By funkhaus
In June, Studio Luz Principal and BSA/AIA President Hansy Better Barraza attended and opened the AIA25 National Conference in Boston, an event that gathered nearly 13,000 attendees from across the world, including 600 exhibiting companies and thousands of architects, specifiers, and AEC partners together to share new tools, fresh perspectives, and a renewed sense of purpose to design a better world.
As part of her involvement in the conference, Hansy participated in the “Laying the Foundations: National Latinx Architects Coalition” workshop and panel discussion along with Leslie Ponce-Diaz, Dennis Chiessa, Ricardo Alvarez-Diaz, and Gloria Kloter. This interactive working session brought together these representatives from leading Latinx organizations to share strategies for advancing national collaboration, programming, and outreach, and to offer actionable insights into mentorship, education, leadership development, and cultural advocacy while showcasing the impactful work of the National Latinx Architects Coalition and its member organizations.
Closing the three day conference, Hansy joined BSA Executive Director Danyson Tavares and BSA Senior Director of Programs Paige Johnston in welcoming AIA members and the public at a record-breaking and well-attended open house at the BSA Space.
We were excited to be a part of this year’s conference in the first year since the AIA elected their first Latina President-elect 2026, Yiselle Santos Rivera, and to continue the work of uplifting Latinx voices in the field.
Photography by Paige McWhorter.