Celebrating Pride: AIA + ASLA LGBTQ Happy Hour

June was LGBTQIA+ Pride Month, and Heirloom Builders is a proud gay-owned business. As probably the only gay contractor in the Bay Area, Zach Heir attended the 2024 Pride Month Happy Hour on June 21st at the newly opened Center for Architecture + Design in downtown San Francisco. The AIASF and ASLA-sponsored event united queer professionals across the allied design and building communities and amplified their voices. As the LGBTQIA+ community is inclusive, so is the Center for Architecture + Design, catering to the disciplines of architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, and industrial and product design. 

Hallidie Building, Photo: Sherman Takata

The Center for Architecture + Design chose the historic 1918 Hallidie Building for its storefront location. Aidlin Darling Design converted the 10,000-square-foot raw concrete space featuring 20-foot ceilings to create flexible areas for the AIASF, including hosting the 2024 Pride Month Happy Hour. The glass-walled, seven-story retail and office structure on Sutter Street stands out as an architectural and building marvel. Designed by architect Willis Polk and named for cable car inventor pioneer Andrew Smith Hallidie, the glass facade was one of the first in America. Polk juxtaposed the modernity of the glass with decorative Gothic-style gold-painted metalwork. 

2024 Pride Month Happy Hour