Monthly Social
BARchitecture
Good brews, great people — our signature monthly social, the first Thursday of every month at a different bar, brewery, or design destination around Long Beach and the South Bay.
Good brews. Great people. BARchitecture is AIA Long Beach/South Bay’s signature social — a standing happy hour on the first Thursday of every month, 6:00–7:30 PM, each time at a different bar, brewery, or design destination somewhere between Long Beach and the South Bay. A first-Thursday tradition since 2015, it’s the easiest way to plug into the local design community: no agenda, no reservations — just show up.
Appetizers are on us; drinks are on you. Come catch up with old friends, make new connections, and meet the people behind the region’s firms and projects. Members and friends of the chapter are all welcome — bring a co-worker.
The venue is half the fun. BARchitecture has taken us to a brewery inside a 1903 Masonic temple, taprooms designed by our own members, one of California’s few sustainability-focused breweries, and patios from Bixby Knolls to San Pedro and the beach cities. It’s a little architecture tourism—with a drink in hand—every month.
Special editions
A few times a year, the social gets a twist:
The chapter’s business meeting goes to happy hour — hear the year in review and cast your vote for the incoming Board of Directors at the annual Town Hall edition.
Celebrating dogs! Bring your furry friend for a stroll and a pint — non-furry friends are welcome too.
Make line drawings of well-known Long Beach and South Bay buildings that become the coloring book we hand out at our annual Kids Draw Architecture event.
Joint editions with partners like the Producers’ Council of Southern California and AIA Orange County — sometimes with AIA continuing-education credit on tap.
Scenes from BARchitecture
