AIA California Desert Chapter

Please join us for this 2nd Annual College of the Desert AIA Architecture Scholarship event! Save the date, May 14 Thursday 1PM At College of the Desert, Room 105, Applied Sciences Building

Also excited to welcome Donald James Ruthroff to AIA California Desert. A founding principal of Design Story Spaces, Donald brings a unique voice centered on storytelling, creativity, and thoughtful problem-solving. His work reflects a strong commitment to design excellence, industry leadership, and advancing DEI in the profession. Great to see our chapter continue to grow with diverse perspectives and professionals expanding their presence in the desert.

Welcome Our New Members 👋 We’re excited to welcome a diverse group of new members to the AIA California Desert Chapter community. Happy to see our membership expanding with professionals from outside firms who are choosing to live here and bring their presence to the desert. • Gary Retel — Principal at DLR Group (Los Angeles) • Philip C. Rubin, Assoc. AIA — Principal at Corey Design Studio (Palm Springs) • Liam Hoang, AIA, NCARB — Architect at CRB (Los Angeles)/ Melojo Studio, Palm Springs, CA • Orelio Martinez, Assoc. AIA, NCARB — Veritas Drafting LLC (Palm Springs) Looking forward to seeing you at upcoming events—especially a Thirsty Thursday 🍻!! #AIACaliforniaDesert #NewMembers #ArchitectureCommunity #DesertDesign #SmallButMighty

Thirsty Thursday! April 23, 2026, 6pm at La Tablita, 68369 E Palm Canyon Dr, Cathedral City, CA 92234 Come see old friends and make new ones. No reservations required. No host bar.

😊 That's a wrap on our Saturday @aia_cdc Yucca adventure. Thank you to @exploringeric and @nader_ghassemlou for organizing. Great stops along the way... @joshuatreeretreatcenter @desertchristpark @project.nosotros @thecopperroom1957 . Thanks to all who joined us - it was our biggest field trip! Welcome to @codarchitectureclub students! Stay tuned for next events! 🌟

I’m excited to be co-organizing an upcoming hi-dez architecture tour on March 28, 2026! Partnering with @aia_cdc & @terrain_la , we’ll be touring some sacred and historic sites in Yucca Valley & Joshua Tree: 1pm - @joshuatreeretreatcenter 2pm - @desertchristpark 3pm - @nosotrospace 4pm - @thecopperroom1957 Check out the full itinerary and sign up for tix at the link in bio!

AIA CDC Yucca Valley Tour, March 28 2026, starting 1PM at Historic Institute of Mentalphysics aka Joshua Tree Retreat Center, designed by #lloydwright, with introduction by K. Ben Loescher AIA ICC LEED AP. @houseofmud Tickets available at

CONGRATULATIONS!! Lance O’Donnell, FAIA We are proud to share that our AIA California Desert Chapter Board Member and Past President, Lance O’Donnell, FAIA, has been elevated to a Fellow AIA Member (FAIA), by the AIA College of Fellows; one of the highest honors awarded by the American Institute of Architects. This prestigious distinction recognizes architects who have made significant contributions to the profession and society, demonstrating excellence and leadership on a national level. Lance’s elevation was awarded under Object One – Design Subcategory, granted to architects who have produced an extensive body of distinguished work that has been broadly recognized for its design excellence by peers, the media, and through publications. It is especially meaningful to recognize that Lance is the first Coachella Valley native architect to achieve this distinction. We celebrate not only this personal milestone, but what it represents for our “small but mighty” Chapter and the continued strength of design leadership emerging from the desert. Lance now joins a distinguished historical group of AIA California Desert Fellows: • E. Stewart Williams, FAIA • Albert Frey, FAIA • William Cody, FAIA • Don Wexler, FAIA • Kristi Hanson, FAIA Please join us in congratulating Lance on this remarkable achievement. #FAIA #AIA #AIACaliforniaDesert #CollegeOfFellows #DesignExcellence #CoachellaValley #SmallButMighty

Modernism Week 2026 starts tomorrow! AIA California Desert is proud to provide 24 official CEU opportunities for our members — and for AIA members visiting from across the country. This represents a tremendous effort from our Board of volunteers and ourModernism Week partners. Supporting continuing education is one of our core services, and we’re committed to delivering meaningful, high-quality learning experiences during one of the most important architecture events in the world — right here in our backyard. 📚 Earn your CEUs. 🏛 Experience world-class architecture. 🌴 Celebrate MW26 with us. 👉 Sign up and register for these programs before they fill up! / CEU link in or Bio 🎟 Friendly Reminder: We have complimentary tickets available for the February 21 Symposium (AIACD Members Only). Spots are limited — email us to secure yours today. Let’s make the most of #MW26 #AIACaliforniaDesert #ModernismWeek #AIA #CEU #HSW #DesertArchitecture #SmallButMighty

MODERNISM WEEK 2026 × AIA CALIFORNIA DESERT Happy to share that AIA California Desert is once again a GOLD SPONSOR for Modernism Week 2026—and with an exceptional CEU (continuos Education Units) lineup for our members and for all AIA members attending. We have approved: ✔ Total Activities: 22 ✔ Total Credits: 24.5 AIA LU ✔ HSW: 13.0 ✔ LU (Non-HSW): 11.5 As part of our Board’s volunteer work, this marks the second year in a row that we’ve approved one of the strongest CEU offerings for our Chapter. MEMBER PERKS 🎟️ FREE Symposium Tickets Our partners at the Palm Springs Architectural Alliance (PSAA) are providing FREE tickets to Modernism and the Future of Housing for AIA California Desert members. 👉 CONTACT US TO RESERVE YOURS 🎟️ EXTRA TICKETS COMING SOON Our Chapter will also be raffling additional event tickets to support and encourage local members attending and participating. Modernism Week is a world-renowned architecture event—and it’s happening right here within OUR CHAPTER BOUNDARIES, AIA CALIFORNIA DESERT. We’re lucky to have the global spotlight on our region. 📅 Modernism Week 2026: February 12–22, 2026 📍 Palm Springs, CA #ModernismWeek2026 #MW26 #AIACaliforniaDesert #AIA #ArchitectureCEUs #HSW #PalmSpringsModern #DesignCommunity

COMING SOON!! The CALGreen Checklists by AIA California is almost here. 📅 Publishing February 15, 2026 One of the most highly anticipated and widely used resources by California architects. Save the date and keep an eye out This is a go-to resource you’ll want bookmarked. #AIACalifornia #AIACaliforniaDesert #CALGreen #SustainableDesign #ArchitectureTools #ArchitectLife #CaliforniaArchitects #ComingSoon

Join your local AIA California Desert and ASLA California Southern chapters for an outdoor social event and industry camaraderie! Outdoor Living Concepts will be hosting live cooking demonstrations with food & refreshments and outdoor-living displays, featuring: Tickets are available through Eventbrite – get yours now!