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Upcoming Event
Housing Matters: Winning Ideas for Policy Impact
What is the real impact of a design competition?
May 13th, from 4:30 – 6pm, join AIA Colorado’s Regional & Urban Design Committee for an event that moves beyond ideas on paper and into the realm of policy, implementation, and change. Featuring the top three winning entries from the Denver Affordable Housing Challenge, this event explores how design competitions can elevate emerging voices, spark new approaches to complex urban issues, and influence the future of our cities.
The program brings together an international perspective from Australian architect Damien Madigan alongside two Denver-based teams behind the ReFrame Proposal and Alley Town La Alma. Each will present their award-winning concepts, offering distinct yet complementary visions for addressing housing affordability through design innovation. Damien Madigan will also share an overview of Bluefield Housing, his award-winning architectural research project that has directly transformed government policy and generated new pathways for equitable housing delivery.
Grounding these ideas in the realities of city-making, Rob Haigh from the City and County of Denverwill share updates from the Unlocking Housing Choices initiative, creating a direct connection between speculative design and actionable policy.
Through presentations and discussion, this event begins to answer a critical question: Why do we invest in design competitions? More importantly, it sets the stage for what comes next, translating visionary proposals into a set of informed recommendations for the City of Denver.
Whether you’re an architect, planner, policymaker, or engaged community member, this is an opportunity to engage with new ideas, contribute to an ongoing dialogue, and help shape the future of housing in Denver.
WHEN: Wednesday, May 13, 4:30 – 6pm
WHERE: OZ Architecture, 3003 Larimer, Denver, CO 80205
EDUCATION: Event to be submitted for 1 LU|HSW
Committee Members
Terra Mazzeo, AIA, co-Chair
Jason Whitlock, AIA, co-Chair
Ignacio Correa-Ortiz, AIA
Hans Davis, Assoc. AIA
Christie Del Ciotto, Assoc. AIA
Troy Fosler, AIA
Alan G Gass, FAIA
Maria Pelaez, Assoc. AIA
Leah Pitts, AIA
Joede Schoeberlein, AIA
Will Viitanen, Assoc. AIA
2025 Meeting Dates
January 2
February 6
March 6
April 3
May 1
June 5
July 3
August 7
September 4
October 2
November 6
December 4
News, Articles, Webinars, are Event Recaps
- Denver Affordable Housing Challenge: re FRAME
re FRAME is a Denver Affordable Housing Challenge 2rd Place Prize winning and Sustainability Award submission by a team of Colorado architects. Colorado architects, the City of Denver, and Buildner, a leading global design competition platform, have announced the 10 winning entries in Denver’s Affordable Housing Challenge. The competition attracted 148 qualified submissions from around the world. Entrants… Read more: Denver Affordable Housing Challenge: re FRAME - Denver Affordable Housing Challenge: Alley Town La Alma
Alley Town La Alma is a Denver Affordable Housing Challenge 3rd Place Prize winning submission by Denver’s Radix Design. Colorado architects, the City of Denver, and Buildner, a leading global design competition platform, have announced the 10 winning entries in Denver’s Affordable Housing Challenge. The competition attracted 148 qualified submissions from around the world. Entrants explored how affordability,… Read more: Denver Affordable Housing Challenge: Alley Town La Alma - Denver Affordable Housing Challenge Winners Announced
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMedia Contact:Jon BellCommunications Director, AIA Coloradojon@aiacolorado.org303.228.3913 Denver, Colorado (December 10, 2025) – Colorado architects, the City of Denver, and Buildner, a leading global design competition platform, have announced the 10 winning entries in Denver’s Affordable Housing Challenge. The competition attracted 148 qualified submissions from around the world. Entrants explored how affordability, sustainability, and design excellence can be combined… Read more: Denver Affordable Housing Challenge Winners Announced - Denver Affordable Housing Challenge Webinar Series
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. The competition began April 9th with early bird registration and closes September 18th. Winners will be announced December 10that a media… Read more: Denver Affordable Housing Challenge Webinar Series - 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… Read more: Virtual Connect: City of Denver’s New Permitting Process - Denver Affordable Housing Challenge Announces JuryArchitects 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… Read more: Denver Affordable Housing Challenge Announces Jury
- Architects Worldwide Invited to Reimagine Affordable Housing in Denver’s Design ChallengeArchitects 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. April 10, 2025 (DENVER) — The City of Denver, The Colorado Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and Buildner, a… Read more: Architects Worldwide Invited to Reimagine Affordable Housing in Denver’s Design Challenge
- Seats Available on 2 Denver Commissions
Denver Landmark Preservation Commission opening Denver’s Landmark Preservation Commission is seeking a new commissioner to fill an upcoming vacancy this spring. Commissioners shall attend twice-monthly meetings and periodic special meetings to hear and decide requests for: If you’re interested in this position, please review the full list of duties and qualifications, then submit a resume or… Read more: Seats Available on 2 Denver Commissions - Design Elevated: Sustainable Urbanism From Colorado
This past April 27, 2023, AIA Colorado was honored to showcase several of Colorado’s leading designers at Design Elevated: Sustainable Urbanism From Colorado. The event was organized in conjunction with the Cities Summit of the Americas, a convergence of Mayors and Civic Leaders from across the Western Hemisphere, hosted by the US State Department. With… Read more: Design Elevated: Sustainable Urbanism From Colorado - The Case for Union Station Event Recap
On July 14th, the AIA Colorado Regional and Urban Design Knowledge Community hosted a panel event in reaction to the recent negative public discourse surrounding one of Denver’s most trafficked and iconic public spaces, Union Station. The event, called “The Effect of Public Policy Surrounding Design in Contested Public Space: The Case of Denver’s Union… Read more: The Case for Union Station Event Recap