On Thursday, April 24, as part of their annual design awards gala, AIA San Francisco honored PYATOK Principal Adrianne Steichen, FAIA, with their inaugural Marsha Matum, FAIA, Citizen Architect Award! The award is bestowed in recognition of Adrianne's enduring commitment to housing advocacy, public-interest architecture, and community service.

A lifelong organizer, leader, and active contributor to mission-driven causes, Adrianne champions the needs and desires of under-served city dwellers, deftly blending inventive design and diplomacy to ennoble lives and enrich neighborhoods. At PYATOK, she inspires teams to design and deliver housing for all, across the Bay Area, and passionately writes and presents about the design of dignified housing in walkable urban communities to professionals and communities across the United States.

The Citizen Architect Award is named for Marsha Maytum, FAIA, a trailblazer in sustainable design and community engagement, and recognizes an individual’s lifelong contributions to the community. Maytum’s work emphasized “the transformative power of architecture in addressing environmental and social challenges, inspiring generations of architects to serve their communities,” the AIASF states. Adrianne is the first recipient of the award.

Adrianne was one of several Leadership Award honorees celebrated last night alongside the naming of 2025 Design Award winners. Congratulations Adrianne on this much-deserved honor!