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THE HUMAN BEHIND THE ARCHITECT
April 25 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm PDT
Free
AIA|LA & SoCal NOMA Present…
THE HUMAN BEHIND THE ARCHITECT: Series Kick-off
Stories have been used to share learning and knowledge for thousands of years. A good story engages our curiosity, emotions, and imagination. Stories take many forms, but they usually have some elements in common. Rather than a list of dry facts, stories have a narrative or sequence that introduces people or characters.
AIA|LA & SoCal NOMA J.E.D.I. committee invites you to join “The Human Behind the Architect” series to listen to the journey of four local architects. This is not an architectural conversation. Speakers will dive deeper into their journey telling us the challenges that made them the person who they are today.
We respond to stories, particularly when there is emotional detail, and remember information given in story form much more vividly. The mission of the J.E.D.I. Committee is to advance issues of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in the architecture industry, and these anecdotes are foundational as we weave the fibers of all of our stories to build the fabric of our field.
Why attend?
- Connect with the human side of architecture.
- Discover the stories behind the cityscapes you know.
- Gain a deeper appreciation for the design process.
- Be inspired by the journeys of fellow creatives.
MODERATED BY:
Breana Weaver joined PCL Construction – California Buildings as assistant manager of diversity & inclusion in March 2021. In this role, Weaver manages the ambitious community outreach, workforce development, and local hire initiatives for Destination Crenshaw, a 1.3-mile-long outdoor museum along Crenshaw Boulevard celebrating Black culture in Los Angeles. A South LA native, born and raised in the Crenshaw district, Breana is passionate about holistic approaches to addressing industry-wide challenges such as a lack of diversity and workforce shortages, while creating equitable access to high-paying construction careers. Weaver also manages DEI strategy for PCL’s $1 billion California Buildings District and serves as an advisor for companywide initiatives.
Before coming to PCL, Weaver served Council District 8 for five years as a member of City Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson’s team as senior jobs and legislative deputy and chair of the City’s Targeted Local Hire Task Force. Additionally, she drove the development of key policy issues and legislation related to economic development, housing, and public safety. She is also an alumnus of the Coro Fellowship for Public Policy, an intensive nine-month leadership development program where she gained cross-sector training and experience through a rotation of placements that included Northrup Grumman, LA Metro, Yellow Cab, and a campaign for state senate.
With professional experience in both the private and public sectors, Weaver believes strongly in the power of collaborative initiatives that incorporate both business and community interests.
SPEAKERS:
As design principal, Adaeze provides design leadership for projects in HOK’s Los Angeles studio. She is a member of the firm’s board of directors and design board.
Adaeze brings over two decades of experience as an innovative, successful and dedicated design professional. Her award-winning designs have been recognized and praised by various design publications. She held positions in San Francisco and Dallas before relocating to Los Angeles in 2013.
Adaeze is an active speaker, a mentor to individuals and groups, serves as a juror and is a member of the USC Architecture Guild Board. Her industry involvement extends to the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Southern California chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (SoCal NOMA) and the Urban Land Institute (ULI).
Michael H. Anderson, AIA, NOMA – Principal, Anderson Barker, Inc.
Michael, a distinguished architect, author, and visionary, leads the Accelerated Housing and Transit Development (AHTD) Project, an extensive initiative aimed at revitalizing underserved communities across Los Angeles County. This transformative project involves pursuing Climate Funding to convert BIPOC single-family homes into fourplexes, providing a home for families and creating three income-generating units for additional family members. Spanning 24 Metro transit stations, the project includes infrastructure enhancements and has received positive feedback from the Secretary’s Office at the U.S. Department of Transportation.
With a notable 45-year career in economic development, Michael is a registered architect specializing in transit, aviation, schools, urban design, and redevelopment projects. His notable accomplishments include the LA Clippers Intuit Dome Plaza and Buildings, Metro MLK Jr. Transit Station in Compton, Charles R. Drew University Grand Entrance Plaza, and LAX Terminal 9. Committed to enhancing the quality of life for all community members, Michael is also an accomplished author, having authored “Urban Magic – Vibrant Black and Brown Communities Are Possible” and the “Metro Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor – Joint Development Study.”
Over the past three years, Michael and his team of partners and project consultants have consistently delivered award-winning designs. Particularly, Anderson Barker, the affiliated architecture firm for the Intuit Dome, received the prestigious 2022 Architizer A+ Jury Award. Concurrently, Anderson Barker was recognized with the AIA/LA Next LA Award for their outstanding design of the King Solomon Village Homeless Shelter in the same year.
Cory Henry is a practitioner and educator based in Los Angeles. The son of Jamaican immigrants and raised in The Bronx, he founded the eponymous interdisciplinary design studio, Atelier Cory Henry. Cory Henry’s approach to design integrates research and socially conscious ideals to create poetic contextually driven design solutions. His work ranges in scale and type, with a portfolio that expands several continents. He is a MacDowell – the US preeminent artist residency program – was awarded a Bogliasco Foundation Fellowship – which is awarded to gifted individuals working in all the disciplines of the Arts and Humanities – has been recognized by NCARB as an emerging force in the field, and won the US National Emerging Architect OnOlive contemporary housing competition.
In academia, Cory Henry holds esteemed positions. Presently, he serves as the Ruth & Norman Moore Visiting Professor at Washington University in St. Louis and holds a recurring teaching role as a Visiting Design Professor at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. Additionally, he has twice been honored as a KEA Distinguished Professor by the University of Maryland School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. His teaching experience extends to institutions like the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design, Syracuse University, Penn State University, and the University of Southern California.
Cory holds a B.Arch. from Drexel University, studied at SCI-Arc, and has a M.Arch. from Cornell.
COMMITTEE CHAIR:
Arman Massahi, AIA – Project Architect, KFA Architecture
Arman attended Azad University of Tabriz where he earned a Bachelor of Architectural Engineering degree. In 2011, he ventured out to Los Angeles where he graduated with a Master of Architecture degree from SCI-Arc. Arman’s vast range of knowledge and experience in the design and development of single-family homes, multi-family projects, and mixed-use commercial developments. His experience in designing projects in Los Angeles for the past ten years has driven him to become an architect with a deep knowledge of structural design and building systems. Arman enjoys hiking and camping on all the California area trails, as well as riding his bike along the Pacific Ocean. He currently works as a project architect for KFA Architects.
HOSTED BY:
The J.E.D.I. Committee is a collaboration between AIA|LA & SoCal NOMA.
