News from the Colorado Chapter of The American Institute of Architects
04.01.26
In this Newsletter:
Legislative Session Update
Apr 14: North Section EP/YA & AIAS happy hour
Apr 16: CRAN happy hour
Apr 21: West Virtual Connect: Disaster Preparedness
Apr 22: From Shop to Site: Precast Factory Tour in Colorado Springs
Apr 23: Tour of The Mothership
Apr 28: Equity in Practice Series: Session 1
Apr 29: Design + Honor Awards info session
Premier Partner spotlight: IMEG
AIA COLORADO’S
NEWS
Legislative Session Update
It’s been an interesting year at the state capitol as legislators grapple with an extreme budget deficit while still trying to chip away at challenges such as housing and climate change. It’s been a very active year for housing bills in particular, with a common theme of the state venturing into land use policies typically handled at the city or county government level. AIA Colorado is pleased to share HB26-1001: Housing Developments on Qualifying Properties (or the HOME Act) has been signed into law, we’re currently supporting four bills, and taking an amend position on three additional bills. Catch up with Nikolaus Remus, AIA, AIA Colorado’s Advocacy Engagement Director, here.
AIA Colorado’s Fellows gathered last week at CU’s College of Architecture and Planning for a Spring luncheon celebrating leadership, design excellence, and the lasting impact of members who have advanced to Fellowship. The group enjoyed viewing Mike Winters, FAIA exhibition currently on display at the second-floor gallery.
Semple Brown Design’sproject, Asteria Theatre at Colorado Mesa University, is setting a new regional standard for sustainability and technical excellence and was featured on a recent ByDesign episode. Watch the segment here.
Catch up on all Colorado projects that have been featured on the ByDesign tv show here!
Tuesday, April 14th, at 5pm, at Attic Bar & Bistro in Boulder, join AIA Colorado North members, the EP/YA Council, and AIAS for a happy hour designed to connect emerging professionals. RSVP here.
Thursday, April 16th, from 5:30 – 7:30pm, join the AIA Colorado Custom Residential Architects Network (CRAN) Knowledge Community for a happy hour, in Boulder, on the rooftop of Avanti Food & Beverage. RSVP here.
Tuesday, April 21st, at Noon, join fellow Western Slope members for a discussion on preparedness, response, and recovery. Hear insights from colleagues and learn practical strategies to strengthen and support community resilience. RSVP here.
Wednesday, April 22nd, at 4:30pm, join AIA Colorado South members for a behind-the-scenes factory tour in Colorado Springs connected to an active project. This experience offers a unique opportunity to follow the lifecycle of precast concrete from fabrication to installation, with a direct tie to the ongoing Palmer High School project by RTA Architectsand Perkins Eastman. Attendees will see select panels currently in production and gain insight into how design decisions translate into built components. RSVP here.
Thursday, April 23rd, at 4pm, join members for a tour of The Mothership, a 2025 AIA Colorado Design Award Honorable Mention recipient. The unique nature of The Mothership cannot be overstated; there is simply nothing like it in the ecosystem of housing and homeless services for youth, offering an opportunity to immediately access shelter and transition as quickly as possible into one of six dorm-style neighborhood suites. Tour led by Chad Holtzinger, AIA, of Shopworks Architecture. To be submitted for 1 LU|HSW. More info and RSVP here.
Designing great architecture starts long before anyone picks up a pen, mouse, or trace paper, it starts with people! Tuesday, April 28th, at Noon, in the first session of AIA Colorado’s three-part Equity in Practice Series, AIA Colorado’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (J.E.D.I.) committee invites you to dive into Chapters 1–3 of the AIA Guides for Equitable Practice but don’t worry, this isn’t a book club where you pretend you did the reading. We’ll break it down into foundational ideas together. To be submitted for 1 LU. More info and RSVP here.
The 2026 AIA Colorado Design + Honor Awards are officially open for submissions, with entries accepted now through June 26th at noon. This annual program celebrates the most outstanding work of AIA Colorado members, recognizing both exceptional design across project types and the individuals and teams making a lasting impact on the profession and their communities.
To support members in preparing strong submissions, the AIA Colorado Awards Committee and AIA Colorado staff will host an upcoming virtual information session on Wednesday, April 29th at noon. This session will provide an overview of the Design and Honor Awards programs, walk through the Submittable platform, and offer practical guidance for first-time applicants and experienced submitters alike. Attendees will also hear directly from architects at BOSS.architecture, four-time 2025 Design Award winners, as they share insights into their successful approach.
Whether you are ready to submit or just beginning to explore the process, this is a valuable opportunity to gain clarity, ask questions, and strengthen your entry ahead of the June deadline. RSVP here.
At CEC Early College in Denver, educator Margarita Gonzalez, Assoc. AIA, is helping address architecture’s gender and diversity gap by preparing students with real-world skills and a pathway into the profession. Her program is inspiring more young women and students of color to pursue careers in architecture and was recently featured on 9News.
All events are free, open to the public, and will be recorded unless otherwise specified. All lectures, unless specified, will start at 12 p.m. and be held on the Second Floor Gallery of CU Building, 1250 14th St, Denver, CO. View the full Spring schedule here.
Monday, April 6: Leyuan Li. Assistant Professor of Architecture, CU Denver. Director, Office for Roundtable. RSVP here
Thursday, April 9: Louise Bordelon. Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture, CU Denver. RSVP here
Community College of Denver Architectural Technology Practitioner-Student Event
April 3rd, from 9am to 1pm, join the Community College of Denver Architectural Technology for April Confluence, a unique practitioner–student event designed to connect architecture professionals with CCD architecture students through meaningful one-on-one mentorship. Between two AIA-approved LU/HSW CEU sessions, attending professionals will participate in informal micro-charrettes where students can seek guidance on their current studio projects, coursework, and career paths. This format creates intentional space for experienced practitioners to share insights, answer questions, and offer perspective that can help shape the next generation of architects. More info and RSVP here.
Looking for your next career move? Explore fresh job listings updated daily. Hiring? Showcase your open position for 30 days and connect with top-tier talent.
Call for Proposals: Women’s Leadership Summit 2026
Women’s Leadership Summit (WLS) brings together the architecture industry’s largest network of women for a premier leadership?experience.?We?seek?bold, engaging proposals?that inspire, educate, and support women at every career stage. Learn more and start your proposal here.
AIA26 registration is now open
Join us in San Diego, June 10–13, for four days of immersive learning, inspiring keynotes, architect-led tours, networking events, and the industry’s largest expo. Save hundreds with early registration rates now through April 10! Register here.
Thursday, June 11th, join us for Colorado Night and enjoy connecting with fellow AIA Colorado members and University of Colorado alumni during the AIA26. RSVP here.
AIA COLORADO’S
PREMIER PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
With a history that dates back over 100 years, IMEG Corp. grew from several firms coming together under one uniting vision: people-centered engineering. As a national engineering and design consulting company IMEG intentionally localized a focus to serve carefully chosen regions and markets, allowing them to put relationships and communities first, without sacrificing expertise.
IMEG’s specialties are high-performing building systems, infrastructure, program management and construction-related services, but the secret to the success is found in a deep bench of 1,600 team members. For IMEG, people-centered engineering is about more than the people served — it’s representative of the engaged employee culture they’ve worked hard to create. IMEG believes in investing in their people and their professional futures through continuous training, community involvement and the ability to develop a niche specialty.
Our Allied Members bring depth and diversity to Colorado’s design and construction community. These experienced professionals offer specialized knowledge that complements architectural practice and elevates project outcomes statewide.
Have news to share? If you or your firm have been featured in the media, published in a design outlet, received an award, or announced a major promotion, email AIA Colorado’s Communications Director Jon Bell.
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