Building San Francisco's Future: Lessons from the Projects Shaping Our City

Center for Architecture + Design How do the buildings that define San Francisco actually come together — on budget, on schedule, without the process falling apart? An experienced construction and program manager takes you behind the scenes of the decisions, teams, and strategies shaping some of the Bay Area's most talked-about projects: City College of San Francisco's Diego Rivera Theater and Student Success Center, SFO Airport, and Berkeley Gateway. Through real project stories, this session unpacks what happens when architects, contractors, and owners choose how to build together — and why that choice shapes everything from cost to quality to whether a project finishes on time. Whether you're an architect, planner, or simply curious how the built environment around you takes shape, walk away with a clearer picture of what it takes to build for San Francisco's future. Ken Smith, Kitchell Program Manager Ken has over 31 years of industry experience, Ken is familiar with all aspects of a construction project. He has worked on large new construction, renovation and expansion projects in a wide range of market sectors, including civic/municipal, aviation and commercial using various delivery methods including design-build, CM at risk. Sandy Mendler, Gensler Principal Sandy is a nationally recognized architect and planner specializing in healthy, sustainable learning environments. As Education Practice Area Leader for Gensler's Northwest region, she leads the design of higher education facilities that foster community, advance research, and support student-centered learning. Sandy is a LEED Fellow, a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council, and serves on multiple sustainability, equity, and resilience leadership boards. Paul Cooper, TEF Principal Paul is a previous SFAIA chapter president and brings more than three decades of experience leading thoughtful, high-quality design for complex public projects. An active member of DBIA, Paul has led design in collaborative design-build environments for more than 20 years. Moderator: Patricia Nguyen, Kitchell Executive Director Patricia is a Certified Construction Manager, with twenty-five years of experience in the construction industry and is experienced with all aspects of program and project management on multiple K-14 programs within the Bay Area and Southern California most recently on Sequoia Union High School District and West Valley College in the Bay Area. Join AIASF’s Project Delivery Series to explore cutting-edge strategies shaping today’s built environment. From legal and risk management fundamentals to advanced approaches like Design-Build, Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), BIM, prefabrication, and AI-driven tools, these sessions spotlight the future of project delivery and collaboration. If you are already a member, or if you would like to create a non-member account, set up your login information by clicking "Create an Account" below. Once logged in, you can: The members of AIASF invite and encourage you to join! By working together, we can achieve our mission to maintain and enhance our industry as a whole. If you are ready to join, click below to get started!