Chair

Brendan Townes Bailey, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, LFA

Brendan, a registered architect with over a decade of experience, is dedicated to advancing sustainable design in architecture. Specializing in Multi-Family, Mixed-Use, Creative Office, Emergency Response, and Transit-Oriented Development, he has expertise in Healthy Materials, Biophilic Design, and Coastal Sustainability. Brendan holds key accreditations—LEED AP BD+C, Living Future, and EcoDistricts—alongside a Healthier Materials certificate from Parsons School of Design. His practical experience includes impactful design research as a graduate assistant for LSU’s Coastal Sustainability Studio, focusing on post-disaster rebuilding of communities in Southeastern Louisiana affected by inland flood events, emphasizing resilience, health, and well-being. With a BEnvD from the University of Colorado Boulder and an MArch from Louisiana State University, Brendan believes in advancing the AEC industry through volunteerism, demonstrated by his service as this year’s AIA LA COTE Committee Vice Chair. He also contributes to subcommittees on climate action (AIA CA Climate Action Advocacy), and green schools (USGBC Green in Schools), and is a thought leader at Johnson Fain’s Sustainability + Resilience Lab.

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Vice Chair

Casey Castor, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP BD+C

Casey Castor is the Director of Sustainability at Practice LA, where he has spent nearly a decade advancing sustainable design in projects across the greater Los Angeles area. With expertise spanning K-12 schools, civic projects, and affordable housing developments, he integrates building science analysis into every phase of project development. His academic foundation includes an undergraduate degree in architectural design and a master’s in building science from USC, which has shaped his metrics-driven approach to sustainable design. Casey’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond his professional work. He co-founded Mack Research, where their team is developing an innovative vertical wall wind technology for energy generation that is currently in R+D. He also collaborates with local community groups and engages the next generation of architects and engineers through university lectures on building science and decarbonization. As incoming Vice-Chair of the AIA|LA Committee on the Environment (COTE), Casey brings his passion for environmental stewardship to the forefront. COTE advocates for design practices that harmonize built and natural systems while enhancing environmental performance. In this role, Casey works with architects, educators, and policymakers to integrate sustainability into architectural practice, foster dialogue, and develop innovative strategies.

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Past Chair

Tommy Zandi, AIA 

Tahmores “Tommy” Zandi, with over two decades of experience in the field, has honed his expertise as a technical architect dedicated to decarbonizing the built environment. In SOM’s LA Studio, Tommy is a champion for the firm’s various sustainability initiatives, including the AIA 2030 Commitment –an industry-wide action plan to reach carbon neutrality by 2030. On each project, he seeks to make it the most environmentally responsible version of itself. Tommy’s recently completed projects include the new LAX Airport Police Facility and University of California Santa Barbara San Joaquin Apartments, both projects in which passive strategies improved building performance. Currently, amongst other assignments he is leading the technical design for a major film studio on Toronto’s waterfront.

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