Spotlight on AIA Member - John Webster

John Webster, AIA
Eugene Section Director-Elect

Dear AIA Oregon members,

As we enter the final stretch of 2025 and the traditional season of giving, I’d like to share a small outreach project I recently participated in.

The firm I work for, Robertson Sherwood Architects (RSA), is currently digitizing our old record drawings and no longer has a need for more than 100 storage tubes. These tubes were destined for disposal or recycling, but I saw an opportunity to help students at the University of Oregon—my alma mater—protect their drawings while also raising awareness of AIA.

RSA’s leadership enthusiastically supported the idea. They provided the tubes, which I temporarily stored in my garage while gathering additional materials for the final package.

I reached out to AIA National, who generously donated stickers for branding and provided a flier to promote AIA. A big thank-you to Rye Jackson (Manager, AIA Design Shop) for making that happen! I also added chapter-specific information to the back of the flier to highlight what AIA Oregon offers.

Once all the parts were ready, I began assembling the packages. My daughter helped apply stickers while I packed the tubes with the fliers. The final step was finding a way to get them into the hands of the students who could use them.

During a recent AIA Eugene event (EP Game Night), I met Vig Madhavan, a Pro-Tem Instructor teaching a studio at the University this term. After I shared the idea, he offered his studio as recipients. I delivered the tubes just before Thanksgiving break. His students seemed genuinely happy to receive them—both for protecting their hard work during the Oregon rainy season and for the information connecting them with our architectural community.

I’m grateful to have been part of this small project. I believe it highlights the many opportunities available through AIA: connecting with national staff, building relationships with local members, and making a meaningful—if modest—difference in our community.

As we close out the year, I invite each of you to look for your own small opportunities to give back—whether by supporting students, mentoring emerging professionals, sharing resources, or simply reaching out to strengthen our professional network. When each of us contributes a little, we create a vibrant, supportive architectural community that benefits us all.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the end of this year a little brighter. Let’s carry this spirit of generosity and connection into 2026 and beyond!

Message from John Flynn, AIAO President

John Flynn, AIA
AIA Oregon President

Reflecting on Our Annual Meeting

Hello Colleagues,

Thanks to all of you who joined our Annual Meeting – whether online or in person. Attendance was small this year, about 18 people total, but the discussion reminded me of how much passion our members have for AIA Oregon and the profession we serve.

A big theme this year was connection – how we stay visible, relevant, and accessible statewide. We also talked about our financial recovery. Over the past three years, we’ve rebuilt reserves after the difficult experience of leasing and upfitting a Portland space we didn’t own. That experience taught us how important it is to let programming lead, not rent commitments.

We presented our 2025-28 Strategic Plan and gave an overview of the strategies and tactics we are committed to pursuing in the coming years. Here’s a link for you to get to the Strategic Planning Retreat Report.

During the meeting, we heard from members who’d love to see a space in Portland – and that’s great energy to harness. The Board’s goal isn’t to say “no” to that idea, but to make sure we do it the right way this time. That means designing the vision, programs, and partnerships first, so that any future space we create serves all members and stays financially sound.

Our next chapter as a statewide organization will keep focusing on professional development, advocacy, and impact – things that connect architects from every region. The best way to help move that vision forward is to participate: join a committee, attend a program, or bring an idea to your local section.

Thanks again to everyone who showed up and continues to care about where we’re headed. Together, we’ll keep building an AIA Oregon that’s strong, sustainable, and member driven.

See you soon,

John Flynn

President, AIA Oregon

Message from Dave Mojica, Co-Chair of the Housing Advocacy Committee

Dave Mojica, Assoc. AIA
Housing Advocacy Committee (HAC) Co-Chair

Housing Oregon Conference Recap (on behalf of the HAC)

This September the AIA Oregon Housing Advocacy Committee (HAC) participated in the 2025 Housing OR Conference at the Portland Convention Center.  More than 1,300 housing advocates from across the state participated to share and discuss housing justice and how to expedite the creation of quality affordable housing.

Of the ninety-four workshops over ten percent featured AIA OR firms or members. Architects were able to share their expertise through presentations, panels, and one on one networking opportunities over two days. Topics included innovative modular and CLT techniques, Inclusive and Social Housing, and the Integration of Art in Architecture. The HAC hosted a Best Practices Panel on How to Work with an Architect, which centered on educating participants on how architects traditionally support development teams in balancing the design process with funding timelines, lead land use approvals, and permit reviews. This panel highlight the nuanced approaches they take for community engagement and managing stakeholder goals and requirements. In addition to being able to share knowledge we were also able to celebrate excellence in quality affordable design that features livability, community revitalization, and service integration. Congratulations to CPAH & Carlton Hart for receiving the Urban Golden Hammer Award for Plambeck Gardens.

For HAC and architectural participants this conference allowed them to interface with advocates, policy makers, developers, and local jurisdictions in a format not readily available in day-to-day practice. The Development Fundamentals and Finance tracks gave architects the opportunity to learn the details of the evolving circumstances that make affordable housing possible. The Policy and Advocacy track highlighted the ways senate bills have broken down design and approval barriers to increase housing production which noting the challenges that lie ahead. 

A key takeaway reinforced at the Lunch Plenary is that housing advocates need increased support and active involvement of architects to make change. Architects possess a unique ability to graphically and verbally bring form to housing concepts and guiding sentiments. The HAC looks forward to responding to this call and taking the lessons learned at this conference by increasing volunteer and advocacy opportunities for AIA OR in 2026. 

For updates and notification of where recordings from the conference are available sign up at:  https://sites.google.com/view/aiaohac/home.