// AIA California, Working for You
Hello.
We know AIA is an organization that requires significant commitment of time, money, and attention. There are likely many reasons you belong, but many members join for networking opportunities, peer-to-peer relationships that ultimately for firm principals, or sole proprietors, can result in new clients. Are you looking for ways to get in front of the right clients without having to do it all on your own?
After the Los Angeles wildfires in 2025, AIA California created a platform – Architect Connect – to connect the public, who needed help, with professionals to rebuild their homes and community. After launching it at the end of summer 2025, AIA California dedicated resources to push it out via social media ads to individuals whose demographics and locations matched those who might have lost their homes, reaching 45,000.
(If you’re interested to see one of the videos featuring your colleagues that we ran related to fire recovery, and, in particular, Architect Connect, you can see it here. In the aftermath of the fires, AIA California also ran ads that simply provided actionable information to those who might have lost their homes—helpful to the public and also demonstrating the value of architects.)
Now we’re expanding the reach of Architect Connect statewide! We want to extend our efforts to bridge the gap between architects/design professionals, and homeowners in a way that directly strengthens your businesses and visibility in your community! This streamlined pathway for homeowners to find and engage qualified professionals, helps you generate new leads, build meaningful client relationships, and ultimately improve your bottom line. It also serves as a stage to showcase the diverse, innovative work being produced across California, giving the profession an opportunity to celebrate projects and demonstrate the value of thoughtful design to a broader audience.
To date we have over 120 firms with listings on Architect Connect – we’ve been receiving positive feedback from users about the format and ease of use.
Create your firm’s presence on Architect Connect by starting here. One suggestion, have project images ready prior to building your listing: up to 10 images in webp format, 1200 pixels on the longest side, at 72 dpi.
Once we reach “critical mass”, we’ll launch a digital media advertising campaign in all local AIA chapters – watch for it later this summer.
This two-sided approach—helping you grow your business while also shining a light on great design—captures what AIA California is all about: supporting members and showing how much architecture shapes communities across the state. Tools like Architect Connect gives you one more to showcase the great work in our state; it’s a simple way to build visibility, make new connections, and keep a steady flow of potential projects coming in. I am excited to share this new way AIA California is Working for You.
Nicki
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Nicki Dennis Stephens, Hon. AIA, LEED Green Assoc.
Executive Vice President
The American Institute of Architects California
1931 H Street Sacramento, CA 95811
phone: (916) 642-1707 | web: http://www.aiacalifornia.org
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