Education: Master of Architecture, University of Massachusetts
Current Firm & Position: Golden Sun Enterprises, AIA Associate, LEED AP BD+C, General Contractor B License
Favorite Project: My master's thesis project on humanity in a children's cancer hospital, which I completed in 2017, continues to hold a special place in my heart. It served as a profound inspiration, driving me to pursue a career that focuses specifically on designing spaces for children, especially those in need, such as hospitals and orphanages. I firmly believe that my purpose in this world is to utilize design as a catalyst for change and to aid children in need. Building upon my academic background and recent work experiences in a construction company, where I was involved in projects related to schools and playgrounds, I have decided to embark on a new journey. Alongside my current job, I am committed to dedicating my efforts to designing spaces for children, aiming to prepare our future creators for a better world through the transformative power of play.
Why I Joined AIAPF: To foster meaningful professional connections, it is essential to actively participate in advocacy efforts, contribute to policy discussions, and make a positive impact within the local community. As a designer, I relish the chance to connect with peers, stay informed about industry trends, and engage in initiatives that shape our profession while benefiting the community.
Education: BA Architecture, Tuskegee University; MDE, Anderson Graduate School of Business, UCLA
Current Firm & Position: Masbuild Design Solutions, Principal
Industry Leadership: Past President, AIA Pasadena & Foothill (2021); Past president, NOMA So. Cal. chapter, et al.
What you really want to know: With 30+ years of experience in the design and construction industry. he has served clients including the US Department of HUD, U.S. Navy; Air Force; the State Department; Caltrans; Los Angeles, Pasadena, Lynwood Unified School Districts; and Mt. Vernon School District (NY).
As a design builder, a licensed architect, and a licensed contractor, Mr. Bryant has worked on projects of various sizes and complexities for private and government agencies providing design solutions to complex and challenging tasks. Most notably, Mr. Bryant served as developer, architect and general contractor for his own 12,500 square foot award-winning commercial office building at 751 N. Fair Oaks Ave. in Pasadena.
Mr. Bryant is an NCARB - certified, licensed architect in California and numerous states
Dedicated to improving the urban landscape, inside and out, Mr. Bryant has provided architectural design service for many non-profit agencies developing homeless shelters and single room occupancy hotels for the elderly and the physically challenged.
Education: BA Architecture, UC Berkeley; MA, Harvard University
Current Firm & Position: DOMM, Principal and Co-founder
Favorite Project: Of all of our projects, the AGBU Innovation Studios distinguishes itself as one of my favorites. Despite working within the stringent spatial limits of a traditional mid-century school building interior, the project was able to create an unexpected, yet practical space. A cross-shaped circulation core with equal sized openings is situated within a larger classroom footprint, creating the 4 discrete, equally sized studio spaces required by the program. Yellow, operable welding curtains transform the circulation core into an otherworldly realm, while also acting as partitions which allow the 4 studios to function independently, or as a singular space for the exhibition of student work..
Why I Joined AIAPF: To work towards elevating the value of Architecture within the community with like-minded individuals.
Current Firm: Xia Structural Engineers
In Brief:
“A skilled person can make bold moves.” (Loose translation of a Chinese proverb, and a guiding thought for Ji Xia)
Focusing on single-family and multi-family residential (often mixed use and podium design) Ji understands the architect is the “agent” of the owner, representing the owner’s needs to the other consultants. A knowledgeable structural engineer sees the bottom line, the building code, materials, carbon footprint, construction. With a deep understanding of code and construction methods, each structural component can be designed with minimum materials waste, directly reducing cost. Ji is highly skilled and actively applies Value Engineering processes in his work. The payoff -- developers are asking architects to use XIA. He’s building a practice with repeat clients.
Why I joined AIAPF: Architects are key players in the build environment and AIAPF is the best place to connect with local architects.
Why I support the JRD Scholarship Fund: As an international student in structural engineering, I pursued my master’s degree in the US. SUNY-Buffalo was the least costly and ranked in the top 30 structural engineering colleges. Money was tight. Now, I am privileged to support students in our industry.
See Xia's portfolio: https://www.xiaengr.com/
Education: B.Sc in Architecture, from RWTH Aachen, Germany; M.Arch, from USC.
Current Firm & Position: Arcadis IBI Group, Project Designer / Living +
In Brief: I think the power of architecture is its ability to so directly shape and improve the world around us.
In my work, I strive for socially-conscious and sustainable design and thus outside of my day-to-day job, I also volunteer as a designer at an architectural nonprofit "Journeyman International", where I can bring this thinking to other parts of the world.
Why i joined AIAPF: At AIA I hope to connect with other like-minded architects who can inspire and guide me.
See the project portfolio: bogdanova.de
Education: Woodbury University
Licensed: Since January, 2018 in the State of California
Current Firm & Position: WET Design, Project Architect / BIM Manager
Bio in Brief: For the majority of my professional career, I have been involved in the design and construction of many Water Features across the globe and have had the opportunity to travel to several countries as a result. My proudest achievement to date is a project called Surreal located at the EXPO 2020 in Dubai. Being an Architect at WET has given me the opportunity to collaborate with various Architectural firms across the globe and being part of several mega-projects has made me quite a stickler for file management, record-keeping and being organized in general. Working at WET as an Architect puts me in the middle of Designers, Product Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Electrical Engineers, Landscape Architects, etc. and I welcome the daily challenges that I am faced with. Besides Water Features, I was involved with the design of office buildings and outdoor shopping malls located in India and was also involved in Institutional projects in Southern California.
Why i joined AIAPF: Word of mouth through Genevieve Enriquez. We both went to Woodbury and she was already part of AIAPF on the Emerging Professionals Committee. At this point, I have done enough ARE and CSE study sessions/lections for AIASF and AIAPF and I am ready to move on to other things.
I have a YouTube channel with travel videos and here's a Highlight Video of my trip to Dubai in Dec, 2021 where you can see my project Surreal > https://youtu.be/YI5UTUyCFgg
A bit about Stacey H. Pray, AIA, ACHA, CASp.
Pray started chasing her architect dream at age 11 after taking an aptitude test in elementary school. The results told her she should be an artist and her parents, wanting to support her ambition yet ensure she chose a stable career path, suggested allied professions, including architecture.
As a long-time member of AIA, we are glad to see her honored with this recognition!
Learn more about Pray's career by clicking here.
1st Vice President / President Elect AIA
It gives me great pleasure to announce that our very own Scott Gauineer has been formally elected to First Vice President, President-Elect to American Institute of Architects California. This is a great achievement for Scott and recognition for all the hard work, devotion, and contributions he has made to the AIA Board of Directors on the local and state level. This is a prestigious honor that deserves to be celebrated. It is also a great honor for our chapter as he is the first of our ranks to achieve this level of success on the state platform. It is my hope that Scott’s example as an architect, a “Citizen Architect”, a community leader, and a devoted outstanding member of our chapter will be an inspiration to us all. Charles T. Bryant, AIA, NOMA, NCARB Principal Architect View Bio
Greg is the Design Principal at GGA+, where he cultivates the firm's design culture and reinforces their mission of doing good with great design.
Principal Greg Kochanowski, AIA with GGA+ Architects
Greg is the Design Principal at GGA+, where he cultivates the firm's design culture and reinforces their mission of doing good with great design. His unique perspective at the intersection of urban design, landscape, and architecture has been instrumental in reshaping the cultural and environmental fabric of Los Angeles. While serving as the current Co-President of the Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urban Design, Greg also enjoys body surfing, drawing, and dreams of opening a pizzeria.
Sylmar Terrace Apartments
Responding to the need for more and better affordable housing for veterans, the Sylmar Terrace Apartments feature four buildings, spanning out of a communal courtyard to give the property a centralized connective space. Every unit showcases the surrounding vistas, daylight and natural ventilation. Locally-inspired materials of stucco, wood, concrete, metal and glass were composed in horizontal and vertical lines to provide scale and definition. Due to the challenging terrain of the hillside site, the project was initially designed to utilize modular construction through use of shipping containers. Ultimately, the project developed as a traditional site-built method, but the spirit of efficiency and repeatability of modular construction remained.
Visit GGA+ Here!
We're pleased to announce that our 2020 Fellowship candidate, Vijay Sehgal, was elevated to fellowship this year. Congratulations, Vijay!
