Staff Exchange Program

Share employees; need part-time employees. Participate in the AIA|LA staff exchange program.

Paycheck Protection Program

Has your business been impacted by the COVID-19 Crisis?

Earlier this week (the week of 04.02.20) the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Small Business Administration shared guidelines for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) authorized by The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The PPP will provide to small businesses (>500 people), sole proprietors, and independent contractors affected by COVID-19  access to $349 billion in federally guaranteed loans.

According to the SBA, “funds are provided in the form of loans that will be fully forgiven when used for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities (due to likely high subscription, at least 75% of the
forgiven amount must have been used for payroll).”

Applications are being accepted beginning on Friday, April 3rd. You’re highly encouraged to apply ASAP, since there is a funding cap.

Apply Here.

For additional details, please CLICK HERE.

Eligibility for Immediate Financial Assistance

In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, small business owners are eligible to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan advance of up to $10,000.
Find Out More

Software for Working Remotely – Autodesk Offers Free & Extended Access to Cloud Collaboration Products
AIA|LA has been in contact with National regarding requests to access Autodesk products while working remotely. Autodesk hears you!

Architects can obtain free access to select Autodesk products including BIM 360 Docs through a program that is currently scheduled to run through May 31. To learn more and connect with AutoDesk, click the link below, then scroll to the headline we’ve used above.
Click Here to Access Autodesk Products

Free Video Conferencing Technology
Small firms that need free video conferencing, AIA National just passed this along: check out a free virtual meeting service available from FreeConferenceCalls that is very reliable to use. It offers audio and video conferencing along with screen sharing capability.

Los Angeles City Planning: Open for business.
LACP is currently accepting appointments at their Metro/ Downtown LA and Van Nuys Development Service Centers.

They are also implementing a “drop box system” to allow project applicants to safely submit their applications while still allowing for social distancing.

Headspace for LA County

Feeling stressed?  Access Headspace mindfulness and meditation exercises with this free subscription to HEADSPACE.

Los Angeles Department of Building & Safety: Continuity of Operations
Effective March 23, LADBS has modified their plan check, permitting & inspection services in keeping with Mayor Garcetti’s COVID-19 guidelines. For their most updated info, CLICK HERE.

You can also submit digitized plans through their ePlanLA portal.

For a list of all of LADBS’ online services, CLICK HERE.

Helpful Links from the City of Los Angeles
Mayor Eric Garcetti’s COVID-19 Executive Directive
City of Los Angeles’s COVID-19 Website
Los Angeles County Public Health’s Website
COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions

Help Produce 5,000,000 Non-Medical Masks
https://laprotects.org/City of Los Angeles program to connect manufacturers with organizations in need.

St. Vincent Medical Center
Governor Gavin Newsom authorized funds to lease St. Vincent Medical Center as a treatment facility for COVID-19 patients. AIA|LA and ULI-LA are in early discussions about how to offer our expertise and assistance to ensure that this location, as well as, additional publicly-owned real-estate assets are adaptively re-purposed into affordable housing, treatment facilities and supportive services.

AIA California Efforts Underway:

CONNECTING PEOPLE & FACILITATING DISCUSSIONS: Local AIA components are hosting a series of townhall discussions to understand member needs and share information, but mostly to connect the architectural community. We’ve made our Zoom platform available to local chapters and have created a sample invite and agenda for everyone. From intel gathered during these sessions, we’ll address the common concerns and latest information impacting the profession on a statewide townhall on March 30

GATHERING PRACTICE RESOURCES: Thanks to all of you who have shared your own best practices and resources for remote workplaces. We’ve compiled these and others in one place online: AIA CA Online Resources

ADVOCATING FOR THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY: We are part of an industry effort to advocate for an exemption for construction projects from the Governor’s office. While no one wants to put employees in harms way, we also know there are many projects that are essential and we want to give firms the flexibility to do what they need to do. We’re waiting for an interpretation about how the Governor’s statewide order will align with local municipality directives and will get that info out to members ASAP (note: construction has slowed but still continues on our new AIA CA office – at least for now)

As of March 22, here is the latest info from the State of California on their list of exemptions for Critical Infrastructure Workers.

GATHERING REGULATORY AGENCY INFORMATION: We’re gathering specific guidance from the various regulatory agencies and will make that available ASAP.

Info on City of Los Angeles COVID-19 Testing

As we navigate this unprecedented crisis in our global community, AIA is committed to equipping our members with the information they need to help navigate these uncertain times. This page is intended to provide guidelines, policies, and tools for our members and will be updated frequently as new resources become available.

Find out how AIA advocated for our members to be positively impacted by legislation under consideration or already enacted.

AIA Disaster Assistance Program

AIA National COVID-19 Member Resources

An Architect’s Guide to Virtual Practice

The AIA Foresight Report and navigating through a recession with new business models

Federal relief

AIA Update on Federal Relief Packages Approved Post COVID-19 Outbreak

AIA Letter to Congress on COVID-19 Stimulus

COVID-19 State & Local Government Report
As of March 23, 11:30am ET, the Stateside 2020 COVID-19 Report shares all of the state and local executive orders as they pertain to COVID-19

Free learning opportunities

As businesses transition from being fully closed to reopening in some capacity, they must put in place necessary health measures. AIA’s new Re-occupancy Assessment Tool will help architects, private clients, and civic leaders reduce the risk of exposure and transmission of COVID-19 in nonessential facilities like businesses, schools, and restaurants.

The U.S. Department of State translated AIA’s alternate care site checklist (PDF) into Spanish (PDF), French (PDF), and Portuguese (PDF). The checklist highlights important areas to consider when evaluating buildings to be used for temporary healthcare operations and will be distributed to embassies around the world.