Please join us in welcoming Melissa to AIA Seattle + Seattle Design Festival! We are excited to be working alongside Melissa, as we navigate a “new normal” in our region and profession. Melissa K. Neher comes to our organizations most recently from her role as Executive Director of Architects Without Borders Seattle, an organization formed by a dedicated group of volunteers who came together under the umbrella of AIA to provide access to design to underserved communities. Read full bio and message here.

SPARC’s Ask an Architect | September 25

AADU’s Career Ladder Webinar | September 29

CAE’s Mass Timber in Schools | September 29

And check out our events calendar for committee meetings and other upcoming events.

Climate Advocacy Action is back, and this time we’re taking on the King County energy code update. If you live anywhere in King County, sign up to meet with your County Councilmember about sustainability in the built environment. Join us October 12 for the Kick-off Webinar where we will supply necessary info to successfully meet with your Councilmember. Meetings with Council members will occur sometime in October-November (specifics TBD). More info here.

AIA Seattle + Seattle Design Festival is pleased to present this slate of accomplished members to fill open seats on our Board of Directors beginning September 1, 2021. Please join us in welcoming: Cory Hitzemann, Heather Pogue AIA, Marijana Misic AIA, Matt Hutchins AIA, Michele Hill AIA, Nicole DeNamur Hon. AIA, Sheryl Cababa, Stacey Crumbaker IIDA, and Vicki Ha AIA. We are deeply grateful for the enormous energy and effort our board members and other volunteer leaders devote to our organization.

This month in advocacy: getting serious about replacing the B&O; renaming single family zones; proposed Design Review changes; AIA’s Housing Policy Statement; Seattle Budget School, and more! You can find the full September 2021 Advocacy Update here.

Join AIA Seattle’s Public Policy Board for  Seattle Housing Update | October 26

AIA Northwest Washington (NWW) serves our members in North Puget Sound, supporting and promoting the design profession through educational programs and other activities. Check here for their latest updates.

AIA NW WA Design Awards Live Event | October 7

As AIA Seattle reflects on our pursuit of racial justice, we are committing to a process of transparency in what measurable actions we are taking. As a member-led organization, we are establishing this evolving list for the sake of mutual accountability — so you may see what we are doing, and tell us where we should be moving in the future.

We know there is hard work to be done to achieve Racial Justice. We’ve compiled an evolving list of Racial Justice Resources. we’ve found helpful in this work.

AIA Seattle believes our world needs the visionary and integrative thinking of architects and designers, and that design solutions can positively impact our communities. Guided by our values of excellence, advocacy, integrity, equity, stewardship, and collaboration, we prepare our profession to lead, and deploy design to make a difference, so that we are all able to do our best work in a culture of design that fosters equitable, resilient, thriving communities. Read about the planning process, member feedback and our mission, vision, values in our strategic plan.