//byline Nicki Dennis Stephens, Hon. AIA Executive Vice President, AIA California Few clients are as vulnerable as those who have lost homes due to natural catastrophe. Most, having lost almost all material possessions and notions of security, are facing amongst the biggest challenge of their lives: rebuilding home in a literal and figurative sense. Even as the Southern California fires were burning, AIA members began acting to support communities and neighbors in peril, committing themselves to help the rebuild: as individuals—amongst the earliest respondents to help others were members who had lost their own homes; and as components—AIA Pasadena & Foothill, a small chapter with part-time staff, created the “Ask the Architect” program, an all-volunteer-based program dispensing meaningful actionable expertise. Rebuilding communities is a tall order and as design professionals you know, it will require thousands of different decisions. Everyone wants to help support those impacted by: shortening the process, reducing costs, or making things easier. An idea was born out of this desire to help homeowners when a member reached out to ask for relief in accessing AIA Contract Documents. For sole proprietors and small firms who were contributing resources to fire victims, the cost of AIA Contract Documents, and passing these fees along to clients, was high for projects in which people were often underinsured. Could AIA California help? You probably saw the email blast about the results. National AIA put us in touch with the parent company for AIA Contract Documents, who immediately stepped in to help, offering discounts on the type of contracts that would be involved for those trying to re-build their home at a significant discount, dropping the price from $149.99 per document to $51 per document for: B110: Standard Form of Agreement between Owner and Architect for a Custom Residential Project A110: Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner and Contractor for a Custom Residential Project A105: Standard Short Form of Agreement Between Owner and Contractor (appropriate for residential or small commercial projects) These are available to all members in California. To access these contracts prior to December 31, 20026, click here. As we said, when we made the announcement: clear, reliable contract documents help everyone involved understand the scope of project delivery, and ensure property owners are protected from the start. Discussions amongst architects, and presents of projects begins and ends with the client. How can the architectural profession best address their needs? A clear contract is an important part of the equation for sure. While I am telling you this story about how AIA California is working for you (to help your clients and communities), I thought it is equally important to know that we’re working for those impacted by these disasters too in this small way.
Supporting Fire Recovery
//byline
Nicki Dennis Stephens, Hon. AIA
Executive Vice President, AIA California
05.19.25
Few clients are as vulnerable as those who have lost homes due to natural catastrophe. Most, having lost almost all material possessions and notions of security, are facing amongst the biggest challenge of their lives: rebuilding home in a literal and figurative sense.
Even as the Southern California fires were burning, AIA members began acting to support communities and neighbors in peril, committing themselves to help the rebuild: as individuals—amongst the earliest respondents to help others were members who had lost their own homes; and as components—AIA Pasadena & Foothill, a small chapter with part-time staff, created the “Ask the Architect” program, an all-volunteer-based program dispensing meaningful actionable expertise.
Rebuilding communities is a tall order and as design professionals you know, it will require thousands of different decisions. Everyone wants to help support those impacted by: shortening the process, reducing costs, or making things easier. An idea was born out of this desire to help homeowners when a member reached out to ask for relief in accessing AIA Contract Documents. For sole proprietors and small firms who were contributing resources to fire victims, the cost of AIA Contract Documents, and passing these fees along to clients, was high for projects in which people were often underinsured. Could AIA California help?
You probably saw the email blast about the results. National AIA put us in touch with the parent company for AIA Contract Documents, who immediately stepped in to help, offering discounts on the type of contracts that would be involved for those trying to re-build their home at a significant discount, dropping the price from $149.99 per document to $51 per document for:
B110: Standard Form of Agreement between Owner and Architect for a Custom Residential Project A110: Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner and Contractor for a Custom Residential Project A105: Standard Short Form of Agreement Between Owner and Contractor (appropriate for residential or small commercial projects)
These are available to all members in California. To access these contracts prior to December 31, 20026, click here.
As we said, when we made the announcement: clear, reliable contract documents help everyone involved understand the scope of project delivery, and ensure property owners are protected from the start.
Discussions amongst architects, and presents of projects begins and ends with the client. How can the architectural profession best address their needs? A clear contract is an important part of the equation for sure.
While I am telling you this story about how AIA California is working for you (to help your clients and communities), I thought it is equally important to know that we’re working for those impacted by these disasters too in this small way.
AIA CaliforniaRead More
