WOMAN-OWNED, CITY SHAPED

Interested in LA's public life and architecture? Curious how good design inspires us to gather, to linger, to make space feel welcoming?

On Friday, October 2, 2026, NCA Studio and AWA+D hosted an open house, informal conversation, and design mapping games at NCA Studio, focusing on women-owned practices shaping LA's hospitality and civic landscapes.

We invited architects and designers, restaurant owners, developers, investors, civic leaders, community organizers, media, and Angelenos curious about how we design the spaces we share: restaurants, civic buildings, community centers.

photos by Ling Luo, LEED AP

We asked attendees to tell us where in LA County they most felt like they belonged, and where least. We asked about the women shaping public life: who they were, and what they were building. We asked what it would take to build more vibrant space in LA, and where great public life in LA is working.

And you all answered! So many of you put your ideas on the boards. And now we’re writing those up, and planning a working session for early 2027.