Committees

The purpose of the AIA-GCA-ACECH Committee is to create a better understanding of each other’s roles and concerns in the industry, to foster better relationships between the members of both organizations, and to provide venues of common interest that will bring members of the AIA, GCA, and ACECH together.

AIA/GCA/ACECH Committee Goals

• Determine specific topics and or speakers of interest to AIA, GCA and ACECH members.
• Hold 3–5 events per year, including all aspects of event planning (with assistance from association staff as needed). Event examples include site tours, lunch sessions, topical meetings, etc.

Get Involved
Membership in the AIA/GCA/ACECH committee is open to all members of AIA Honolulu, GCA Hawaii, and ACECH.

The Architecture Month committee, led by the chapter's Vice President, is responsible for organizing our free and low-cost activities planned for the public when celebrating Architecture Month during the month of October. These events highlight the power of good design in making our communities better places to live, work and play and also generate a discussion of design in Hawaii.

Hundreds of island residents and visitors enjoy these architecture and design-related events each year. By elevating awareness of architecture, the public will be inspired by their surroundings on a daily basis.

Architecture Month Committee Goals

• Actively start planning the events in April for October event dates.
• Organize logistics for each event.
• Organize with sister organizations for cross-event planning.
• Recruit volunteers, create fliers and graphics, and coordinate day-of needs, etc.

Architecture Month Events
Architecture month typically includes anywhere from 6–10 AIA Honolulu events, along with a number of co-hosted programs and events that are developed in collaboration with other design-oriented organizations throughout the community. Examples of past Architecture Month events include, but are not limited to:

• PechaKucha Night of Design Presentations
• Architecture Firm Crawl
• Architectural Walking Tour
• Photography Courses
• Film Nights
• Urban Sketchers sketch events
• Young Architects Workshops
• ...and lots more!

Get Involved
The Architecture Month committee consists of AIA Honolulu members and other local design-minded professionals in the community who are interested in taking a role in planning any of the Architecture Month events. The committee chair is the current AIA Honolulu Vice President, and each event that falls during Architecture Month is led by volunteer members.

The ARE Prep (Architectural Exam Preparation) committee serves as a resource, meeting place, and training forum for professionals taking the ARE. Monthly events rotate through the ARE exams.

ARE Prep committee discussion items frequently include subjects such as the financial model of admissions to expenditures, marketing to associate members and students, referrals to potential expert presenters, and format of expert lectures or structured study sessions.

ARE Prep Committee Goals

• Facilitate a greater connection between Emerging Professionals and AIA Honolulu.
• Provide study materials, lectures, and study sessions to use as preparation for the ARE’s.
• Create a supportive community of peers encouraging one another as they progress towards licensure.
• Encourage regular contact and accountability to help Emerging Professionals reach their goals.

Get Involved
Membership in the ARE Prep committee is open to all AIA Honolulu members.

The Architectural Youth Outreach (AYO) Committee is designed to bring exposure to careers in architecture to Hawaii’s students. The mission of the K–12 committee is to encourage students into the field of architecture and design by being a conduit between the K–12 education system and the architectural community.

AYO Committee Goals

• Develop a relationship between the AIA and Hawaii’s K–12 educators.
• Encourage architectural professionals towards ongoing K–12 mentorship.
• Provide mentorship resources to both architecture and education communities.

AYO Committee Actions

• Connect Architects and Educators (K–12)
  • Partner with existing programs to connect with schools, ex: ClimbHI.
  • Match interested design professionals with the needs of the schools: ex: career day.
  • Provide templates for presentations and class activities for teachers and architects.
• Technical Programs (Grades 10–12)
  • Support high school technical curriculum by providing ongoing professional mentorship.
  • AIA involvement may include: Mentorship, In Class Programs, Shadowing and Internship, Firm Tours, Design Competitions.
• Public Events
  • Plan future events to promote Architecture for Hawaii’s youth.
  • Events may include: AIA day camp, youth activities at workshops at existing AIA events, AIA presence at existing school or public industry events.

Get Involved
Membership in the Architectural Youth Outreach Committee is open to all AIA Honolulu members and community partners.

Resources
Check back for updates.

• Guide to a Career in Architecture (PDF)
• Architecture Student Journey (PDF)
• Study Architecture (Web)
• Overview of Architecture PPT (PPT)
• Design Activities: NEXT.cc (Web)
• Video Series with Activities, by AIA Connecticut (Web)
  • 7 (seven) 10 minute videos with associated class discussion and activities.
• KC Center for Architecture and Design Programs (PDF)
• Association of Architectural Organizations Resources (Web)

Aligned Organizations

• Climb Hi (Web)
• Department of Education (Web)
• ACE Mentorship Program of Hawaii (Web)
• Hawaii Workforce Pipeline Inc. (Web)

Canstruction^® is a national benefit competition organized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Society of Design Administration (SDA) and held across the U.S. and Canada. Canstruction^® combines the competitive spirit of a design/build competition with a unique way to help feed our communities.

Locally, competing AIA teams led by architects and allied building professionals showcase their talents by designing sculptures made entirely from canned food. Following build day and a week-long display of the sculptures, all of the canned goods and proceeds are donated to the Hawaii Foodbank.

Canstruction^® Committee Goals

• Develop a theme for each Canstruction^® planning effort.
• Reach out to firms, vendors, and other organizations to participate for a charitable cause.
• Seek sponsors for the Keiki Corner, where children can participate on build day, developed to encourage ‘STEAM’ education and an interest in what architects, engineers, and builders do.
• Facilitate design for team banners, fliers, and any other event graphic needs.
• Enthusiastically promote AIA Honolulu in community service.
• Coordinate the venue, ordering of cans, scheduling of dropoff and pickup, and team assistance for the event alongside partner organizations.
• Staff a Keiki Corner, where children can participate on build day, developed to encourage STEAM education and an interest in what architects, engineers, and builders do.

Click Here to learn more about our previous Canstruction^® years.

Get Involved
Membership in the Canstruction^® Committee is open to all AIA Honolulu members and community partners. The committee generally meets monthly from February through September, with additional meetings as Build Day draws closer. Build Day is typically a Saturday in September, and DeCanstruction is often the Sunday a week following.

The AIA Honolulu Committee on the Environment is a branch of the National Knowledge Community which works for architects, allied professionals, and the public to achieve climate action and climate justice through design. We strive to advance, involve, and educate the building community and the public on best design practices and their effects on the environment.

The Design for Risk and Resiliency subcommittee addresses issues related to post-disaster (i.e., hurricane), social/political (terrorism), economic/financial, human migration, food security, and a host of other factors that will challenge our resiliency.

COTE Goals

• Organize to affect local public policy, stressing the importance of highly efficient buildings, responsible use of resources, and responsiveness to our island environmental and building issues.
• Hold events for education and discussion revolving around sustainable design and practice.
• Engage architects and allied building professionals in issues relating to environmental preservation and provide a resource to encourage environmentally sound design and planning.

Get Involved
All active AIA Honolulu members, including allied members, are welcome to attend our upcoming committee meetings. Go to our web calendar to see when the next one is taking place.

The Design Awards Committee administers the Chapter’s annual Design Awards which recognizes exceptional design work of AIA Honolulu members. In addition to the professional juried and popular choice awards categories, the program also includes the Student Design Awards. The Design Awards encourage public recognition of design excellence as the award winners are published in Hawaii Business Magazine each year. The People's Choice Award engages the public as they vote for their favorite entry. The program serves as one of the larger networking events of the year for the Chapter.

Design Awards Committee Goals

• Determine the requirements for entry and parameters for judging.
• Assemble a panel of jurors for judging of the professional and student categories.
• Assist administrative staff in planning the Awards Banquet/Ceremony to recognize award winners.

History of the AIA Honolulu Design Awards
We have hosted over 60 celebrations in the chapter's history.
Click Here to learn more about the Design Awards winners.

Get Involved
Membership in the Design Awards committee is open to all AIA Honolulu members.

The mission of the EDI (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) Committee is to support AIA Honolulu’s work to create a just design community that represents the unique characteristics of Hawaii in the following ways:

• Create safe space for discourse and emerging thought that expands the public image of architects and the architecture we create representative of the culture and history of Hawaii.
• Bridge thought and conversation on the inequities and challenges in our community by listening and working with all generations of our design community and the people we serve.
• Dismantle systemic barriers and the internalized beliefs they’ve implanted by developing pathways to our profession for underrepresented communities and fostering self-development at all levels within our design community.

Programs

1. Education — Key Program: EDI University
2. Advocacy & Collaboration — Key Program: Leadership Roundtable
3. Evaluation & Action — Key Program: Demographic Survey
4. Committee Operations

EDI University
AIA Honolulu offers EDI University to our members to as a self-paced educational program designed to build our knowledge capacity in the topics of equity in our design practice and profession.

• Curriculum is structured over 12 months with 3 topics released quarterly.
• Participates can choose to self-form groups or engage on your own.
• Monthly meet-ups allow for interactive group discussion.

Racial Justice
AIA Honolulu stands in solidarity with the Black community and the Black Lives Matter movement.

AIA Honolulu commits to inclusive spaces for conversation and education and to utilize our skills and resources to create true equity. We commit to listen to and amplify the voices of Black leadership and the next generation who have historically led revolutionary movements for a better world.

Click here to read AIA Honolulu's and the EDI Committee's Statement of Solidarity and Commitment to Racial Justice.

Get Involved
Membership in the EDI Committee is open to all AIA Honolulu members.

The Emerging Professionals Committee is dedicated to being a voice to express the needs of all emerging professional AIA and Associate AIA members within AIA Honolulu towards career advancement and professional development, working strategically with the various AIA committees and leaders towards steering and developing events and initiatives to serve the unique needs of young professionals. The committee is part of a larger network of EPC’s across the country, as well as the Center for Emerging Professionals, that share and gather knowledge and ideas to benefit local members.

Emerging Professionals Committee Goals

• The EPC is a collective voice for all emerging professionals, especially Associate AIA members, whose numbers continue to grow.
• Work strategically with the chapter Executive, the Young Architects Forum (YAF), the ARE Prep program, the Mentorship Program, and state licensing advisor towards coordinating events and initiatives to serve the unique needs of recent and future architects and practitioners.
• Connects with other EPC’s in AIA chapters around the country to understand, learn from, and continually exchange information on trends, programs, etc. to better help emerging professionals.
• Represents the unique interests of all backgrounds regardless of experience level, race, gender, sexual orientation or physical ability.
• Provides valuable leadership opportunities to members of the committee and those looking to get involved who currently have limited opportunity.

Emerging Professionals Activities

• Pau Hana — After work networking and socializing.
• Firm Tour & Lecture — Firms host a lecture and provide a brief tour of their office.
• Panel Discussion/Workshop — Panelists represent experts within the given subject area and workshops allow hands-on activities or interactive training. Discussion items include (but are not limited to) career advancement, starting a firm, leadership/early career development, career alternatives (within and beyond traditional practice), work/life balance.

Get Involved
Membership in the Emerging Professionals committee is open to all AIA Honolulu members, but primarily geared toward Associate members and Architects licensed less than 10 years.

AIA Young Architects Forum Connection Magazine

What will the world look like in 100 years? How has the profession of architecture evolved to meet the demands of our future communities and climates? See what impact driven initiatives, resources, and personal stories are shared in this edition of Connection Magazine.

The AIA Honolulu General Membership Meetings (GMM) provide an opportunity to bring members together at a regularly scheduled event once a month for fellowship, networking and learning. The meetings provide an avenue to introduce sponsors and new members, recognize Board members, activate new members and announce upcoming events. Monthly membership meetings are generally held on the third Thursday of the month during the lunch hour and provide one (1) AIA/CES LU to members.

GMM Committee Goals

• Create programs to serve the needs of all members, and add value to their of AIA membership.
• Develop a long-term calendar of membership meeting topics for long-term promotion to members.
• Determine and contact presenters for each meeting.
• Work with AIA Honolulu staff for day-of coordination and execution.

Get Involved
Membership in the GMM Committee is open to all AIA Honolulu members.

The AIA Honolulu Mentorship Program was created to provide a formal platform for career and leadership development within the rising generation of the architecture profession. The focus will be on the transition from graduation to professional practice, career trajectories, and development of leadership skills with guidance from a wide range of industry leaders.

Program: 5x5x5 Format

• Five Learning Groups — Each learning group consists of 5 mentees; program comprised of 25 mentees. Program eligibility = Priority given to AIA YAF (licensed ten years or less) and Associate AIA members, open to other individuals getting started from the design, construction, engineering community.
• Five Mentors — Leaders from the building industry.
• Group Coordinators — Facilitate group discussions and are assigned to each of the learning groups. Coordinators are also the point of contact between mentors and mentees.
• Program Cost $50 — Price includes five mentorship sessions and admission to the program Pau Hana.
• Five Meetings Per Year — Learning groups will agree on their own meeting schedule until they have met each of the five mentors.
• Location/Time — The mentorship groups meet at the discretion of the mentor and coordinator.

Mentorship Program Goals

• Establish a continuum of professional relationships and learning among young practitioners and industry leaders.
• Participants will understand and utilize the wide range of services and benefits that AIA provides.
• Create an informal environment where mentees can discuss professional challenges/issues with experienced mentors and learn from/feel supported by their peers.
• Provide mentors a unique opportunity to positively influence an upcoming generation of future leaders.

Get Involved
Membership in the Mentorship sub-committee is open to all AIA Honolulu members.

Interested in being a mentor or mentee?
Each year, our mentees are made up of Associate AIA and AIA YAF (licensed ten years or less) members, and others in the design, construction, and engineering communities with an interest in architecture who would like to further their careers.

Mentors consist of AIA/FAIA members and often Allied members or others in the community who are industry leaders interested in mentoring.

The Walking Tour Committee was developed to support the ongoing program of AIA Honolulu’s Architectural Walking Tours, which focuses primarily on the Capitol District. The group of qualified docents enables AIA Honolulu to offer more tours to the community and visitors and reduces the number of times each committee member needs to lead a tour each year. As a result, AIA Honolulu is able to offer tours consistently throughout the year and hopes to expand the tours to other areas of Honolulu. Additional committee members are welcome.

Walking Tour Committee Goals

• Maintain and update, as needed, the Downtown Architectural Walking Tour Booklet.
• Create and update a working narrative document of talking points for docents.
• Regularly seek out and train additional docents.
• Host monthly walking tours of Downtown Honolulu and Chinatown on a rotating schedule of volunteer docents.
• Organize the Annual Architecture Month Walking Tour.
  • The special tour held once a year during Architecture Month offers insights into the local historical and contemporary architecture. This is typically not the same tour as our regular offering. Past tour locations include: Waikiki, the Capital District, UH Manoa, Kakaako, etc.
  • Committee members begin planning the event in April (for an October date).
  • Walk the sites, establish the route, and coordinate all aspects of the tour.
  • Additional tasks include creating a flyer and graphics, coordinating permissions for site visits, recruiting volunteers, etc.
  • The annual tour typically requires 40 volunteers from the AIA Honolulu membership and other local design-minded professionals to act as docents and tour guides for the event.

Interested in Taking a Tour?
If you're interested in participating in one of the Architectural Walking Tours, click here to visit our main Architectural Walking Tour page with more walking tour facts, what to expect, and links to interesting news articles about the tours.

Click here for our web calendar to view upcoming tours.

Get Involved
The Architectural Walking Tour committee is open to all AIA Honolulu members.