Architectural Record has asked a panel of figures in the San Francisco architecture world—from designers to product distributors to critics—to recommend favorite local architecture and other destinations that visitors should check out while in town for the AIA convention.

About Our Panel

• Best New Bay-Area Architecture
• Historic San Francisco Architecture
• Buildings off the Beaten Path

• Museums and Galleries
• Restaurants
• Hotels and Shops

Photo © Joe Fletcher

In our “My San Francisco” video series, Bay-Area luminaries take us on tours of their favorite local architecture. SFMOMA curator Henry Urbach, Gensler managing director Scott Dunlap, and others discuss San-Francisco architecture from Piano’s California Academy of Sciences to Morphosis’ federal building.

Image courtesy Bryant Rousseau

The American Institute of Architects' annual convention is being held in San Francisco, April 30 through May 2. To celebrate the host city's built environment, the editors of Architectural Record invite architects and other visitors to share their images of the Bay Area’s best buildings as well as photos from the convention. Local firms are encouraged to submit examples of their own work.

Image submitted by “tolynnwang”

When looking at the 2009 AIA Honor Awards as a whole, it is easy to comprehend why this year’s winners were chosen. The group—which includes nine projects in the category of Architecture, 10 projects in Interiors, and six in Urban Design, along with the Gold Medal, Firm of the Year, and 25 Year awards—all reveal what could be called a connection to connections.

Photo © Tim Griffith

"It started with the de Young," say many San Francisco architects. But even before the Herzog & de Meuron-designed museum opened, the city had begun to see a spate of high-profile projects taking shape. The profiles below offer a look back at the last few years in San Francisco architecture.

• California Academy of Sciences - San Francisco, California  - Renzo Piano Building Workshop
• Cathedral of Christ the Light - Oakland, California - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill - Making the Omega Window at the Cathedral of Christ the Light
• C.V. Starr East Asian Library - Berkeley, California - Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects
• Contemporary Jewish Museum - San Francisco, California - Studio Daniel Libeskind
• Congregation Beth Sholom Synagogue - San Francisco, California - Stanley Saitowitz/Natoma Architects
• U.S. Federal Building - San Francisco, California – Morphosis
• de Young Museum - San Francisco, California - Herzog & de Meuron
• The Ferry Building - San Francisco – SMWM
• CCA Graduate Center - San Francisco - Jensen & Macy Architects
• Yerba Buena Lofts - San Francisco - Stanley Saitowitz

Photos © Tim Griffith

Bringing Good Design to Affordable Housing
Bay Area architects see their affordable housing work as part of a long tradition of progressive culture and urbanism.

Photo © Brian Rose

A survey of Bay-Area buildings—with programs ranging form retail to multifamily housing—culled from our archive of Building Types Studies.

• Carter Terrace
• Cavallo Point, The Retreat at the Golden Gate
• Conduit Restaurant
• Clifton Hall Dormitory
• Curran House
• Drew College Preparatory School
• E*Trade 123
• Frog
• Guerrero Street Mixed-Use Development
• Lick-Wilmerding High School
• Marc by Marc Jacobs Store
• Mercedes-Benz of San Francisco
• Moscone West
• Reflect Retail Store
• 350 Rhode Island

Photo © Michael Venera; Photo © Rien Van Rijthoven

A collection of recent articles from RECORD’s Web site, covering Bay-Area projects, people, and more.

• News: Museum Proposal Stirs Debate in San Francisco
• Residential: Parkview Terraces
• Architectural Technology: Raising the Profile of Performance-Based Design
• Architectural Technology: One Project, but Many Seismic Solutions
• Record Houses: Howard Street Residence

Photo © Richard Barnes

To learn about the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and to download a membership application, visit our About the AIA section. Plus, check out the AIA 2009 National Convention Web site to register for the event and view a schedule. Also, visit the Web site for the San Francisco chapter of the AIA.