I’m bringing you a set of mini-stories that were taped live at the AWA 100th Building Our Legacy event on September 10, 2022 at the HenryBuilt showroom in LA’s art district. This event not only celebrated AWA+D’s 100 year anniversary, but also focused on how we can preserve the legacies of women in architecture—especially our own legacies. As we kn…

This special episode is released in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Association for Women in Architecture and Design. In today’s episode, I’m joined by Barbara Elwood, who served three terms as madame president of AWA+D (which was then named AWA-LA) in 1960, 1962, and 1996. Barbara enrolled in USC Architecture’s Industrial Design progra…

Today’s episode is going to be a little bit of a different one, because the roles are reversed! Annie Chu of Chu+Gooding Architects, who is featured in Episode 31, graciously offered to interview me for this episode. I am an architect and president of Sato Architects, Inc., a podcast host, and past president of the Association for Women in Architec…

Karin Liljegren is founder and principal of Omgivning, an architecture and interior design firm whose practice is rooted in a love for the extraordinary urban fabric of downtown Los Angeles. Karin is an architect and interior designer, and founded Omgivning in 2009, just as the recession was threatening to halt downtown’s resurgence. To date, she a…

Today’s guests are Tracy Stone, principle of Tracy A Stone Architect, and designer Abbi Naylor. Tracy is the founder of The Elysian Valley Arts Collective, a 501c3 non-profit that manages the biennial Frogtown Artwalk, and supports a variety of programming to the youth and neighbors of Elysian Valley. Tracy received a BA from Cornell University and…

Eera Babtiwale is Vice President of Sustainability at HMC Architects, a mother of 3, a board member of Designing Futures Foundation, Chair of USGBC-Inland Empire, and an active member with USGBC-Los Angeles. Eera was nominated to be a guest on the show by her co-worker, Lance Hosey. Even though I had never met Eera, as I started researching in orde…

Annie Chu is an architect, interior designer, educator, and a founding principal of the award-winning firm Chu+Gooding Architects. Annie is an alumnus of Sci-Arc and Columbia, and trained for 11 years with Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects in New York and Frank Israel in Beverly Hills before starting her own practice in 1996. Chu+Gooding Archite…

After a pandemic-induced break, it’s a pleasure to kick off new episodes of the podcast with guest Lise Bornstein, architect and partner at KFA Architecture. I feel like this interview is long-overdue, because Lise is someone who I have a ton of respect for, and feel lucky to call a mentor and a friend. Lise graduated from North Carolina State Univ…

Helena Arahuete started working for John Lautner in 1971 and rose to the role of Chief Architect in his office. She continues today as Principal of Lautner Associates, most recently completing the restoration of the Bob and Dolores Hope House in Palm Springs. This is a very unique two-part episode featuring conversations with Helena Arahuete. I fir…

By Audrey Sato, Architect

Christina Monti, owner of CDM Consulting, started her career in landscape architecture after graduating from Texas A&M University. A self-proclaimed non-designer (I don't quite buy that she "stinks" at design), Christina became an expert in marketing and business development. In this episode, we discuss the skills needed for being good at business …

This episode is a live recording from Sci-Arc graduate thesis Spin Room, with student (now graduate) Yi Ning Lui, her advisor Kristy Balliet of BairBalliet, and distinguished alumnus Barbara Bestor of Bestor Architecture. In this episode we talk about the experience of the thesis project from the student and the advisor/practitioner perspective. Yo…

This episode features financial planner Renee Cohen, and guests Harper Halprin of AAHA Studio and Luciana Tagliaferri of Tagliaferri Architects, in a candid discussion about financial planning for small business owners and architects. We discuss topics like the entrepreneur mindset, business and personal finances, outsourcing, forecasting, growth, …

Emmanuelle Bourlier is the co-founder and CEO of Panelite, as well as a mother and skater. Emmanuelle co-founded Panelite while in grad school at Columbia University 21 years ago. From its inception, Panelite was so innovative that it was used in a project by Moneo Brock that landed on the cover of the Spanish edition of Interior Design magazine. F…

This episode features Elena Manferdini, the recipient of the ICON award at the 2019 LA Design Festival. This interview was recorded at the event at Row DTLA. Elena is the Graduate Chair at Sci-Arc and principal of Atelier Manferdini. Elena’s striking exuberance, charisma, and rigor is completely evident in her work, which ranges in scale from produ…

Helena Jubany, FAIA has a real knack for developing leaders, as well as a sharp business acumen. Helena’s 30 year career specializing in education and public sector architecture included 17 years of building her own practice, prior to mergers with NAC Architecture and Osborne. Loyal listeners will remember my interview with Leslie Sydnor in Episode…

What I admire about Rachel Allen is the pragmatic, intelligent, and unapologetically hard-working ethos that she brings to her work. As founding principal of RADAR (Rachel Allen Development Architecture Research Inc.), her success relies upon her ability to understand the viewpoints of people she's working with in order to communicate effectively a…

In episode 20, we're putting the "LA" in XX|LA by speaking with an architect who is also a film maker! Mina Chow is an architect and professor at the USC School of Architecture. She is also the director, producer, and star of the documentary "Face of a Nation: What Happened to the World's Fair?" The film is about Mina's journey as an idealistic arc…

I'm fascinated by architects who work in interdisciplinary and collaborative ways, and my latest guests bridge architecture and dance in a fascinating way! In this episode, I speak with Rennie Tang and Sara Wookey, the artists and creators behind Punt.Point. Punt.Point was commissioned by the Van Abbe Museum in 2013 and acquired for their permanent…

By Audrey Sato, Architect

In this episode, I spent an evening chatting with the women of Claret-Cup at the Los Angeles Brewery Artists Colony. Claret-Cup was co-founded by Bojána Bányász and Donatella Cusmá, two architects who bonded over a love of Los Angeles, a shared value that architecture does not only serve its private owners, and a desire to work outside the normal b…

This episode is a live recording of a panel discussion, featuring Association for Women in Architecture and Design (AWA+D) members Lise Bornstein of KFA, Wena Dows of Wena Dows Designs, Marisa Kurtzman of Frederick Fisher and Partners, Brenda Levin of Levin & Associates Architects, Kate Diamond of HDR, and Nina Briggs of The Fabric, moderated by XX…

Leslie Sydnor is an architect now working as a Director / Planning Project Manager at Cumming Corporation. Leslie grew up in New York City wanting to effect change in the built environment, and so she went on to study architecture at Yale and then UCLA. After about 20 years in architecture, having risen to the level of Associate Principal, Leslie l…

In this live recording of the XXLA Architects Podcast, I visit the Free School of Architecture at WUHO Gallery on July 24, 2018 and have a discussion with some of the participants to hear more about this innovative 6 week experience.Attend the closing party and find out more about Free School of Architecture Friday, July 27 from 6:30pm at WUHO Gall…

Margot Siegel was born in 1932 in Germany, and as a child, she went on to live in Paris and then New York, as her family fled from Nazi occupation. She describes herself as always being somewhat of an outsider, having experienced the shock of new countries and cultures, and then becoming an architect in a time where it was highly unusual to be a wo…

Do you want to start your own practice, but aren't sure how to go about getting work? Ginger Tanzmann knows how you feel, and she asked herself those same questions. In 1978, Ginger had $20,000, two rooms in the Bradbury Building, and the passion to pursue her dream of owning her own architecture business. In this interview with Virginia (better kn…

Today’s guest is Deborah Weintraub, Chief Deputy City Engineer for the Bureau of Engineering in the City of Los Angeles’ Department of Public Works. Deborah is the first architect and woman to hold the position, and in this role has overseen projects like the LA River Revitalization Master Plan and the 6th Street Viaduct, which is currently under c…

Episode 10 features Ingalill Wahlroos-Ritter, Dean of the School of Architecture at Woodbury University and Director of WUHO (Woodbury University Hollywood) Gallery. Ingalill was elevated to the College of Fellows in the AIA this year, a high distinction awarded to only 3 percent of AIA members. She serves on the advisory board of the LA Forum for …

This episode features Ena Dubnoff, an architect and artist who had a diverse career since graduating at the top of her class, and as the only woman in her class, from USC in 1960. Ena has her Masters of Architecture from Columbia, and throughout her career taught at Penn State, Sci-Arc and USC, and worked at the offices of William Pereira, A. Quinc…

This episode features Elizabeth Timme, founder and co-executive director of LA-Más with Helen Leung. LA-Más is a non-profit urban design organization that helps lower-income and underserved communities shape their future through policy and architecture. During this episode, Elizabeth talks about LA-Más, and some of the exciting work they are doing …

This episode features Wena Dows, a residential designer who had her own practice in Los Angeles for over 60 years, after graduating from UC Berkeley in 1950. She talks about what it was like to go to architecture school in the late 40s, how she found work and then went on to build a successful practice and raise three kids. I believe that Wena has …

This episode features Sarah Lorenzen, professor and former chair of the architecture department at Cal Poly Pomona, partner at TOLO (formerly Peter Tolkin Architecture), Resident Director at the Neutra VDL House in Silverlake, and recently elected Director to the Board of Directors at AIA|LA.Sarah speaks about her education and background in archit…

Episode 5 of the XX|LA Architects Podcast features an interview with Nina Briggs, founding principal at THE FABRIC, award-winning educator, and creator of a documentary film "Practitioners". "Practitioners" gives us a view into the diverse and extraordinary careers of women in and around the architecture community in Los Angeles, and sheds light on…

Episode 4 of the XX|LA Architects Podcast features an informal round table discussion on the topic of starting a small architecture business. Architects and entrepreneurs Harper Halprin of HH Design, Luciana Tagliaferri of Tagliaferri Architects, and host Audrey Sato of Sato Architects discuss the ups and downs of starting their own practices, incl…

In episode 3 of the XX|LA Architects Podcast, I speak with Barbara Flammang, partner at Killefer Flammang Architects. KFA was named the 2016 AIACC Firm of the Year, an award bestowed in recognition of the firm's humanitarian work and their thriving company culture. Barbara shares her journey starting in 1980 with KFA, and how she and her husband Wa…

In the second episode of the XX|LA Architects Podcast, I speak with Pooja Bhagat, Architect for the City of Santa Monica** and Chair of the Women in Architecture (WiA) Committee at AIA|LA. In this episode, Pooja tells us about the upcoming Powerful IV Conference, and how we can encourage equity in the profession. We discuss her interest in place-ma…

Welcome to the very first episode of the XX|LA Architects Podcast! I am so excited about this interview with Laura O'Neill, Senior Architectural Historian at GPA Consulting and Chair of the Santa Monica Landmarks Commission.In this episode, Laura gives us insight into what it's like to be an architectural historian and public figure, and her strate…