Name: Circular SoCal: A Catalyst for a Regenerative Future
Start: 2025-09-16T08:00:00-07:00
End: 2025-09-16T14:00:00-07:00
Location: Annenberg Community Beach House

Circular SoCal: A Catalyst for a Regenerative Future

September 16 @ 8:00 am - 2:00 pm PDT

Free

Circular SoCal: A Catalyst for a Regenerative Future

Join the City of Santa Monica, Carbon Leadership Forum – Los Angeles, and AIA Los Angeles for an expert-level conversation on circularity in the built environment. This is your opportunity to be a catalyst for change, driving tangible collaboration and innovation across all scales.

When: Tuesday, September 16, 2025 | 8 AM – 2 PM

Where: Annenberg Community Beach House – Sand & Sea Room

Cost: FREE with advance RSVP

Why You Can’t Miss This Event:

Become Part of the Solution: Dive deep into the principles of the circular economy with top architects, designers, policymakers, and sustainability leaders. This isn’t just a discussion—it’s an opportunity to co-create a more resilient, regenerative future for our region.
Unlock Collaboration: We will explore how to build pathways from material innovation to policy transformation, identifying barriers and collectively unlocking obstacles. You will engage in hands-on, table-based workshops to develop short-, medium-, and long-term goals.
Hear from the Experts: The day will feature a welcome from the Mayor of Santa Monica and three expert panels covering the material, building, and municipal scales. You’ll gain crucial insights into innovative building codes, product-as-a-service models, and strategies for deconstruction ordinances.
Connect with Leaders: Network with a diverse and influential group of attendees, including architects, urban planners, policymakers, developers, and sustainability professionals, all committed to advancing the circular economy.

This will be a zero-waste event, reflecting our commitment to the very principles we will discuss.

Agenda Overview:

8:00 AM – 8:30 AM: Breakfast & Networking
8:30 AM – 9:00 AM: Opening Remarks & Welcome
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Expert Panels on Material, Building, and Municipal Scale Innovations
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM: Collaborative Workshop Ideation
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM: Lunch & Networking, with Closing Remarks

Don’t miss this chance to be at the forefront of a transformative movement. Secure your free spot today and help us build a circular, resilient, and regenerative Los Angeles.

EVENT PLANNING COMMITTEE:

Heidi Creighton, FAIA, LEED Fellow, WELL AP, Fitwel Ambassador – Senior Design Manager, City of Santa Monica
Amelia Feichtner – Capital Program Manager, City of Santa Monica
Amber Richane – Principal Design & Planning Manager, City of Santa Monica
Shannon Parry – Chief Sustainability Officer, City of Santa Monica
Clove Galilee – Office of Sustainability & the Environment, Public Works Department, City of Santa Monica
Will Wright, Hon. AIA|LA – Director, Government & Public Affairs, AIA Los Angeles
Maya White-Turre AIA – Senior Associate, GRUEN ASSOCIATES
Sophie Pennetier – Founder, Digne & Adjunct Faculty, SCI-Arc
Rachelle Habchi, MS, PE – Low Carbon Product Lead, Carbon Leadership Forum
Soham Patel, LEED AP BD+C – Sustainability Analyst, BEYOND
Luke Lombardi – Senior Engineer – Building Performance, Buro Happold
Kathleen Hetrick, LEED AP BD+C – Associate Principal | Sustainability Integration Leader, Buro Happold

Panel Topics:

Dig into the topics at each scale, identify the barriers, and how we can collectively unlock these obstacles. Point to specific case studies to highlight the work that is already done / underway.

Aligned subject areas, but not the primary focus: adaptive reuse, resiliency, and embodied carbon.

· Material scale – implementation strategies that require cooperation around storage and accessible inventory, innovative building materials and methods, product-as-a-service models, and getting innovative products authorized for use

· Building scale – union / non-union conversation, rethinking aesthetics, material database, building systems, and approaches

· Municipal scale – deconstruction ordinances, innovative building codes, different methods of procurement, 3rd party testing, what support is needed from the state level, what advocacy is needed to move innovative policies forward