Colorado Architecture News | 06.04.25

In this Newsletter:

• Legislative session recap: Part 1
• New Emerging Professionals and Young Architects (EP/YA) Leadership Council
• CKLDP Spring Recap
• Academy of Architecture for Health National and Local Updates
• Design + Honor Awards submission window closes June 20
• Practice + Design Conference sponsorship and Expo Hall now open
• Ice Core Facility tour
• June 5 Colorado Night at AIA25
• June 10 West Virtual Connect: Affordable Housing
• June 11 AWARDED: True Nature Healing Arts Kiva
• 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

2025 Legislative session recap: Part 1

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 11 of them. We’re proud to report that every bill AIA Colorado supported passed, and every bill we opposed failed.

The Legislative Summary will be published in two parts and in Part 1 we’re taking a deep dive into the most impactful bills related to housing and sustainability/resiliency. Read it here.

New AIA Colorado Emerging Professionals and Young Architects (EP/YA) Leadership Council

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.

The Leadership Council has been formed by:

• Colorado Young Architects Representative Kaylyn Kirby, AIA
• AIA Colorado Associate Director Anna Friedrich, AIA
• Colorado National Associates Committee Representative Mo Zaina, Assoc. AIA
• Christiopher Kelley Leadership Program Representative Chelsea Wade, AIA
• Ascend Mentorship Representative Lauren Falcon, AIA
• AIA Colorado Student Dania Morelli, AIAS

Visit the AIA Colorado EP/YA webpage to learn more about our key objectives, resources, and initial event schedule. Join us for a kickoff happy hour at Schoolyard Beer Garden in Denver July 24th to meet the council members, other EP/YA’s, network, and share your ideas on programming or resources that you would be interested.

CKLDP Spring Recap

AIA Colorado’s Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program (CKLDP)provides participants the opportunity to form a cohort with other emerging professionals in the field of architecture, developing their skills on several focused topics in the once-a-month sessions throughout the year. The program is well underway in its ninth year, with Opening Ceremony and  Sessions 1, 2, and 3 having occurred, where participants engaged in knowledge sharing from industry experts, team building and collaborative activities, and overall improving upon their professional skills. Catch up with a summary and highlights of the events thus far here.

Academy of Architecture for Health National and Local Updates

Catch up with AIA Colorado’s Academy of Architecture for Health and hear from 2025 AAH National President, Southern Ellis, AIA, who provides an overview of AAH National organizational structure, goals, and opportunities for collaboration. Watch here.

Celebrating the exemplary work of Colorado architects

Don’t miss your chance to be recognized! Submissions for the 2025 AIA Colorado Design and Honor Awards close on June 20th at 5pm. Whether you’re submitting a project or nominating a peer, now is the time to shine a light on excellence. Submit today and help us honor the people and projects driving our profession forward.

• Design Award submission instructions
• Honor Award submission instructions

Start your submission here

Conference Sponsorship and Expo Hall now open

Planning is well underway for this year’s Practice + Design Conference, happening November 12-14, at Keystone Conference Center. 

Place your company and brand right in the middle of the action and take advantage of our sponsorship opportunities!

Do you know trusted industry colleagues who should be there? Our Expo Hall booths – which typically sell out – are now available to reserve!

Last week, members enjoyed the unique opportunity to tour the GSA National Science Foundation (NSF) Ice Core Facility. Led by OZ architecture, the group toured the existing aging facility and the construction progress of its replacement. Members bundled up before heading into the freezer to see ice core samples up close!

May 29 • GSA-National Science Foundation Ice Core Facility tour (re-scheduled)

Join the Denver Local Advisors Thursday, May 29th for a tour of a very unique property! Located within a large existing building on the Denver Federal Center campus, the GSA-National Science Foundation (NSF) Ice Core Facility supports the storage and climate-change research of some 30,000 ice cores from the Arctic and Antarctic. The design team from OZ Architecture will lead a tour of both the existing aging facility and the construction progress of its replacement. Tour has been approved for 1 LU|HSW. More information and RSVP here.

June 5 • Colorado Night at AIA25

Are you attending AIA25? If so, join us and connect with fellow AIA Colorado members and University of Colorado alumni during the AIA25. Light appetizers and drinks will be provided. Learn more and RSVP here.

June 10 • West Virtual Connect: Affordable Housing

Thursday, June 10th, at 8am, join AIA Colorado West Director Andi Korber, AIA, and connect virtually with Western Slope AIA members for a time of conversation. The topic will be affordable housing and how this issue is posing unique strains in mountain communities. There will be a brief presentation to get the conversation started, following by Q+A and discussion. RSVP here.

June 11 • AWARDED: True Nature Healing Arts Kiva

AWARDED is a series celebrating the standout achievements of AIA Colorado’s Design Award winners. This series invites you to explore the innovative spaces, visionary designs, and remarkable stories that set these projects apart. 

June 11th, at 5pm, in Carbondale, tour this unique property, a cast in place board form concrete refuge anchoring an established public garden. The True Nature kiva includes a spiral ramp to a subterranean 100-person auditorium tucked away amidst an interactive garden of reflexology paths, labyrinths, and more. Join us to see modern architecture quietly centering an active, blossoming, communal space. This tour has been approved for 1 LU|HSW. RSVP here.

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.

AIA Colorado North Director Huili Feng, AIA, co-founder of Tumu Studio, shares her story with Voyage Denver.

AIA Colorado President Scott Rodwin, AIA, is introduced in Voyage Denver’s “Hidden Gems: Meet Scott Rodwin of Rodwin Architecture.”

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:

• Job Captain 4-7 Yrs. Exp. at CCY Architects
• Architectural Associate at Foothills Architects, Ltd.
• Construction Administrator at Clark & Enersen

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. Find the newsletter here.

Attending AIA25? Attend the Young Architects Forum Events: 

• Taking Care of Business • June 4, 9:30 – 11:30am
• YAF Meetup • June 6, 3 – 4pm
• Bridging Generations • June 7, 1 – 2:30pm

Join YAF on June 10th for an exciting webinar: Charting Your Own Career Path as a Young Architect. Learn more here.

National volunteer opportunities are available 

Explore AIA volunteer opportunities—a great way to support the work and shape the future of the architecture profession, develop and grow leadership skills, and help advance AIA’s mission. AIA encourages participation from members who bring varied perspectives—across career stages, firm sizes, geographic regions, cultural backgrounds, and practice areas. We believe that diverse voices help ensure that our programs, policies, and initiatives reflect the evolving needs of the profession and the communities we serve. View the opportunities here and plan to complete the application before June 16th.

Jason Pettigrew Memorial ARE Scholarship

The Jason Pettigrew Memorial ARE Scholarship recognizes the significant contributions of emerging professionals at early stages in their careers and helps defray the costs associated with the Architect Registration Examination (ARE). Developed by the AIA National Associates Committee, the scholarship honors the memory of late friend and colleague, Jason Pettigrew, Assoc. AIA. Scholarship recipients will receive funds to cover the cost of the ARE and study materials to prepare for testing, totaling $1,910.00. Applications will be accepted until July 7th. For more info and to apply, go here.

ByDesign in conversation with AIA President Evelyn M. Lee, FAIA

ByDesign Executive Producer Mike Chapman converses with with AIA National President, Evelyn M. Lee, FAIA, about the mindsets, values, and tools she finds helpful not only in her role as AIA President, but for architects in practice and life in general. Watch the special ByDesign segment here.

Call for Proposals: Women’s Leadership Summit 2025

Every year, WLS brings together the AEC industry’s largest network of women for a premier leadership training experience. AIA is seeking bold, insightful proposals for CE sessions that explore visionary leadership, professional growth, and transforming the future. Whether you lead projects, teams, or ideas—your story can spark the next wave of impact. Submission deadline has been extended to June 11th! Learn more and start your submission here.

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.

Visit KL&A’s website

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:

• Contact AIA Colorado Staff
• AIA Colorado Calendar
• AIA Colorado News and Articles

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