Celebrating extraordinary individuals and organizations for their service to the community and to the profession.

January 29, 2025
6:00-8:00 PM

The Center for Architecture + Design is proud to host an unforgettable evening celebrating the extraordinary individuals, organizations, and businesses that shape our communities. Since its inception in 2015, the Community Alliance Awards have recognized more than 100 honorees for their leadership, innovation, and commitment to enhancing the character and vitality of our neighborhoods and the future of our built environment.

This year, we are highlighting the individuals and organizations whose inspiring work to engage, educate, collaborate, and advocate demonstrates the transformative power of design in our daily lives.

The recipients will be recognized at an awards ceremony on January 29, 2025, from 6-8 PM, at the Center for Architecture + Design. The evening will feature a discussion moderated by John King, former urban design writer with the San Francisco Chronicle, in conversation with this year’s honorees including Michael Shvo, Founder, Chairman & CEO, SHVO; Rod Roche, Principal, G&M Realty Ventures, LLC; Maurice Woods, Principal Designer, Microsoft & Founder, Executive Director, Inneract Project; Meg Shiffler, Director, Artist Space Trust; Jonathan Cordero, PhD, Executive Director, Association of Ramaytush Ohlone; Sally Chen, Deputy Director, Livable City; and Joanne Lee, Executive Director of Edge on the Square/CMAC. We are also thrilled to announce that Danny Sauter will be joining us to deliver remarks on the transformative power of community and design.

Join us for a celebratory evening recognizing outstanding leadership, and hear about the intersection of design, storytelling, and community engagement.

 

Program Sponsors

Gold Level

Bronze Level
Copper Level

2025 Awards Recipients

Social Impact Award: Chinatown Media & Arts Collaborative (CMAC)

CMAC was founded in 2017 by six leading Asian American community organizations dedicated to communicating compelling Asian American narratives and building multiracial solidarity from San Francisco Chinatown. It is a first-of-its-kind multidisciplinary organization with deep roots in civil rights, community development, media, community engagement, and the arts. CMAC’s dream and first project is to create a cultural hub in the heart of Chinatown to bring together art and activism across past and present to imagine an inclusive America. 

 

Resilience (Storytelling / Placemaking) Award: The Association of Ramaytush Ohlone

The Association of Ramaytush Ohlone (ARO) represents the interests of the original peoples of the San Francisco Peninsula. The purposes of the ARO align with our ancestral responsibilities to care for Mother Earth and to care for the people who reside in our ancestral homeland.

      

Changemaker Award: Artist Space Trust

Artist Space Trust is the nation’s first Community Land Trust exclusively dedicated to securing and stewarding permanently affordable housing and creative space for artists and culture-bearers. AST fights housing injustice and cultivates vibrant, empowered communities through our programs: properties that meet the unique needs of artists, workshops on financial education, organizational replication through our toolkit, and a social impact loan fund for investors. 

 

Mentor Award for Youth Mentorship: Inneract Project

Inneract Project empowers Black and Brown youth through free design education and mentorship, guiding them from middle school to early career. By addressing equity gaps, we create opportunities for diverse voices in design, fostering innovation and inclusivity in the industry.

 

Mentor Award for Adult Mentorship: Rod Roche

As an accomplished real estate development professional with over 25 years of experience, Rod serves in several CRE Adult Mentorship roles. Rod is a Co-Chair of the ULI-SF-DEI Committee, an Executive Committee Member of AAREP Bay Area, and a CIWI Advisory Committee Member. Rod’s role in these organizations supports the advancement of community professionals and collegiate students seeking to obtain career establishment and growth within the CRE industry.

Revitalization Award: Transamerica Pyramid Center

Transamerica Pyramid Center, designed by futurist architect William Pereira, has been remastered by SHVO in collaboration with Foster + Partners. Ahead of its time since 1972, the iconic site has been transformed into the headquarters for the brightest minds and a place of community for years to come.

 

Community Alliance Award: Livable City

Livable City works to empower and inspire San Franciscans to co-create an equitable, healthy, and joyful future. Environmentally-friendly forms of transportation like walking and biking are accessible, people have affordable housing and meaningful work in neighborhoods that are economically and culturally vital, and public spaces are healthy, green, and biodiverse.

 

Award Categories

Social Impact Award. Recognition of an organization or individual for extended commitment to community service or significant contribution evidenced by a positive impact on urban, environmental, or neighborhood issues. 

Resilience Award. Recognition of individuals or organizations who have been a mainstay in the community and whose mission aligns with the historic documentation and preservation of community stories. 

Changemaker Award. Recognition of an organization or individual that applies art, technology + research to tackle societal problems while also providing resources for growth to other communities in the Bay Area. 

Revitalization Award. Recognition of business owners, property owners, developers, and neighborhood organizations who have enhanced the local community by making significant improvements to their properties or invigorating the culture, which has, in turn, had a positive impact on the surrounding area. 

Mentor Award. Recognition of individuals for their commitment in guiding students, colleagues, and/or other community members as they progress through all stages of their career. 

Community Alliance Award. Recognition of an organization or individual outside the profession who has made significant contributions to the improvement of the Bay Area’s built environment. Contributions may include advancement or development of initiatives that promote excellence in architecture; the commissioning of notable additions to the built environment; or activities that raise the public’s consciousness of the importance of excellent design in the shaping of our world and culture.