March 2021
AIA College of Fellows Elevates Philip Bona, FAIA
In four decades of continuous AIA service, Philip Bona has inspired the Institute, its members and society. His effective leadership and advocacy shaped professional and public knowledge of critical issues affecting society and the environment.
Object Three: Led the Institute And/or related organizations
"To coordinate the building industry, and the profession of architecture."
Fellowship in this object is granted to architects who have actively, efficiently, and cooperatively led the Institute or a related professional organization over a sustained period of time and have gained widespread recognition for the results of their work.
As AIA San Diego President (2017), Phil championed the “Housing the Next 1 Million in San Diego County” movement to address the region’s housing crisis with community building and visionary design solutions. He was recognized by the San Diego Daily Transcript as one San Diego’s 50 Most Influential people. Critical to his mission is urban community-based design to educate the public about the imbalance between population growth and the need for housing equity and the impacts on Public Health and homelessness.
Philip was a Senior Architect and Specification Writer with BNIM (2011 AIA National Firm of the Year) in the San Diego office focusing on Net Zero buildings with renewable energy, water conservation, and climate impact reduction measures for community-based design for multi-family, affordable housing, university, and commercial projects. While with the firm, two of his Design Team Projects, AEG Headquarters Historic Reconstruction in Des Moines, IA, and Pacific Shores Center for Qualcomm in Sorrento Valley, CA, received AIA National Honor Awards. His other successful projects included buildings for Palomar Community College District, the San Diego District Attorney, El Cajon Family Resource Center, Kansas State University, University of Missouri, University of Iowa, Rice University, Georgia Tech, and the Kennedy Center for the Arts.
In early 2009, Philip reorganized his prior firm Baucentrum Architecture for San Diego as Baucentrum Urban Studio and his varied expertise sets the basis of knowledge for the firm. His extensive planning, and master planning experience includes entitlements, CEQA review, hazardous materials environmental management plans, community planning, wayfinding, new town planning, resort planning, property reports, feasibility studies, Urban Design Excellence Seminars, California Redevelopment Agency Seminars, LEED for Neighborhood Design Workshops, and BIMStorm® San Diego Urban Visualization Charrettes. His architectural project experience includes community centers, recreational centers, a correctional facility, public parks, commercial/office, mixed use, light industrial and warehouse facilities, hospital and medical arts, historic preservation, theaters, retail, restaurants, primary and secondary educational facilities and college projects, and single/multifamily residential housing as well as the projects for the U.S. Postal Service, Navy, and Army Corps of Engineers.
In his position as Assistant Vice President for Architecture and Planning for CCDC, Philip provided leadership as Chair of the Downtown Education Taskforce, exploring opportunities for vertical urban schools and working with developers to plan for such entitlements.
With WLC Architects, Philip served as Deputy Master Architect for the West Contra Costa Unified School District along with the Seville Group Construction Managers in the oversight of the 23 K-12 elementary and middle school projects including program management of 10 Architect of Record firms under contract with the District. He also managed and designed two new Elementary Schools, a new Community College Aquatic Center, a new High School Sports Stadium and Pool Complex, a new Community Adult School, and the reconstruction of 5 other elementary, middle, and high school projects in Northern California.
As Senior Associate and Senior Project Manager for DES Architects+Engineers, Philip managed the $56 Million school reconstruction bond program for Redwood City School District Senior Project Architect for the Redwood City School District, which included 13 elementary and middle school campuses providing master planning, programming, design, documents and construction administration for 29 New Buildings and 19 Modernized buildings. He also managed the design and construction of several community colleges, elementary, high school and civic projects and a fire station.
Earlier Philip was principal of his firm, Baucentrum Architecture, where he and his 8 staff provided design, documentation and construction administration services to private and public sector clients on single and multifamily residential housing, elementary schools, hospital and medical arts, community and correctional facilities, restaurants, office tenant improvements, and warehouse facilities. He received an Award of Merit from the AIA for Excellence in Architectural Design for the Historic Renovation of St. Michael’s Hall at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Belmont for the Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco.
