AIA Santa Barbara

March Women in Architecture Conversation Series
2026-03-03 17:30 - 19:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Brownstein, 1020 State Street, Santa Barbara, 91731, United States
1 LU Pending
We hope you’ll join us for our monthly Women in Architecture gathering. This month, we will be hearing from Haley Kolosieke, AICP, a Land Use Planner at Brownstein.
Since 1968, Brownstein has been more than a law firm – they have been a partner in building stronger communities, working hand-in-hand with local leaders to create solutions that matter. From expanding workforce and affordable housing to streamlining infrastructure and water projects, and through their recent work on the Agricultural Enterprise Ordinance, Brownstein remains committed to shaping a vibrant and thriving future for Santa Barbara for generations to come.
Haley launched her career in Santa Barbara in 2017 and looks forwards to sharing her professional journey, along with insights from some of her most rewarding land use projects. At Brownstein, she specializes in land use due diligence reports and entitlements, including conditional use permits, coastal development permits, cannabis licensing, and lot line adjustments and lot splits. She currently serves as the Santa Barbara Subsection Director for the American Planning Association Central Coast Section, she is a long-time board member of the Association of Environmental Professionals Channel Counties Section, and previously served as a team co-leader for AIA’s State Street Design Charrette in 2020.

AIA Women in Architecture (WIA) is dedicated to fostering relationships among women in the design industry, supporting career growth, and increasing the visibility of women in architecture. Our group includes a diverse range of architects and allied professionals – from firm owners to recent graduates – working together to make a positive impact in our profession and community.

April Women in Architecture Conversation Series
2026-04-07 17:30 - 19:00 | Mission Audio Video, 1910 De La Vina St, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, United States
AIA Women in Architecture
Tuesday, April 7th
5:30 PM
Mission Audio
1910 De La Vina Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
We hope you’ll join us for our monthly Women in Architecture gathering. This month, we will be hearing from Ellen Kokinda, Santa Barbara City Planner & previous Design Review Supervisor, who will be joined with Santa Barbara’s new Architectural Historian.
Ellen Kokinda is an urban planner with over a decade of experience in community development, land use policy, and public engagement. She currently serves as City Planner with the City of Santa Barbara’s Community Development Department, having previously served as Design Review Supervisor. In both roles, she has guided applicants through the City’s permitting and design review processes and advised on how to keep projects moving forward. Ellen is currently overseeing the City’s Single Family Streamlining Project — an initiative to simplify the approval process for single-family residential projects through Zoning Ordinance and Single Family Design Board amendments, balancing greater flexibility for homeowners with Santa Barbara’s tradition of quality architecture and neighborhood character. Prior to moving to the West Coast, Ellen worked with the City of Cambridge’s Community Development Department, leading the development of a Net Zero Action Plan — a multi-stakeholder process that resulted in the City adopting a 25-Year roadmap toward net zero carbon emissions from building operations. Ellen holds a Master of Arts in Urban & Environmental Policy & Planning from Tufts University and a Bachelor of Arts in Media Arts & Design from James Madison University.

AIA Women in Architecture (WIA) is dedicated to fostering relationships among women in the design industry, supporting career growth, and increasing the visibility of women in architecture. Our group includes a diverse range of architects and allied professionals – from firm owners to recent graduates – working together to make a positive impact in our profession and community.

May Women in Architecture Conversation Series
2026-05-05 17:30 - 19:30 | GOOD COMPANY, 2613 De La Vina St, Santa Barbara, 93105, United States
AIA Women in Architecture
Tuesday, May 5th
5:30 PM
Good Company
2613 De La Vina Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
We hope you’ll join us for our monthly Women in Architecture gathering. This month, we will be hearing from Qing Xue, AIA architect at Harrison Design whose work focuses on high-end residential, institutional, and historic restoration projects.
About Qing Xue
Before moving to Santa Barbara, Qing worked in England on classical and traditional architecture with John Simpson Architects in London and ADAM Architecture in Winchester. She currently serves on the board of the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation and has contributed to the master planning of Santa Barbara’s State Street.
Born in China, Qing earned her Master of Architecture and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Notre Dame. Outside of practice, she enjoys pencil drawing, watercolor, and pottery, which continue to shape her appreciation for craftsmanship and materiality.
About our host:
Good Company is an interior design studio and social club within a residential house that provides an experiential community gathering destination and is the perfect venue for design and domestic-centric events. Advanced membership provides children’s programming, after-school enrichment, as well as educational programming including topics that apply to pillars of home, wellness, and community.

June Women in Architecture Conversation Series
2026-06-02 17:30 - 19:30 | Sherry & Associates, Architects Inc., 608 Anacapa Street #Suite B, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, 93101
AIA Women in Architecture
Tuesday, June 2nd
5:30 PM
Sherry & Associates
608 Anacapa St., Suite B, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
We hope you’ll join us for our monthly Women in Architecture gathering. This month, we will be hearing from Faydra Gage, P.E. & Jenny Viveros, EIT, as they speak to us about Architecture and Engineering.
About Faydra Gage
Faydra moved to Santa Barbara nearly a decade ago from Canada, eager to begin her career after earning a degree in Civil Engineering. She spent her first five years here in the structural engineering field, building a strong technical foundation and developing a deep understanding of how buildings are constructed. Over time, she felt drawn to the creative and human-centered side of the built environment, which led her to pursue a transition into architecture.
For the past five years, Faydra has been a Project Manager at Sherry & Associates Architects, where she brings a unique perspective shaped by both engineering and design. As a licensed Professional Engineer and an emerging architect preparing for her final licensing exam, she bridges the gap between technical precision and thoughtful design, advocating for solutions that are both practical and inspiring.
Faydra is passionate about the evolving role of women in the architecture and engineering industries, and she values the diverse paths that lead people into design. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, practicing yoga, and exploring creativity through film photography.

About Jenny Viveros
Jenny is a Central Coast native who has always had a passion for applied maths and science. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Architectural Engineering from Cal Poly SLO and began her career in Santa Barbara nearly four years ago. Jenny started at T&S Structural, where she found incredible mentorship and exposure to many professional organizations. She now continues to develop her engineering skills at Ashley & Vance Engineering while she prepares to take her licensing exams.
Jenny has spent the last three and a half years enjoying being a part of the Santa Barbara community by volunteering for the AIA, mentoring through the after-school program ACE, and dancing with the ladies’ salsa and bachata teams, A Mi Manera. Jenny is passionate about bringing structural engineering career awareness to the youth and providing excellent engineering services to the community.
Register for the event!

About the Host, Sherry & Associates, Architects Inc.:
Founded in 1990, Sherry & Associates Architects, Inc. is a Santa Barbara–based firm led by Principal Architect Dawn Sherry. The practice offers a diverse portfolio spanning custom residential, commercial, restaurant, hospitality, and interior design projects, ranging in scale from small renovations to larger, more complex developments.
At the core of the firm’s work is a collaborative approach to design and project delivery, built on strong partnerships with clients, consultants, and builders. With a close-knit team of seven designers, Sherry & Associates fosters a supportive studio culture that values thoughtful design, attention to detail, and a healthy work-life balance. The firm is committed to creating high-quality, tailored design solutions for every project, regardless of size or scope. Learn more at: https://dawnsherry.com/

July Women in Architecture Conversation Series
2026-07-07 17:30 - 19:30 | The Julia, 924 Anacapa St. ste1C, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, United States
AIA Women in Architecture
Tuesday, July 7th
5:30 PM
Deepwater Diving Monument
132 Harbor Way #A, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
We hope you’ll join us for our monthly Women in Architecture gathering. This month, we Alexis Stypa will be leading a watercolor worksop at the Santa Barbara Harbor.

Recommended supplies (extra supplies will be provided as needed):
Watercolor paper / pad (140# paper preferred)
Transparent watercolor paints in pans, cakes, or tubes
Paint palette
Watercolor brushes (#10 or #12 round & #4 or #5 round)
Folding chair or blanket

About Alexis Stypa
Alexis Stypa is an architectural designer at Harrison Design and founder of Stypa Studio in Santa Barbara, CA. She received her masters from the Notre Dame School of Architecture, and before that studied humanities and mathematics at Ave Maria University. During a summer internship, she became interested in how beauty in both the natural and built environment affects the whole person. This interest led her to study architecture with a particular passion for sacred architecture and renewal in church design. Alexis is an avid free diver and aspiring naturalist. She grew up bringing her sketchbook along family adventures, and has since enjoyed being in a profession which her sketchbook is still very useful.
To learn more about Alexis, visit https://www.stypastudio.com/
Register for the watercolor workshop!

August Women in Architecture Conversation Series
2026-08-04 17:30 - 19:30 | The Julia, 924 Anacapa St. ste1C, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, United States
AIA Women in Architecture
Tuesday, August 4th
5:30 PM
The Julia
924 Anacapa St. ste 1C, Santa Barbara
We hope you’ll join us for our monthly Women in Architecture gathering. This month, Jessica Risko Smith will speak about her career and working in interior design.

About Jessica Risko Smith
Jessica Risko Smith is the founder and principal of Jessica Risko Smith Interior Design (JRS ID), a Santa Barbara–based studio known for refined, livable interiors grounded in construction expertise and collaboration. Before starting her own firm in 2006, Jessica spent nearly a decade at Gensler in Los Angeles, designing corporate interiors for Fortune 500 clients across law, finance, retail, and entertainment sectors. This experience shaped her structured, detail-driven approach to design projects.
Jessica earned her degree in Interior Design from Auburn University and is a longtime ASID Professional member, holds NCIDQ certification, and is a LEED Accredited Professional. She is also the mother of two college-aged students. Outside the studio, she can often be found at Handlebar Coffee, exploring Santa Barbara’s neighborhoods and restaurants or on her yoga mat.
About the JRS ID office
JRS ID is based in The Julia (formerly known as the Lobero Building), a historic Santa Barbara structure designed in 1926 by architect Julia Morgan as a hotel for young professional women arriving in the city to build independent careers. The building’s Mediterranean details, wrought iron balconies, and pocket courtyards were designed to reflect the dignity and promise of the women who once stayed there.
Nearly a century later, the building is home to JRS ID’s entirely female team, who continue that legacy of women’s professional ambition under one roof. The studio itself is situated in what was once the hotel’s grand lobby, featuring its’ statement-making fireplace and large windows.

Register today!
