrated the value of narrative and emotional connection. Read at AIA.
“Design Is Protest”: Bryan C. Lee Jr. Calls on Architects to Dismantle Oppression, Not Just Design Around It
At AIA25, the Whitney M. Young Jr. Award honoree delivers a powerful call for design justice—urging architects to move from passive participation to radical intervention. Read at Architect Magazine.
AIA Awards 2025 Winners Announced in 11 Project Categories
- AIA/ALA Library Building Awards: AIA is proud to partner with the American Library Association to honor the best in library architecture and design. See the winners here.
- 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.
- Design for Aging Review Awards: Honoring innovative design solutions to improve the quality of life for older adults.
- Education Facility Design Awards: Celebrating state-of-the-art learning environments, including early childhood, K-12, alternative, higher education, and non-traditional environments.
- Healthcare Design Awards: Recognizing the most innovative, functional, and sustainable projects in healthcare and design.
- Housing Awards: Honoring the best home design that showcases how beauty, safety, sustainability, and comfort come together.
- Interior Architecture Awards: Celebrating the most innovative and spectacular interior spaces across a range of projects.
- Justice Facilities Review Awards: Recognizing the best in design for justice architecture.
- Regional & Urban Design Awards: Honoring the best in urban design, regional and city planning, and community development.
- Small Project Awards: Recognizing the value and design excellence that architects provide regardless of size and budget.
For more information on the 2025 AIA Awards and to view the winning projects, visit AIA Awards.
Premier Partner Spotlight
We’re proud to highlight one of AIA Colorado’s Premier Partners, KL&A, and look forward to their ongoing support and involvement serving Colorado’s architecture community.
KL&A is a firm built around the idea that structural engineers should return to a master builder role by taking ownership of structural systems. A collaborative approach and project centric behaviors are our differentiators, facilitating a more engaging design and construction process. Their philosophy of personal responsibility has generated a corporate culture of problem solving and innovation. They are engineers first and foremost, which they leverage on their steel detailing and steel construction projects. hey also take great pride in sustainability efforts, utilizing mass timber to minimize embodied carbon in our structures, and providing Life Cycle Assessments on our committed projects.
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:
AIA Colorado Firm Directory
- Add your firm to the directory here.
Save the Dates:
- 2025 Design + Honor Awards
- Submission window opens Wednesday, April 30th, and closes Friday, June 20th, at 5pm.
- Celebration Event: September 18th, at Tivoli Turnhalle in Denver, CO.
- Sponsorship
- 2025 AIA Colorado Practice + Design Conference
- May 21: Expo Hall Opens
- July 1 – July 31: Call for Presentations
- November 12-14, 2025 at Keystone Conference Center, Keystone, CO.
- Sponsorship
2025 Legislative Session Summary • Part 2
2025 AIA Colorado Legislative Session Summary
Part 2
2025 was a busy year at the State Capitol for AIA Colorado. Despite a significant state budget shortfall, we tracked more legislation than usual affecting the architecture profession. We identified 26 bills of interest to our members and took positions on 12 of them, listed below.
We’re proud to report that every bill AIA Colorado supported passed, and every bill we opposed failed.
This summary will be published in two parts:
- In Part 1, we took a deep dive into the most impactful bills related to housing and sustainability/resiliency.
- In Part 2, we cover professional liability, building codes, project funding, and legislation affecting the construction trades.
Top AIA Colorado Liability Bills
SB25-157: Deceptive Trade Practice Significant Impact Standard
Bill status: Failed in Senate
AIA Colorado position: Oppose
Summary
Colorado’s consumer protection statute includes dozens of individual sections in addition to its general provisions. As a result, it’s difficult to make sweeping changes, even when they mean well, without unintended consequences. This bill could have made it easier to make a deceptive trade practice claim alongside a construction defect claim, which could open up defendants to trebel damages. A scary prospect given the dollar amounts that may be necessary to correct an issue. This situation is very different than the scale of harm for a typical consumer protection lawsuit. Appropriate damages that can be awarded exist in this act and bills targeting other sections of statute shouldn’t take precedence. Architects were one of many interest groups affected that believed this bill was too broad in its attempt to increase consumer protections and the bill failed on the senate floor.
Impact
AIA Colorado opposed this bill because consumer protection claims shouldn’t be used as a vehicle to increase judgements for construction defect lawsuits. Some trial lawyers already try to tack on consumer protection claims as a scare tactic and this bill would make this more common despite such claims not having merit. The existing Construction Defect Action Reform Act (CDARA), while not perfect, is a comprehensive statute design specifically for lawsuits against architects and other construction professionals.
SB25-185: Claims Against Construction Professionals
Bill status: Failed in House
AIA Colorado position: Oppose
Summary
Never has a bill so concise had so many negative implications for the architecture profession. SB25-185 simply stated that “Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a construction professional owes an independent tort duty to an original residential home purchaser and a subsequent residential home purchaser“. This single sentence would have effectively removed our ability to negotiate liability-related provisions in contracts with other construction professionals.
When a homeowner suffers from a construction defect and pursues a lawsuit to correct the issue, the Economic Loss Doctrine dictates that the proper course of action is to file a contract claim against the seller of the home. This doctrine is intended to guide parties in disputes with purely monetary losses (such as paying to have a defect corrected). Terms in the sales contract are relevant to how liability issues are handled. The world of construction is a complex web of contracts, so there may be multiple suits filed down the contract line depending on what party is at fault. A homeowner could sue a homebuilder, who would then sue an architect to be made whole if the architect was at fault and was hired by the homebuilder.
To the benefit of homeowners in general, courts have ruled that subsequent buyers, who only had a contract with the original homeowner, don’t have to file contract claims. They can file tort claims against construction professionals directly since suing the previous homeowner is an overly burdensome means to get to the party who caused the defect. We’ve been operating under this guidance for decades in Colorado.
This bill would have allowed original homeowners to sue anyone directly with a tort claim.
This effort specifically tried to reverse a recent court case decision (Appleby vs Dossey Sudik) where a structural engineer limited their liability to an agreed-upon dollar amount with the architect, who was under contract with a general contractor on a for-sale residential project. The original homeowners had a structural defect and tried to sue the structural engineer directly via tort claim because a contract claim would not have covered the repair costs. However, the courts (up to the Colorado Supreme Court) all agreed that the homeowners could only file contract claims, starting with the seller of their home.
While that might sound unfair to homeowners at first pass, the intent of contract liability provisions is that both parties agree to them. If one side reduces their liability risk, then the other side opts in to taking on that liability themselves. This isn’t always about dollar amounts. Dispute resolution processes (arbitration and mediation) are also common contract clauses that this bill would have undermined. Architects are hired long before a housing unit goes to market. We’re not privy to the terms of a final sales agreement to the homeowner. As such, we can only properly negotiate contracts with the clients who hire us. We rely on contract claims to provide guardrails on who can sue who and when it’s appropriate to do so.We believe that courts ruled correctly in favor of requiring contract claims in construction defect lawsuits so that negotiated liability-related provisions are respected by all parties and taken into consideration in court proceedings.
Impact
It took a lot of work to explain how bad this bill was to legislators given how little detail there was in the bill text itself. Thankfully, we were ultimately successful in defeating it despite the bill having bipartisan support. If it had passed, architects and professional engineers (who were great allies in our lobbying effort!) would have had more lawsuit exposure in for-sale residential projects resulting in greater insurance costs and risk. This would drive firms out of this market and/or raise costs to cover the new risk.
HB25-1261: Consumers Construction Defect Action
Bill status: Pulled by sponsor in House committee hearing
AIA Colorado position: Oppose
Summary
This bill is a long list of changes intended to benefit homeowners who file construction defect lawsuits against construction professionals, many of which are similar or returning provisions from last year’s failed HB24-1230. AIA Colorado opposed this bill not just because every section was bad for architects, but also because of the heavy-handed approach taken that would have raised costs for architects with no litigation history. The most significant changes included:
- Changing the statute of repose for filing lawsuits against construction professionals from 6 years to 10.
- Letting homeowners wait until they know the cause of a defect before informing construction professionals of an issue. Unlike current law that requires disclosures upon the manifestation of a potential defect, this makes it impossible for well-meaning construction professionals to offer to correct an issue or even try to determine if they do or do not have any culpability.
- Awarding prejudgment interest on a successful claim against a construction professional at 6% from the date the defective work was finished on top of damages resulting from the defect. Professional liability insurance won’t cover this interest.
Impact
In Colorado, there are already no real penalties against lawyers who threaten every construction professional involved in a project with a lawsuit. This bill only would have made this practice more egregious. Additionally, prejudgment interest would result in a strong disincentive for a defendant to argue their case in court because judgements will automatically be higher, and the longer a case takes to resolve (which we have no control over, the higher the interest total would be.
While there’s potentially room for improvement for homeowners trying to deal with a construction defect, solutions need to respect construction professionals’ right to plead our defense in court without additional penalties for doing so. Solutions also need to be careful they don’t raise insurance or out-of-pocket costs for all architects who do residential projects even when we’re not the party at fault in most construction defect cases.
Top AIA Colorado Building Codes Bills
HB25-1093: Limitations on Local Anti-Growth Land Use Policies
Bill status: Signed into law
Overview
Colorado generally defers to local jurisdictions on policies related to housing growth. While logistical considerations still vary by locality, this bill prohibits local governments from enacting growth restrictions through simple limits on building or development permits. Previous implementations of such policies are forms of NIMBYism, are effectively discriminatory, and can cause significant issues—especially in clusters of cities where these limits are applied inconsistently at the regional level.
HB25-1030: Accessibility Standards in Building Codes
Bill status: Signed into law
AIA Colorado position: Amend/Support
Summary
As a home rule state, building codes are adopted and enforced at the local level. However, there is precedent for energy codes that require local jurisdictions to adopt certain versions of a code when they do any code update cycle. This makes it easier to promote adoption of newer codes even if a local jurisdiction can decide on their own schedule.
This bill promotes adoption of newer accessibility code provisions in the same way as existing energy adoption requirements. The primary difference is that this bill focuses on chapter 11 of the IBC instead of an entire publication. Either of the two most recent versions of this IBC chapter are allowed to be adopted. AIA Colorado successfully proposed a number of friendly amendments to this bill to offer clarity on how this process would work.
Impact
Even if a local jurisdiction does not want to be on the newest version of the IBC, this bill ensures better accessibility for building occupants, even if it’s slightly more complicated for architects to mix and match versions of the same code. Because the baseline in this bill is to use the 2021 IBC version, smaller rural communities are the most likely not to already be in compliance. An added benefit for architects is that a local jurisdiction may decide it’s easier to simply adopt an IBC version that meets this bill’s requirements. This could get more of the state on more modern codes.
SB25-002: Regional Building Codes for Factory-Built Structures
Bill status: Signed into law
AIA Colorado position: Amend/Support
Summary
Factory-built structures and building components are being promoted in Colorado to lower construction costs and therefore housing prices in particular. To facilitate broader adoption and investment of this construction practice, the state wants to simplify the application of building codes and inspections when construction occurs in a different jurisdiction (or state) than where the project site is located.
This bill empowers the state to determine standard off-site inspection practices and create regions with a unified set of building codes that must be designed and built to for off-site construction. AIA Colorado, amongst many other stakeholders, noted that as introduced, the bill didn’t have clear language to ensure the strictest code provisions in a region would apply in this context. With four climate regions in the state and significant variance in other site conditions such as wind loads, it’s important to ensure appropriate safety and building performance code provisions govern any given project.
Impact
With broader adoption of off-site construction, this bill will help architects, contractors, an local building departments navigate otherwise overlapping or conflicting building code requirements in projects that where construction occurs wholly or partially outside the local project site.
Other Building Codes Bills of Interest
SB25-039: Agricultural Buildings Exempt from Energy Use Requirements
Bill status: Signed into law
Overview
Under current law, owners of certain large buildings are required to annually collect and report each covered building’s energy use to the Colorado energy office. This bill clarifies that agricultural buildings were never intended to be included in the state’s Building Performance Standards program for benchmarking and annual energy use limitations.
Top AIA Colorado Project Funding Bills
HB25-1061: Community Schoolyards Grant Program
Bill status: Signed into law
AIA Colorado position: Support
Summary
This bill creates a grant program that can support planning, design, or construction grants for schoolyard projects that benefit and are accessible to the broader community beyond use by students during school hours. Suggested uses include natural landscapes or playgrounds, recreational spaces, sustainability/resilience projects, and hands-on learning spaces in underserved and underfunded schools and communities.
Impact
This community schoolyard grant fund has limited money available given Colorado’s budget challenges this year but can still make school outdoor space projects viable that might not otherwise have funding. Architects doing school projects are urged to speak with their clients to determine if part of the project scope may be qualified for this type of grant.
Bill status: Signed into law
AIA Colorado position: Support
Summary
This bill creates a program, with a board led by the state treasurer and including the state architect, to provide financing to eligible projects. These include various infrastructure and affordable/accessible housing projects. This program is funded using state treasury money as collateral for more favorable rates than other project funding sources. Given the unique nature of this funding, projects have to be individually evaluated and subject to available money.
Impact
Given the substantial 2025 state budget deficit, legislators tried many different creative ways to find money not available in the general fund this year. This bill focuses on making certain capital construction projects a reality that are ready to begin but where supplemental funding is necessary for related infrastructure work.
Other Project Funding Bills of Interest:
HB25-1245: Heating Ventilation & Air Conditioning Improvement Projects in Schools
Bill status: Signed into law
Overview
Schools that accept funding from the “Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act cash fund” for HVAC improvements must now meet certain performance, quality, and contractor qualification standards for the project.
SB25-006: Investment Authority of State Treasurer for Affordable Housing
Bill status: Signed into law
Overview
The state treasurer may invest up to $50 million of state money in bonds with below-market interest rates if the proceeds are used for the creation or financing of new affordable, income-restricted for-sale housing that otherwise would not be made available.
Top AIA Colorado Construction Trades Bills
AIA Colorado is a member of Building Jobs 4 Colorado (BJ4C), a coalition of construction trade groups that work with industry stakeholders to preserve and build construction and design jobs in Colorado. There are numerous bills each year that BJ4C takes positions on in addition to our own efforts.
HB25-1286: Protecting Workers from Extreme Temperatures
Bill status: Failed in House committee hearing
AIA Colorado position: BJ4C coalition opposed
Summary
Climate change is resulting in more common extreme temperature days in Colorado. There is no worker protection consistency across industries with outdoor workers and this bill would have given protection to works for both heat- and cold-related temperatures. Protection would have included risk mitigation measures, rest break details, and injury/illness prevention plans. The construction industry was generally opposed to this bill as there are already robust measures in place in accordance with national OSHA requirements.
Impact
If this bill would have passed, it could have significantly reduced productivity on construction sites during the hottest and coldest parts of the year. Opponents successfully argued that the proposed protections would have gone well beyond what is required to protect worker safety. As temperatures continue to rise however, this issue isn’t going away. For the construction industry though, there are numerous examples of extreme weather procedures already in place in many southern states that we can emulate.
HB25-1300: Workers’ Compensation Benefits Proof of Entitlement
Bill status: Signed into law
AIA Colorado position: BJ4C coalition opposed
Summary
This bill makes a significant change to Colorado’s existing worker’s compensation benefits act by allowing injured workers to see their own physicians. Previously, employers were allowed to only approve a limited number of physicians that could be seen as part of a worker’s comp claim except in emergencies.
Impact
Opponents claimed that it benefits workers to see a physician who has experience both with workplace injuries and navigating typical billing procedures for worker’s comp claims that are typically the responsibility of an employer. There is also fear that less experienced physicians will keep workers from returning to their jobs longer out of an abundance of caution. It remains to be seen if these concerns prove true and if there will be impacts to construction costs or schedules.
Other Construction Trades Bills of Interest
HB25-1001: Enforcement Wage Hour Laws
Bill status: Signed into law
Overview
After last year’s attempt at addressing wage theft was vetoed, proponents for reform came back with a more narrowly focused bill. Protections for workers have been strengthened, but there is an orderly process in determining the parties responsible for making workers whole. This is important in construction with multiple layers of contracts between various parties. We will hopefully see fewer wage theft issues on projects that could result in cost overruns or slowdowns.
SB25-005: Worker Protection Collective Bargaining
Bill status: Vetoed by Governor
Overview
Colorado is unique in requiring two elections to form a union and this bill would have removed the second election. It would have likely resulted in more union construction labor in the state. Proponents may this bill back either next year if a compromise can be identified or in 2027 when Colorado has a new governor that may be more union-friendly.
Member Perspectives: AIA25 Recap
Last week, several AIA Colorado members traveled to Boston for AIA25–the national conference of the American Institute of Architects. We asked them to share a few reflections from their experience. From inspiring keynotes to conversations with peers across the country, here’s what stood out to our members.
Evelyn M. Lee, FAIA | 2025 AIA President
Pete Buttigieg | Keynote
Scott Rodwin, AIA, AIA Colorado President, Principle, Rodwin Architecture
“My favorite thing about going to AIA conferences is the unexpected new friends that I make. At the AIA gala, I sat next to a Fellow who had successfully nominated this year’s–and last year‘s–national Firm of the Year. She knew everybody. We traded war stories, curiosities, and observations all night, and I came away with a friend after just a few hours.
I also had a wonderful time reconnecting with old friends from AIA Colorado, going out to dinner and deepening those friendships.
My two favorite sessions were the CRAN talk (Custom Residential Architects Network), and Pete Buttigieg’s keynote. Both were inspiring.
Oh, and going to Fenway Park to see the Red Sox play was a special treat!
Lastly, being Colorado’s delegate this year, interviewing, and then voting for our new president-elect, treasurer, and board member at large was a wonderfully educational process and gave me great confidence that members are doing their best to responsibly steward the organization and keep it serving the members as effectively as possible.”
Mike Waldinger, Hon. AIA, CEO, AIA Colorado and Scott Rodwin, AIA, President, AIA Colorado attended a Red Sox game at historic Fenway Park.
Young Architects Forum | Kaylyn Kirby, AIA
Young Architects Forum | Kaylyn Kirby, AIA
Kaylyn Kirby, AIA, Young Architects Forum Representative, Associate Principal, Semple Brown
“Boston – AIA2025 – over 100,000 steps, lobster mac, old and new friends, inspiring keynotes (go Pete!), and puppies – my first national conference was an overwhelming success. I returned home exhausted, but with my cup full, reminded why I volunteer with the AIA, why I show up, and what we’re all working toward.
Throughout the week, I had serendipitous reunions with old classmates and colleagues from my architectural circles in Colorado, Minnesota, and Louisiana. I also connected with fellow Young Architects Forum (YAF) representatives from across the country—both current members and alumni. These spontaneous moments reaffirmed a central truth: this organization is powered by people, and the relationships we build here stretch across miles and endure for a lifetime.
One memorable moment was attending the Annual Business Meeting and candidate caucus alongside AIA Colorado President Scott Rodwin, AIA. I was deeply impressed by the tenacity and thoughtfulness of our membership. Delegates from all over the country posed insightful, challenging questions to board candidates, offering a powerful glimpse into their values and visions for AIA’s future. Another standout moment was the conversation between AIA President Evelyn Lee, FAIA, and Secretary Pete Buttigieg—a compelling reminder of the unique role architects play in shaping our world for the better.
I closed out the conference with an event I helped organize as part of the YAF Strategic Vision Focus Group: Young Architects Forum: Bridging Generations. Held over 30 years following YAF’s founding at AIA National, the session brought together attendees from every stage of career—from students to Fellows. We engaged in thoughtful dialogue around mentorship, career development, wellness, burnout, and the evolving future of architecture. What began over 30 years ago as a small gathering of emerging architects has now grown into a 60+ member committee representing young professionals across the U.S. and internationally. It was an honor to be part of continuing that legacy.
Now back home in Denver, I’m holding tight to the energy and momentum sparked by this incredible week—and feeling cautiously optimistic about all that the rest of 2025 has in store.”
John Glenn, AIA, AIA Colorado Secretary, Associate, Davis Partnership Architects, participating in Young Architects Forum: Bridging Generations event.
Andy Nielson, FAIA, Principal, Anderson Mason Dale
“What better way to close out the conference than with a Friday evening boat tour of Boston Harbor led by a group of really smart landscape architects? Although a little chilly by the end, it was a beautiful evening and a great perspective on Boston, its diverse neighborhoods, its history, and how the community is shaping a resilient future for its waterfront confronted by the challenges of climate change. Thanks AIA!”
Sarah Broughton, FAIA, Founding Principal, Rowland + Broughton
Boston was amazing! The venue was well laid out, great food and beverage and the surrounding Seaport neighborhood is very inspiring. Boston hosted many great tours, many walking straight from the conference center. I was very impressed on a tour of an adjacent part of Seaport, hearing from the developer and the architects and landscape architect how the multi-block design was knitted into existing context and even built over highway on ramps. They are building 6′ above current water like to adapt to rising sea levels.
Evelyn Lee, FAIA, gave an amazing speech on Friday morning reminding us when AIA began at a time of great uncertainty and natural disasters. Through optimism and leadership of our founders, AIA remains a constant champion and backbone to our profession. Built through advocacy and participation. Get involved, stay involved and help shape our future.
Finally, it was an honor for John and me to be included in a book signing of our recently published monograph, Designing Aspen, at the AIA Bookstore. We were with great company and we are so appreciative of the support!
Nikolaus Remus, AIA | Resilience and Disaster Response
Nikolaus Remus, AIA | Resilience and Disaster Response
Nikolaus Remus, AIA, Advocacy Engagement Director, AIA Colorado
Resilience was one of the key topics at AIA25 in Boston and members of the AIA National Resilience and Disaster Response (RADR) committee embraced this opportunity to attend and lead multiple breakout sessions in addition to an open forum event hosted by myself, co-chair Sammy Shams, and chair-elect Alan Scott to talk about the work the RADR committee has been doing.
At our open forum, we talked about our major 2025 committee efforts, which include updating AIAU’s resiliency-related offerings, creating a knowledge hub website to help AIA members quickly find useful resources for their practice, and building a list of members nationwide with post-disaster rebuild efforts who can quickly help local AIA components after a disaster to understand what architects can expect in the coming weeks, months, and years. Stephanie Lamore with AIA National spoke about our ongoing efforts to preserve federal funding, primarily for FEMA, to continue providing grant funding and post-disaster assistance.
Finally, I chatted with Julie Wormser, chief climate officer for the City of Cambridge, MA and Nasser Brahim, director of climate resilience with the Boston-area Mystic River Watershed Association. They offered great insight on how local communities identify key community resiliency projects and how to fund them. Both panelists have extensive experience with sea level rise effects in particular, but their knowledge is broadly applicable to any community faced with prioritizing local resilience efforts. We all walked away inspired on how to maintain a positive attitude and look for opportunities to improve our communities instead of dwelling on policy changes we can’t control.
Marisol Gallagher, AIA | AIA Business Academy
Marisol Gallagher, AIA | AIA Business Academy
Marisol Gallagher, AIA, Marisol Studios
I landed in Boston just in time for a dinner hosted by the TAP + COTE symposium sponsors, Autodesk and Forma—and it couldn’t have been a better way to kick off the week. The conversation was rich with insight, diving into how technology is (and isn’t yet) being fully integrated into design workflows, especially in small and medium firms. It set the tone for a conference centered on collaboration, innovation, and the future of our profession.
From there, AIA25 unfolded into an energizing experience surrounded by peers, mentors, and visionaries—all committed to advancing the impact of architecture. A particular highlight for me was the launch of the AIA Business Academy, a first-of-its-kind professional development series designed for firm leaders who are ready to work on their business, not just in it.
The inaugural session—“Designing Your Firm’s Strategic Blueprint”—offered a deep dive into building the kind of business foundations we’re rarely taught in design school: articulating a clear value proposition, leveraging relationships for competitive advantage, and aligning strategy with execution. With a mix of real-world frameworks, group discussions, and hands-on collaboration, it was a powerful start to a seven-month journey focused on clarity, growth, and long-term impact.
I was especially excited to reconnect with a familiar face—Dana Ellis, AIA—and to meet Kevin Stockton, AIA, both fellow Colorado architects participating in the Academy. Colorado ended up being the most represented state in the cohort, which made the experience feel even more connected and collaborative.
I also had the honor of speaking on a panel during the TAP + COTE Symposium: “Implementation Strategies for Small and Medium Firms”, alongside Barry Yoakum, FAIA, Hafsa Burt, AIA, and Paul Doherty, moderated by Vickie Patel. What began as a structured Q&A quickly evolved into a lively, open discussion—touching on everything from the role of design technologies in high performance design and embedding environmental performance across firm portfolios.
The Business Academy blends online and in-person sessions for a sustainable pace, and I appreciate that the workload is manageable for practicing leaders. It’s already offering insights that are directly shaping how I think about leading Marisol Studios with intention.
This experience marks the beginning of an exciting chapter—not just for me, but for my new firm and the broader community of architects stepping more fully into strategic leadership. I’m grateful to be part of it.
David Beal, AIA, David A. Beal & Associates, LLC
“Pete Buttigieg’s keynote was the most memorable speaker at AIA25 and I really enjoyed what he shared.
Something new that I learned is that AI is way ahead of what I understood. I got some valuable feedback from some Colorado Architects at my seminars that have introduced AI into their day-to-day.”
Denver Affordable Housing Challenge Announces Jury
JURY ANNOUNCEMENT
Architects Worldwide Invited to Reimagine Affordable Housing in Denver’s Design Challenge
International architecture ideas competition explores how affordability and design excellence can be harmonized to create innovative, high-quality housing solutions tailored to Denver’s specific context.
June 16, 2025 (DENVER) — The City of Denver, The Colorado Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and Buildner, a leading global design competition platform, have launched an international call for ideas to address Denver’s housing needs with a focus on the role of design excellence. The competition anticipates over one hundred entries to be submitted by a local and global audience of architects engaged in addressing affordable housing, providing Denver with a platform of ideas to consider as the region addresses future affordable housing needs.
Through a jury of respected architects, City of Denver representatives and Councilmembers, and affordable housing developers, submissions will be reviewed and selected based on creatively addressing design excellence, sustainability, demonstrating how affordability and design can coexist.
MEET THE JURY
Lucy Begg, AIA
Thoughtbarn
Austin, TX
Troy Fosler, AIA
Koning Eizenberg Architecture
Santa Monica, CA
Dean Maltz, AIA
Shigeru Ban Architects
New York City
Katie Swenson, Assoc. AIA
MASS Design Group
Boston
Julien De Smedt
JDS Architects
Denmark
Rozana Montiel
Rozana Montiel Estudio de Arquitectura
Mexico
Andrew Maynard
Austin Maynard Architects
Australia
Kendra Garrett
City and County of Denver
Caeli Hill
City and County of Denver
Gosia Kung
Denver Housing Authority
Susan Powers
Urban Ventures, LLC
Denver
The competition began April 9th with early bird registration and closes September 11th. Winners will be announced December 10that a media event open to the public, in Denver, the first week of December.
Competition link: architecturecompetitions.com/denverhousing
Building Community
Denver Community Planning and Development (CPD) is responsible for visionary city planning and ensuring safe, responsible, sustainable building. CPD regulates planning, zoning, development and maintenance of private property in Denver. We’re working hard to make Denver a great place to live, work and play!
DenverGov.org/CPD
About AIA Colorado
AIA Colorado is a membership association working to advance the architecture profession in Colorado. Through advocacy, leadership development, education, and resources, the organization supports architecture professionals throughout the state in designing a better world. Our 2,500 members include architects, those working toward licensure, and allied industry professionals.
aiacolorado.org
Interviewees available upon request
AIA Colorado Media Contact:
Mike Waldinger, Hon. AIA
CEO, AIA Colorado
303.228.3915
mike@aiacolorado.org
City and County of Denver Media Contact:
Ryan Huff
Communications Director
Community Planning and Development
City and County of Denver
720.913.1608
ryan.huff@denvergov.org
