Katherine (Katie) C. Ackerly, AIA
Katie Ackerly, AIA, is a 2026 recipient of the AIA Young Architect Award. She advances climate-responsive housing and equitable design through research-driven practice, policy leadership, and nationally recognized projects.
-
Bruce DamonteA vacant, marginal industrial lot in Oakland, California, became Coliseum Place, a neighbor-friendly, transit-oriented development with new sidewalks, lighting, and street trees. -
Bruce DamonteThe prefab raw steel sawtooth facade at Blue Oak Landing, in Vallejo, California, enables optimum orientation for view and solar control, reduced construction complexity, and distinctive character. -
Bruce DamonteUnion Flats offers 243 new LEED Platinum homes—including modern modular apartments and flexible live/work lofts—in an amenity-rich community convenient to transit in Union City, California. -
RMIInsulated metal panels replace a conventional asphalt shingle roof at Vera Cruz Village in a first-ever retrofit application, part of the REALIZE-CA applied research project.
Katie Ackerly, AIA, is a principal at David Baker Architects whose work redefines the intersection of sustainability, housing, and social impact. Her leadership has elevated affordable housing to new standards of performance and design excellence, with projects such as Coliseum Place and Blue Oak Landing earning national AIA recognition.
At the firm level, Ackerly has shaped a culture rooted in inquiry, rigor, and human-centered design. She developed a clear, values-driven design philosophy—focused on experience, place, resourcefulness, and long-term impact—that guides both project outcomes and practice-wide decision-making.
Ackerly’s influence extends across the profession through her leadership with AIA California and the AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE®), where she advances frameworks, evaluation tools, and discourse around climate action in housing. Through writing, speaking, and mentorship, she continues to connect research, policy, and practice—expanding how architects deliver high-impact, equitable design at scale.
The Young Architect Award honors individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and made significant contributions to the architecture profession early in their careers.
See all the early career architects recognized for exceptional work.
Ceara O’Leary, AIA, is a 2026 recipient of the AIA Young Architect Award. She is recognized for her human-centered design approach and dedication to mentoring the next generation of architects.
