AIA Phoenix Metro

There is still time to assemble and submit an entry for the 2026 AIA Arizona Design Awards! The final extended deadline - with additional fees in most categories - is July 30.

Begin your entry here: https://arizonaaia.submittable.com/submit

✨July 30: Final Extended Deadline
✨November 14: Awards Gala at Heard Museum in Phoenix

Multiple categories are available for entries honoring both the projects and people of the AIA Arizona architecture community.

Visit the awards entry portal here: https://arizonaaia.submittable.com/submit to begin your entry, to learn more about each category, and to access and download the awards guide PDF.

All are welcome for a dynamic panel discussion with local architects leading the way in civic engagement and advocacy. Featuring AIA members who serve in civic roles across area municipalities, the session highlights real-world lessons on how architects can influence planning, development, and policy decisions that shape communities. Attendees will also hear from the City of Phoenix on the latest updates to the General Plan Land-Use Map and what it means for our region.

Moderated by AIA Arizona Representative on Policy and Government Affairs Committee Chair Christian Solorio, AIA, NOMA, panelists will include:

Katherine Dudzik Smith, AIA, Former AIA Arizona Government Affairs Committee Chair & Former AIA Phoenix Metro Advocacy Committee Chair

Maurita N. Harris, AIA, Member of the Mayor's Commission on Disability Issues & City of Phoenix Alhambra Village Planning Committee Member

Shawn Swisher, AIA, LEED AP, Chair of the City of Tempe Sustainability & Resilience Commission

This is a great opportunity to discover how to take action, engage in public processes, elevate your voice, and shape healthier, safer, more resilient communities.

Tuesday, August 4
5:30PM - Reception
6:00PM - Panel Discussion + Q&A

Attendees will receive 1.0 HSW LU from AIA. Free to attend for all AIA members (Architect, Associate, Allied). $10 for non-members. Please register in advance here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/citizen-architect-a-local-advocacy-panel-discussion-tickets-1993550198308?aff=oddtdtcreator

All are welcome to an inspiring evening of practice, craft, and connection hosted by the AIA Arizona Small Firm Exchange (SFx) on Thursday, July 23. This session will bring the SFx community inside the office of Holly Street Studio for a candid look at what it takes not just to launch a practice, but to sustain a resilient business and a lasting architectural studio. Holly Street Studio principal Diane R. Jacobs, FAIA, will share the firm’s story from early visioning through shifting economic cycles and the realities of running a design-driven small practice.

Following the featured conversation, attendees will break into small groups of four to six to trade strategies, challenges, and lessons learned of their own.

Featured presenter and small group facilitators include:
Diane R. Jacobs, FAIA, Founding Principal at Holly Street Studio
Taz Khatri, AIA, Principal at Taz Khatri Studios
Ryan Short, AIA, Principal at Cotton Architecture + Design, llc
Cassandra Updike, AIA, Principal at Cornerstone Architecture

Attendees will receive 1.0 LU from AIA.
Free for all AIA Members (Architect, Associate & Allied). $10 for Non-Members. Please RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sustaining-a-design-driven-small-practice-an-aia-arizona-sfx-event-tickets-1992381843728

All are welcome to an evening reception for alumni of all Arizona schools of architecture as well as Arizona-based architecture professionals. Connect and network with your Arizona peers on the first night of AIA26 in San Diego.

Thank you to the Design School at ASU and University of Arizona CAPLA for co-hosting this reception! AIA Arizona is pleased to sponsor.

When: Wednesday, June 10 from 5pm to 7pm
Where: Knotty Barrel, 844 Market Street, San Diego

The reception is free to attend, but advance registration is requested for all attendees. RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/arizona-alumni-and-professional-reception-at-aia26-tickets-1986784125803