The Soul of Sacramento, “What is it? Where is it? Let’s find it and celebrate it”. Facilitators: Kim Alexander of California Voter Foundation, Saxon Sigerson, AIA, Jason Silva, AIA and David Sarti, AIA. Sacramento is a place where people enjoy a unique quality of life – our goal is to create a resource to help people find what it is about our city that makes it such an enjoyable place to live? In an effort to create this resource we will be engaging event participants in a lively, interactive discussion, asking for your thoughts and feelings around a series of questions. Sample questions: • Where are the lovely courtyards? • Where is your favorite alley? • Which street might you walk do

New for 2012!!  Soul of the City is an engaging dialogue series between the public and the design profession on issues of importance to the community and the region with focus on improving communication, understanding and collaboration (formerly known as the 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue series).  Organized by the AIA Central Valley Chapter and the ASLA California Sierra Chapter, the dialogues are listed below for the year and the topics have come directly from the public and the profession from one of our dialogues last year.  We look forward to seeing everyone again this year for some engaging conversation!  See you at the first dialogue on February 29th, where we will kick-off the serie

Please join us on Wednesday evening, September 28th at 5:45pm at the AIA Central Valley Chapter office for this month’s 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue (4WDD). Encouraging community design excellence through the recognition of projects that exhibit Smart Growth principles in planning design and development actions. The Smart Growth Leadership Recognition Program seeks to encourage and promote those projects. How can this program be a benefit to your community and city? Find out at this month’s 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue presented by Bruce Monighan, AIA. For more information on the Smart Growth Leadership Program follow the link below. http://www.aiacv.org/resources/smart-growth/ Click he

Please join us on Wednesday evening, July 27th beginning at 5:45pm at the AIA Central Valley Chapter office for the this month's 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue (4WDD). LPAS Architecture + Design will be talking about their design and experiences with the Vegetative Green Roof at their newly constructed California State Lottery Headquarters. Curtis Owyang, Brady Smith and Dave Cubberly from LPAS will be giving the presentation and answering questions about the project and the first green roof of its kind in Sacramento. The California State Lottery Headquarters is LEED Gold Registered. Click here for the flyer. The event is FREE and open to anyone. Refreshments provided. Please RSVP to info@

Please join us on Wednesday evening, May 25th beginning at 5:45pm at the AIA Central Valley Chapter office for the this month’s 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue (4WDD). Gus Fischer, Architect and Partner with Dreyfuss & Blackford Architects will present their project, The California Independent System Operator (CA ISO) Headquarters facility. Gus will discuss how they are achieving LEED Platinum and its impact on the culture and community. This secure 275,000 SF complex on a 27 acre site is a consolidation of the organization’s operations, offices and public education components and just completed construction. The event is FREE and open to anyone. Refreshments provided. Please RSVP to info@

How can we design ‘greener’ landscapes in Sacramento?  With the growing focus on water conservation, responsible use of resources, and the impacts of the built environment on human health and well-being, the conversation about what makes a site design ‘green’ is being elevated to a higher level. From pre-design and planning through construction and operations, a new rating system, dubbed ‘SITES’, has been developed which sets the bar for what we can do to design more sustainable places.  Developed to be incorporated into future versions of the USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, SITES is currently in its pilot project phase.  Please join us on Wed

A special screening of the documentary Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman will be held at the Crocker Art Museum on Thursday, April 7, 2011 at 7:00 PM. This film celebrates the life and career of Julius Shulman, whose photographs brought modern architecture and progressive architects into American mainstream. Director Eric Bricker will introduce the film and lead a post-screening discussion. Anyone with an interest in Modernism, photography, architecture, and design should enjoy this film. Part of Crocker Art Museum's Film Frame series during "Thursdays 'til 9", Visual Acoustics is being presented in collaboration with SacMod -- an organization dedicated to promoting, prese

In the residential sector, a building that produces as much energy as it consumes, or a Net Zero Energy (NZE) Building, is increasingly technologically viable. Yet, to achieve true scalability, these high-quality, efficient and architecturally advanced buildings must be coupled with affordability. Please join us on Wednesday Evening, Feb 23th beginning at 5:45PM at the AIACV Chapter Office for this month’s 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue (4WDD) where Shilpa Sankaran and Taeko Takagi of ZETA Communities will discuss an innovative approach to achieving affordability with offsite precision-building. The team will also present project case studies and live energy performance tracked by the DOE

AIACV / UDA Present: Open Design Dialogue   What does the future of Architectural Design hold for our City? This is an open discussion about the role that architecture and design plays in our regions post-recession rebound.   Free Admission Wednesday, Oct. 27th Doors open at 5:30pm Program from 6:00-7:30pm AIA Central Valley Chapter Office 1400 S Street (Enter on 14th Street)  

Please join us once again for this month’s Fourth Wednesday Design Dialogue (FWDD) as we discuss Original Projects with Nathan Wieler. Nathan Wieler, originator of projects like the Dwell Home, Modern Birdhouses, The Greenbelt House, Harvest Farm Community, Development Supported Agriculture, and Zoom Culture talks about the stories behind each project, along with lessons learned and applied to his new collaborative venture Original Projects. Topic: “Original Projects” Date: Wednesday, August 25th Time: 5:45 – 7:30 PM Location: AIACV Chapter Office – Gallery, 1400 S Street (please enter on 14th Street) Info: Free Admisson Please click on the link to view the flyer    

Please join us once again for this month’s Fourth Wednesday Design Dialogue (FWDD) as we discuss the Aspen Project with Randy Sater of Teichert Land Co. Topic: “Aspen Project” Date: Wednesday, July 28th Time: 5:30 – 7:30 PM Location: AIACV Chapter Office – Gallery, 1400 S Street (please enter on 14th Street) Info: Free Admisson Please click on the link to view the flyer

At the next 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue, City of Sacramento Senior Planner – Jim McDonald will be reviewing the City’s General Plan, comparing the 1988 version and it’s evolution into the 2030 General Plan. Jim will also be discussing the implementation of the Blueprint, creation of neighborhoods, recognition of urban design, support for transit and complete streets policies. Additionally, we will review a number of the City’s key implementation tools, including: Pedestrian Friendly Street Standards, Pedestrian & Bicycle Master Plans, the City’s Revised Level of Service Policy and the Shovel Ready Development Program. Presenter: Jim McDonald – Senior Planner, City of Sacramento Topic

Please join Urban Design Alliance for our 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue, May 26th from 6-7:30pm, to discuss current development projects along Sacramento Riverfront.   Featured guest include staff from the City of Sacramento (Rachel Hazlewood and Beth Tincher), the City of West Sacramento (Katy Jacobson) and local historian William Burg.  This dialogue will provide a historical context for past landuses and activities on the riverfront and how they relate to redevelopment today.  Speakers will also discuss opportunities and challenges to riverfront development.  Topic: On The Riverfront: Exploring Sacramento’s Evolving Riverfront Presenters: William Burg, Rachel Hazlewood and Beth Tinch

Please join us once again for this month’s Fourth Wednesday Design Dialogue (FWDD) as we explore the American Suburbs with Sacramento Architect, and recent TEDx Sacramento presenter David Mogavero: Experimental design may not seem appropriate for Sacramento’s Central City, but the unique set of constraints existing in a less-urban fabric is an ideal setting. Among Sacramento’s suburbs exist great opportunities, where the outcome has the potential for huge impacts on the region. It’s here that design challenges and a convergence of cultures are giving way to a unique new paradigm. Reduced traffic congestion and access to affordable housing are just a few of the results when we explore th

Join hosts Saxon Sigerson, AIA Arturo Levenfeld, AIA and Kris Barkley, AIA for a casual evening of design presentations and discussion centered around three examples of negative space: The Piazza San Marco in Venice; the open plaza at the Salk Institute; and Pershing Square in Los Angeles.   This topic is relevant as the City of Sacramento will soon be issuing an open design competition for recreating Capitol Mall. As the mall is the most prominent “negative” space in Sacramento it is important to achieve success with whatever solution is finally implemented.   The evening’s emphasis will be an open forum discussion of design as it relates to solutions for disparate negative spaces. Wh

Urban Design, and more specifically infill design, has become one of the most desired types of development in the central city and surrounding residential neighborhoods. With continued concerns about the city's design review process, lack of neighborhood support and a host of other issues, architects often find it challenging to fully expressing themselves through their architecture. After living and practicing architecture in Sacramento for several years, David Sarti of Flex Architecture will reframe this discussion, focusing on his "Little Red House" and discussing the opportunities created by building small, asking the question: "Why is Sacramento so slow to embrace modern Architecture

The Urban Design Alliance has invited Howard Chan, the City of Sacramento’s Parking Services Manager, to speak about the Central City Parking Master Plan Update at it's monthly Design Dialogue. Parking is a significant component of any urban development project and impacts the quality of urban spaces. Please join us for an interesting conversation with Howard Chan. Topic: The Central City Parking Master Plan Update Presenter: Howard Chan, City of Sacramento, Parking Services Manager When: Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 at 5:45pm Where: AIA Conference Room, 1400 S Street (enter from 14th Street; accessible)   Howard’s talk will cover: Central City Parking Master Plan Update *Backgro

Parking is a significant component of any urban development project and impacts the quality of urban spaces. Please join us for a conversation with Howard Chan, the City of Sacramento’s Parking Services Manager, who will speak about the Central City Parking Master Plan Update. Howard’s talk will cover: *Central City Parking Master Plan Update *Background *Supply and Demand Analysis *Efficiency Gains through use of Technology *Planning Policy Revisions *Economic Development Implications Topic: The Central City Parking Master Plan Update Presenter: Howard Chan, City of Sacramento, Parking Services Manager When: Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 at 5:45pm Where: AIA Conference Room,

4th Wednesday Design Dialogue (FWDD) WHEN: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 ... 6-7:30 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.) WHERE: AIA Conference Room, 1400 S Street (enter from 14th Street; accessible) PRESENTER: Matthew Piner, Owner/Principal, PinerWorks Architectural & Building Group TOPIC: Integrating Climate + Form: A Valley City in Paradise ... please see attached flyer and feel free to post it in your workplace, if such posting is authorized. PROGRAM DETAILS: How do designers' and builders' responses to climate become elements of architectural form and style? Sacramento architect and green builder Matt Piner will discuss examples from local, global, and historical perspectives on certain

Join hosts Saxon Sigerson, AIA, Arturo Levenfeld, AIA, and Kris Barkley, AIA, for a casual evening of design presentations and discussion centered around three architecturally significant contemporary buildings. As a follow-up to the first Design Forum in August we will be exploring different facets of contemporary architecture by comparing three significantly different buildings: St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco; Our Lady of Angels Cathedral in Los Angeles and the Seattle Public Library. The evening’s emphasis will be an open forum discussion of design as it relates to context and program by exploring the architect’s design solutions. Are these projects timeless in nature? Do the