A Message from our Executive Director

Happy Holidays All,

We survived 2020 and are looking forward to the New Year. I must say, I am ready to see 2020 behind me. 

What can we do in 2021? Will we make a difference? Will we create change with the National Building Museum’s traveling exhibit, Evicted?

That is our goal.

Will the ACFA help people have a safe place to live, a roof over their heads? Could the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry find a solution by working together on the issue?

That is our goal.

Tent cities and homeless camps keep getting moved. They always pop back up in another location, or even in the same location. Is Birmingham ready for a village of tiny homes like Seattle, Tacoma and Olympia Washington has done? If you are curious about a tiny home village, watch this YouTube video – a very different approach.

Wishing you the happiest, healthiest holidays and Happy New Year! Join us in 2021 as we attempt to make a positive change in the state of Alabama.

That is our goal for 2021.

Peace and ACFA Love,
Rhea Williams, Executive Director of the Alabama Center for Architecture (ACFA)

The ACFA Needs your Help!

2020 has rocked our world. We are not alone in this; arts & cultural nonprofit organizations, in particular, have taken a huge hit due to loss of fundraising events. It is predicted that 7% of all nonprofits may be shuttered due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. The National Advocacy Group projects 12,000 arts and cultural nonprofits are at risk of being wiped out forever.

The Alabama Center for Architecture needs your help to continue providing the scholarships and educational outreach programming we normally do. Please consider becoming an ACFA Member, thinking of the ACFA as you plan your year-end giving, or keeping the us in mind as you budget for 2021!

Click here to donate or become an ACFA Member today!

Last ACFA Fundraising Event of the Year

Click here to register!

2021 ACFA Plans & Goals

In 2021 we want to continue our mission of advancing the enjoyment of architecture and design in Alabama through education, outreach, and collaboration. We will continue with our usual programs such as dreamARCHITECTURE & N2 Architecture virtually for the foreseeable future. We also plan to bring attention to the housing crisis through statewide programming and the National Building Museum’s Evicted exhibit.

Click here to register for the fundraiser above!

• January 28, 2021: Jonathan Tate, OJT, New Orleans, LA
  • 2020 American Academy of Arts and Letters Architecture Prize
  • 2019 AIA National Honor Award, Architecture, St. Thomas & Ninth
  • 2018 AIA National Housing Award, 3106 St. Thomas
  • 2018 Next Progressives, Architect Magazine
  • 2018 Finalist, Architectural Review Emerging Architects
  • 2018 Excellence in Historic Preservation, Louisiana Landmark Commission
  • 2017 Emerging Voices, Architectural League of New York
  • 2016 HIVE 100 Top 5 Innovator in Housing
  • 2016 Fast Company Innovation by Design, Finalist in Spaces, Places and Cities
• Spring 2021: dreamARCHITECTURE Drop-Off, Jury, & Awards Ceremony
• October 7, 2021: ACFA Golf Tournament (Fundraiser for ACFA Scholarships!)
• Fall 2021: Affordable Housing Symposium with David Baker Architects
• Fall 2021: National Building Museum’s Evicted traveling exhibit coming to Birmingham
  • Email katie@karmamanagementinc.com about sponsorship opportunities for Evicted!
  • Add Evicted: Poverty & Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond to your reading list.

Membership

ACFA Members are an important part of what we do. They make our programs possible, and we are so grateful for their support! Please see sidebar for a full list.

Interested in becoming a Member?

Click here to for more information or to join today!

Looking Back at 2020

2020 has not been an easy year, but the ACFA still managed to have fun and spread some joy!

Click year for a full Year in Review!