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Reimagining Behavioral Health & Homeless Services in San Francisco

AIAU25-PAKC02R
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1 LU|HSW
Course expires on: 04/01/2028
$30
Architect$30

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Description

Cities across the U.S. face critical challenges in behavioral health, substance abuse, and homelessness. San Francisco is leading the way with over 20 groundbreaking projects – either in design, under construction, or recently completed – that provide new solutions, including crisis stabilization units, child and family therapy facilities, and modular buildings. 
 
This course features experts from the San Francisco Department of Public Works, highlighting innovative new solutions for supporting the health, safety, and welfare of building occupants and the broader community. By shining a spotlight on behavioral health projects, this course will demonstrate how designers can improve service navigation, enhance connectivity, and create more effective support networks to address urgent health and housing needs.

This course was recorded live on May 13, 2025.

Learning Objectives

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Identify different facility types supporting behavioral health and homelessness services in San Francisco.

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Explore innovative care models, including crisis stabilization units, children's behavioral health centers, drop-in clinics, and navigation centers.

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Apply adaptive reuse, modular buildings, tensile structures, and site innovations to create cost-effective, timely responses to urgent behavioral health and housing needs.

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Integrate design principles that improve patient recovery and staff effectiveness, creating environments that promote safety, well-being, job satisfaction, and efficient workflows.

Hosted in partnership with the Public Architects Committee (PAKC).

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Instructors
Zaid Alzaid
AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C

Zaid Alzaid is a licensed architect specializing in public infrastructure, civic architecture, and complex renovations across both public and private sectors. He currently serves as an Architectural Associate with San Francisco Public Works' Bureau of Architecture, where he oversees design and manages city projects including a behavioral health facility and healthcare campus infrastructure upgrades.

His role demands coordination with city agencies, contractors, and consultants to meet regulatory standards and operational needs. Previously, Zaid held positions at DAHLIN Architecture, Rivetna Architects, and Mode Architects, where he developed entire residential subdivisions in Marin and Sacramento counties, in addition to projects ranging from spiritual retreat master planning to award-winning urban developments.

Zaid's approach emphasizes practical solutions, focusing on execution, collaboration, and navigating the intersection of design, policy, and construction. His experience in both private development and public service establishes him as a strategic leader in civic architecture.

Peter Engel
AIA, LEED AP

Peter has spent over three decades designing homeless shelters, affordable housing, and schools in California and working with low-income populations throughout south and southeast Asia.  He is a recipient of awards from the Fulbright Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Graham Foundation, Columbia and Harvard Universities, among other institutions.  At the Bureau of Architecture, he has been involved in the design, programming, and construction administration of multiple homeless shelters.

 

Kevin L. Fuller

Kevin is a licensed California architect and healthcare specialist with 25+ years of planning, design, and construction experience. An emphasis on acute-care “OSHOD – 1” hospital environments, includes client representation and engagement, regulatory review and permitting, pre-construction, and construction administration services.

"Healthcare is an essential part San Francisco Public Works BDC. We support the 2016 Public Health & Safety Bond and advocate for community health and safety through project work at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital & Trauma Center Campus and throughout the city. As a healthcare Architect I support capital development of acute care and clinical renovation efforts at ZSFG, such as the expansion of the City's only Psychiatric Emergency Services Clinic."

Kevin has a Master of Architecture degree from Harvard University Graduate School of Design, a Bachelor of Architecture, Cal Poly Pomona, College of Environmental Design, is a registered California Architect, and a DSW Trainer for the California Office of Emergency Services (CAL OES) Safety Assessment Program.

Julia Laue

Julia Laue is City Architect & Bureau Manager for the Bureau of Architecture (BOA) for San Francisco’s Department of Public Works where her focus is excellence in Project Delivery and Design for the City's great Civic Projects. Her 28-year overall career prior to BOA ranged from multi-family housing, urban mix-use projects, healthcare, to hospitality. In 2013 she left the private sector to join BOA, where she oversees an architectural staff of 70+ to deliver hundreds of building & renovation projects for a diverse range of communities and neighborhoods. BOA’s projects range from Branch Libraries, Fire Stations, Auditoriums, Community & Rec Centers, Homeless Shelters & Alternative Housing, Hospital & Healthcare Clinics. Julia’s goal has always been to inspire cultural and strategic change, raising the bar in design and technical execution on all the projects and organizations she works with. Project delivery through great design and excellence in execution is Julia’s passion. 

Stephen Li

Stephen Li is a Bay Area native and licensed architect practicing in California since 2011. He graduated from the University of Southern California (USC) school of Architecture. He has designed and completed projects throughout a variety of sectors including healthcare, hospitality, research and development labs, automotive, commercial and residential. His passion is rehabilitating historic buildings – providing new life to older buildings and neighborhoods so they can still be enjoyed by the local community. He has had the opportunity to work on significant projects such as Ghirardelli Square, Ahwahnee Hotel and Renoir Hotel.  

Stephen joined the Bureau of Architecture in 2024 and is working with the healthcare team. He is excited to continue stewarding San Francisco’s beautiful buildings and neighborhoods through architectural design. 

Aries Martin

Aries Martin has 17 years of architectural experience in San Francisco working directly on projects that address vulnerable and minority populations. For 10 years Aries worked with a non-profit that promoted community-oriented architectural advocacy.  Giving those who often cannot afford architectural services an equal opportunity through community-based design and involvement.

After a decade Aries joined the Public Works Bureau of Architecture (BOA) and was given the opportunity to spearhead Projects for the Homeless as a Job Captain. Continuing to work on user-based humanitarian design and learning how to better serve the homeless through various architectural solutions and approaches. 

 

Colin Mosher
AIA

Colin Mosher, AIA, is a licensed architect with over 30 years of experience leading, coordinating, designing, and planning complex projects across the healthcare, commercial, urban design, infrastructure, science, and education sectors—both locally and internationally. He is currently leading the design and delivery teams for several high-profile healthcare projects at Public Works, including the Chinatown Public Health Center, Southeast Childhood Development Center, multiple projects at Laguna Honda Hospital, and the Crisis Prevention and Stabilization Unit.

Sunhwa Son
AIA, LEED AP BD+C

Sunhwa Son is a licensed architect with over 20 years of experience and has joined recently the Bureau of Architecture (BOA) at San Francisco Public Works after successful completion of multi-function public facilities, City of South San Francisco Community Civic Campus project in the previous private firm. This community-driven design process reignited her passion to serve the community for public safety, wellness, and aspirations in creative and inspiring ways. She has broad planning and design experience including healthcare, commercial office, higher education, science and technology, adaptive reuse, federal, and civic projects. She has won design awards and has served as a member of the AIA CA Professional Practice Advisory Committee since 2022. She is a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Architecture and Planning with a Master’s degree.

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