AIA Southwest Washington

10/15/2026

🎬 SAVE THE DATE | December 3, 2026 ~ 5:00pm - 7:30pm

AIA Southwest Washington is excited to present a special screening of *SITTING STILL, a documentary featuring acclaimed landscape architect Laurie Olin.

Join us at the University of Washington Tacoma for an evening celebrating landscape architecture, creativity, and the public spaces that connect our communities.

📍 UW Tacoma | Carwein Auditorium
📅 Thursday, December 3, 2026 ~ 5:00pm - 7:30pm

Architects, landscape architects, designers, students, and the broader community are welcome!

🎥 Watch the trailer: https://vimeo.com/alejandrofilmtv/sittingstillfulltrailer

More event details and registration information coming soon!

10/15/2026

Last-Minute CEU Opportunity Tomorrow in Olympia!

We have a last-minute CEU opportunity tomorrow in Olympia!

Join us for an AIA SWW Lunch & Learn presented by Green Girt:

Wednesday, September 9 | 12:00–1:00 PM
Mercato Ristorante
111 Market St NE, Olympia

Topic: Selecting Continuous Insulation for Wall Irregularities
1 CEU Offered

Want to attend? If you received the calendar invitation, simply RSVP “Yes” so we know you’re joining us.

Don’t see the calendar invite? No problem! Just email [email protected] and let us know you’d like to attend, and we’ll get you added.

We hope to see you tomorrow!

10/13/2026

https://www.aiasww.org/event-details-registration/vancouver-happy-hour-5

09/17/2026

🍻 **Oktoberfest is back!**

Join Shive-Hattery for an Open House to tour their new Tacoma office, reconnect with familiar faces, and celebrate an exciting new chapter!

2026 has been a big year with the transition from Helix Design Group to Shive-Hattery and a move into a brand-new space. Now it’s time to celebrate — Oktoberfest style! And yes, there will be steins. 🍺

📅 Wednesday, October 14, 2026
⏰ 4:00–7:00 PM
📍 Shive-Hattery
1145 Broadway, Suite 900 | Tacoma

**RSVP by September 30:** https://shive.info/rsvptac

Come tour the new space, enjoy Oktoberfest festivities, and raise a stein to what’s ahead!

It’s time to celebrate! This year has been a big one. We completed our transition from Helix Design Group to Shive-Hattery and moved into a new office. To celebrate, we are bringing back our Oktoberfest party! Join us for an open house to tour the new space, connect with familiar faces, and commem...

09/15/2026

AIA Washington Updates

2026 Civic Design Awards Honor Award Winners
AIA Washington Council has announced its 2026 Civic Design Awards Honor Award winners: Mercer Middle School (Bassetti Architects), recognized for expressing community identity through color and thoughtful design moments, and the Snoqualmie Tribe Child Development Center, honored for its elegant design and sustainable use of affordable materials. These two projects rose to the top among 14 total winners in this year's program, which celebrates design excellence in publicly funded projects across the state. See all 2026 winners here. https://aiawa.org/2026-civic-design-awards/

2026-27 SMR Architects-AIAWA Student Scholarship
The SMR Architects-AIA Washington Council Scholarship supports Washington State students pursuing architecture who come from marginalized and underrepresented communities. Eligible applicants include high schoolers planning to enroll in a technical or community college architecture program, community college students transferring into UW or WSU's architecture program, or first-year architecture majors at UW or WSU. Applicants must have lived in Washington for at least two consecutive years. Full eligibility details and the application are available here. https://aiawa.org/scholarship/

Interior Design Update
AIA Washington Council has been working with our interior design colleagues on a proposed interior design practice act since 2024. After surveying members, our Board's current position is to support a narrower practice act than what's currently proposed, with clearer scope boundaries around nonstructural elements, tighter exclusions, and an explicit exemption for architects and firms. We'll continue negotiating with our interior design colleagues and will share updates as the bill develops.

Newsletter
You can read more about these updates in full detail in our fall newsletter.
https://aiawa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Fall-Advocacy-Newsletter-2026.pdf

09/09/2026

We wanted to share an upcoming event that may be of interest to our Olympia-area members and design community.

DESIGN PART I
Thursday, September 10 | 5:15–7:00 PM
Oly Taproom
312 Columbia St NW, Olympia

Stop by for an evening of design, conversation, and connection with the local community.

No RSVP needed — just show up!

We hope some of our AIA SWW members are able to check it out!

08/26/2026

AIA Southwest Washington is excited to welcome Humboldt Sawmill as our newest Platinum Allied Member!

Our Allied Members are an important part of the AIA SWW community, supporting our programs, events, education, advocacy, and opportunities to bring the AIA SWW community together.

We are incredibly grateful for Humboldt Sawmill’s generous support and commitment to our chapter and look forward to a great year of partnership and connection!

Please join us in giving Humboldt Sawmill a warm AIA SWW welcome!

08/12/2026

Happy Hour Today! https://www.aiasww.org/event-details-registration/wid-in-person-meet-up

08/12/2026

https://www.aiasww.org/event-details-registration/wid-in-person-meet-up

08/11/2026

Last week's Happy Hour at 7 Seas Brewing in Tacoma was a fantastic way to connect with colleagues, welcome new faces, and enjoy an evening of great conversations.

Thank you to everyone who joined us! Events like these are a reminder that some of the best professional connections happen outside the office.

Thank you to Shive-Hattery for Sponsoring!

We look forward to seeing you at our next Happy Hour on 8/12 at Loyal Legion in Vancouver!