SOCIAL SALON for DIFFERENTLY-MINDED DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

SOCIAL SALON is an in-person meetup for architects, engineers and designers who think differently to connect, and share fresh ideas.
About this Event

You’re capable, often highly successful, and your brain works a little differently. Most workdays, there isn’t much room to talk about that. Whether you identify as neurodivergent or simply know you think differently, join us for an easygoing evening with peers who get it. We want a place to talk openly about how our minds operate: what’s working, what’s still a challenge, and what we’re learning along the way. No judgment, no agenda beyond good company. Come as you are, quirks and all.

CASUAL PROGRAM

Start with open social time, move into prompted small-group conversations, and close with our take-aways.

REFRESHMENTS

Wine, beer and light bites provided. 🍻

YOUR HOSTS

Tina Shen, Assoc. AIA – Project Manager, HMC Architects

Tina Shen is a Project Manager at HMC Architects specializing in healthcare design. She has been involved in the 1.8-billion-dollar Harbor UCLA Replacement Project. Her passion for advocating for neurodiversity in design and women comes from her own story of getting diagnosed with ADHD in late 20s. Her hyperactive mind has led her to a wide range of experiences, from being an editor at an architecture magazine to spending a month building a temple in a desert. Tina graduated from California College of the Arts with a Master of Architecture, where she got to relearn the relationship between architecture and nature, and found her deep appreciation for the land of California.

Zinayda Reyes, AIA – Senior Project Manager, KTGY

Zinayda is an architect and neurodiversity advocate with more than 20 years of experience across residential, institutional, commercial, mixed-use, and historic renovation projects. As a Senior PM at KTGY, she brings a strong commitment to equity and accessibility to her work, designing environments that respond to the diverse needs of individuals and communities. Her advocacy for underrepresented groups is fueled by her lived experience as the mom of two amazing neurodivergent children. Mentorship is at the heart of her practice: she volunteers with the AIA K-12 Committee, mentors young professionals, and teaches and serves as a visiting juror for community college architecture studios, encouraging students to see themselves as advocates for equity, diversity, and inclusion in the built environment. Her professional interests include building performance, user-centered design, equitable housing, and accessibility.

Ben Loescher, AIA – Founding Principal, Terrain

Ben Loescher, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, is the founding principal of Terrain, a California architectural firm focused on problem-solving through design and navigating constraints like climate impact, material scarcity, building codes, and land use politics. An expert in adaptive reuse, he has served as project director for major clients, including Skydance Media, Warner Bros., the Beats by Dre Headquarters, Illumination Entertainment, and NeueHouse. Additionally, Ben founded Adobeisnotsoftware, Terrain’s earthen education and advocacy arm, and is the former chair of The Earthbuilders Guild, and actively participates with community non-profits Adobe in Action and The Friends of Pioneertown.

Esther Alva, AIA – Associate, Project Architect, KAA Design

Esther is a Southern California native who has remained close to her roots. Born and raised in Culver City, she knew she wanted to become an architect at age six, when her parents built the family home. She earned her Bachelor of Architecture from Woodbury University in 2004, with a minor in psychology. Esther believes deeply in architecture’s ability to shape the human experience through our sense of space, and that designing a family home is among the most intimate forms of design. Being raised by a general contractor gave her exposure to a wide range of architectural styles and hands-on insight into the practical challenges of bringing a design to life. As a Project Architect at KAA Design, she works on custom residential projects throughout Southern California, from the South Bay to Santa Barbara. Outside of architecture, she is a proud mother who enjoys singing, woodworking, hiking, camping, and animals.

Summer Varde, NCARB, PCC, PCAC – Founder, Scattered Creatives

Summer is an architect turned coach and founder of Scattered Creatives, where she helps architects, engineers, and designers who feel pulled in too many directions follow through on what truly matters, with a lot less overwhelm. In 20+ years as a licensed architect, she worked in marketing, business development, and construction, rising to Senior Project Manager and running her own firm. She also wrestled with perfectionism, let a few big opportunities slip through her fingers, and spent years overwhelmed without the language to explain why. A late ADHD diagnosis, plus therapy, coaching, and an obsessive dive into self-development, changed that. Today she happily owns her challenges and her strengths, and she loves helping other brilliantly messy minds get there too.

SPONSORS