We are thrilled to announce that the American Institute of Architects (AIA) has elevated PYATOK principal Adrianne Steichen to its College of Fellows! This honor is awarded by the national organization to members who exemplify architectural excellence and who have made a significant contribution to the practice and society on a national level - qualities that Adrianne has demonstrated throughout a 24-year career championing the needs and aspirations of city dwellers and blending design and diplomacy to ennoble lives and enrich neighborhoods. Less than 3% of AIA members hold the prestigious FAIA designation.
"It’s the honor of a lifetime to be recognized by my peers and inducted into the AIA College of Fellows," Adrianne says. "I’m humbled that our profession values the architect's role in community leadership, advocacy for the right to housing, and the crafting of quality urban homes and environments for people of all incomes."
A lifelong organizer, leader, and active contributor to mission-driven causes, Adrianne has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to socially conscious architecture, social justice, equity, and civic and community betterment. Her stewardship with complex communities and diverse constituencies has led to built projects that prioritize the needs of their neighborhoods and become beacons for their cities. She inspires colleagues, clients, community groups, and policymakers in the design of dignified urban housing and accessible urban places, facilitating meaningful connections and participatory design and sharing lessons learned in the spirit of collective effort needed to strengthen our cities and built environment. Adrianne has leveraged her longstanding involvement in and contributions to AIA national and local chapters - including past service as AIA San Francisco President as well as past chair and current membership in the national Housing & Community Development Knowledge Community - and has represented American architects to federal agencies and abroad, advocating for housing as a human right and furthering the United Nations’ Sustainable Cities & Communities development goal.
Adrianne’s leadership in infill housing and mixed-use projects include:
- Wilton Court, Palo Alto, affordable housing for low-income and IDD residents
- St. Paul’s Commons, Walnut Creek, supportive housing and homelessness services center
- Alta Waverly, Oakland, market-rate mixed-use contribution to a new Uptown neighborhood
- The Laureate, Berkeley, student housing, shops, and lofts densifying Telegraph Ave
- Avalon Hayes Valley, San Francisco, market-rate redevelopment of a block-long former Central Freeway parcel
- Bowles Hall, UC Berkeley, renovation and adaptation of an historic residence hall for coed living
- The Randall at Mill District, Healdsburg, context-sensitive affordable housing in a semi-rural North Bay community
- 2550 Irving, San Francisco, seminal affordable midrise in the Sunset District (under construction)
- 901 Jefferson, Oakland, trailblazing market-rate multifamily project downtown
- Faith & Housing Initiative, advising Bay Area faith groups introducing housing to their properties
Adrianne is among 93 national inductees for the 2025 cycle, and among seven members of the AIA San Francisco chapter. Fellows are selected by a 10-member Jury of Fellows, consisting this year of Chair Carl D'Silva, FAIA, Perkins & Will; Roderick Ashley, FAIA, Roderick Ashley Architect; Margaret Carney, FAIA, Cornell University; Sanford Garner, FAIA, RGCollaborative; Julie Hiromoto, FAIA, HKS; John Horky, FAIA, Ripples by design; Mary Ann Lazarus, FAIA, Cameron MacAllister; Marilys Nepomechie, FAIA, Florida International University; Anne Schopf, FAIA, Mahlum; and Jose Javier Toro, FAIA, Toro Arquitectos.
Fellows will be honored June 5th at the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design in Boston.
