Architecture for Communities Los Angeles

The Design by Diversity Block Party promotes civic participation and careers in architecture and design, with speaker events, prizes, and over 50 engaging, hands-on activity booths for children and youth. Since its inception, it has garnered nearly $118,000 in community sponsorships, underscoring its impactful outreach and community engagement. The Block Party initiative advances ACLA's goal of diversifying architecture and urban design careers among LA residents, laying the groundwork for better design in LA's future.

Design Like a Girl LA will advance ACLA’s mission to promote diversity and inclusion in the building-related fields of architecture, engineering, construction, and design/sustainability in LA. This mentoring program provides three all-day workshops to middle school girls between the ages of 11-15, focusing on the fundamentals of the design of the built environment. We seek to inspire girls from underserved communities in the West Adams neighborhood to join the ranks of people who are materially shaping LA’s future.

The Build a Green LA program will engage with 6-12 grade students on sustainability and environmental justice, highlighting architects' roles in addressing climate change. Through annual charrettes, students will learn how architecture shapes the built environment and receive education about climate change. The program aligns with ACLA's goal to increase awareness of the built environment's impact on the planet and the power of sustainable design to create a better Los Angeles.

Design by Diversity Block Party is a yearly event connecting architecture, art, design, construction and engineering professionals to create a mentorship platform, introduce career options at a young age and then encourage retention of diverse design professionals at all stages of their career. This event will have a variety of ways to engage; information and activity booths to mentoring sessions, exhibitions, speakers, and more. This public event is open to students of all ages, parents, educators, professionals, and community members.

Design by Diversity Block Party is a yearly event connecting architecture, art, design, construction and engineering professionals to create a mentorship platform, introduce career options at a young age and then encourage retention of diverse design professionals at all stages of their career. This event will have a variety of ways to engage; information and activity booths to mentoring sessions, exhibitions, speakers, and more. This public event is open to students of all ages, parents, educators, professionals, and community members.