"Curious about the design process? Ever want to know what an architect does, but didn't have the opportunity to chat with one? Here is your chance. The diverse member firms of the American Institute of Architects are opening their doors to the general public for a casual open house night. Review the list of participating firms and stop by anytime between 5 and 8 pm, no fee and registration required. Meet and talk with architects, see their work spaces, models current work and past projects." Architects throughout the region are opening their doors for YOU!! When: Friday, October 26th  5:00pm to 8:00pm Where: Architecture firms throughout the region.  Click here for a list of participati

Join us this Wednesday for the next Soul of the City: How to Balance Old with the New as part of the AIACV Architecture Festival happening now.  Facilitators for this dialogue will be Bruce Monighan, AIA and Craig Hausman, AIA. As we look for ways to make out cities more sustainable we have many tools available and one of the best of those is to use infill of existing lots and to increase unit density and/or site coverage. Infill brings with it new challenges as higher densities, increased square foot per square foot of site, the use of sustainable materials and sustainable design theories are often expressed differently than in older buildings. Existing neighborhoods are typically a mi

Please join us for the next Soul of the City diagloue on Urban Agriculture, which is a part of the AIACV Region Architecture Festival going on now! As we all know, the best restaurants in town have long preferred local source food, and the public appetite for it has increased steadily. This program will address the full spectrum of urban agriculture, from edible front yards to urban farming community gardens. Bill Maynard, Community Garden Program Coordinator for the City of Sacramento; Claire Napawan, Assistant Professor of Landscape Architect at UC Davis; and Marq Truscott, FASLA a local landscape architect will facilitate the discussion. The discussion is part of the AIACV Chapter's

Soul of the City is back for another great community discussion. The next dialogue is Wednesday, June 27th and focuses on “Street Food in the City”--- an engaging dialogue on food trucks and their impact on the Sacramento Area. Where are the food deserts in the area? Can food pods revitalize a community and if so, where should they be? What are the current city codes on food trucks and how are food trucks affected by them? Where should food trucks park or not park? What are other cities doing with food trucks and pods that make them successful? These are just a few of the questions that will be discussed and mapped in an interactive environment. This dialogue will be a little different

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