Collective Happenings

Our Happenings page is devoted to posting the latest related to BA Collective. Here, you’ll find BA culture recaps, office forum updates, JEDI (Justice Equity Diversity Inclusion) news, community engagement snippets, sustainability action bytes, and more.

JEDI FORUM: HOUSING THE UNHOUSED
How can we use our skillsets as architects and designers to discover potential solutions for this crisis? Our interactive forum involved a presentation and short design charette.

BA COLLECTIVE IS AWARDED FOR OUR STUDIO
We are honored to be the recipient of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative – Sponsorship Award from Wood Design + Building for our studio. Take a look, click here.

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. NATIONAL DAY OF SERVICE
BA joined LAworks at the LA Memorial Coliseum where we helped create urban greening garden kits for school kids and connected with local non-profits organizations.

HONORED BY AIA LA AND INTERIOR DESIGN MAGAZINE
It’s always a wonderful accolade to be recognized by AIA LA for our built projects. And we are thrilled to receive “Best of Year” from Interior Design. Congrats goes to those on our team, our partners, and consultants who brought these projects to life.

BA JEDI COUNCIL 2022 FORUMS
This year's JEDI Forum topics were chosen by the office and reflect our extensive interests in justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. In these office-wide conversations, we broaden our empathy and seek to create more equitable, inclusive spaces.

HMLA + BA: “BUILDING TRUTH” EVENT
Holocaust Museum LA invited Hagy Belzberg to speak about the concept, design, and architecture of the new expansion. Construction will be starting soon, and we can’t wait.

PHOTOSHOOT DAY AT SCREEN HOUSE
We love when we get take photos of a completed project. So many beautiful details to capture at Screen House, located in Santa Monica. Check out the project. Click here.

DORSEY ACE TRADES DAY
Guided by their mentors, students hone in on their skills and learn to work as a team at the Trades Day event. Learn more about LA’s ACE Mentor Program. Click here.

THE LAUNCH OF BA COLLECTIVE
We were excited to to reveal our new logo and company name to colleagues, clients, and the public. This was a huge milestone and timed to coincide with our 25th anniversary. We’ve always been a collective; now it’s official. Can’t wait to see what the future holds.

BA PHOTOSHOOT ON A BEAUTIFUL SEPTEMBER DAY
Our latest photoshoot was of the Euclid project and BA’s new studio, both in Santa Monica. The team jammed it out to get the perfect shots with photographer Bruce Damonte.

PARKING DAY ON MAIN STREET
We had fun during the pop-up Parklet Program celebration, a City of Santa Monica and City Fabrick community event. Visitors got to “design their own parklet” with our architects and designers.

AFTER WORK BEACH VOLLEYBALL
One of the many perks to having a studio a block from Ocean Park beach? Volleyball after work! Some beach cleanup and happy hour took place before game time. Friendly competition and team bonding for all.

BA JEDI FORUM WITH REX WILDE
Our June forum hosted guest speaker Rex Wilde. The session was informative and interactive, covering topics to help create transgender inclusive culture in the workplace. Learn more.

BA PHOTOSHOOT OF ASTERID RESTAURANT
A day shooting Asterid at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and capturing the design details with photographer Yoshi Makino. Incredibly rewarding to see Asterid at the final phase.

NEW ZEALAND’S TEULO TALKS AUGUST 5TH
Lecture Topic: MC + LA. Hagy Belzberg presented two projects in Los Angeles and two projects in Mexico City. The live-streamed event reached over 20,000 architects/designers.

BA SIGNED THE AIA 2030 COMMITMENT
Our belief in sustainability means taking action. As an AIA 2030 signatory we will strive to design within a climate strategy plan that will get us to carbon neutrality by 2030. Learn more.

XOMA FEATURED IN ARCHITECTURAL RECORD
Did you see the feature in Architectural Record’s June 2022 issue? The article “Belzberg Architects' XOMA Hotel Sails into Mexico City” details the making of this project and showcases stunning photos. Read more.

ACE MENTORSHIP FINAL PROJECT
We’ve had another successful year with the ACE Mentor Program where we worked with our students to design a moon base resort titled “Luna Lux” and had a Habitat for Humanity Build Day.

BA HAPPY HOUR
After beach volleyball, we had a super fun happy hour at one of our favorite local spots—Ashland Hill—on Main Street right across from our studio. Perfect way to end the day!

CAL POLY STUDENTS AT BA
BA welcomed a group of architecture students from Cal Poly to learn more about the industry and get a tour of the BA studio. It’s always great to interact with enthusiastic students.

BA HIKING RETREAT
Wellness in abundance. It was a beautiful day to hit the trails together. We had a great time learning a few new games together, picnicking with a view, and getting our steps in.

FOOD DRIVE FOR THE WESTSIDE FOOD BANK
BA grouped together to donate canned goods and non-perishables to our neighbors at The Westside Food Bank. This might have been our very first office food drive, but it will not be our last! Thank you to Corie for organizing and to all at BA who donated food and time!

BA FEATURED IN INTERIOR DESIGN MAGAZINE
Excited to have the BAR Intergenerational Community Center project in the “Rocking Big Ideas” September issue. Years in the making, this Venice Beach project was a true collaboration. Read the ID article here.

NOMA SHADOW PROGRAM
This summer marked BA’s inaugural Youth Shadow and Internship Programs in collaboration with SoCal NOMA. BA hosted three high school students for several days of mentorship and activities.

BIKE TO LUNCH
Although many BA staff already commute by bike, we officially celebrated “Bike to Work” Day by hitting the Santa Monica roads to explore local parklets and the ocean front, then we stopped for lunch at Rose Cafe in Venice.

MEET THE BA INTERNS FELIX AND AKIRA
Felix is attending the Master of Architecture II program at SCI-Arc, and Akira is studying architecture at Cal Poly Pomona. They are creative, skilled, hard working, and all around amazing people. We don’t want the summer to end!

WORLD COASTAL CLEANUP DAY
Connecting with Zer0 Debris, BA spent some much needed beach time. In addition to the Annual World Coastal Cleanup day, Zer0 Debris usually has a monthly beach cleanup day in Santa Monica.