Kirk O’BrienAIA

Kirk O’Brien has been a Licensed Architect since 1987, and long-time member in good standing of the American Institute of Architects, and very active in local chapter leadership. In private practice for twenty seven years as Principal of Aedifice Ideas > Architecture (now Ideas, Inc.) in San Diego & Los Angeles.

Mr. O’Brien began his career after graduating from the University of Idaho with a Bachelor of Architecture Degree in 1983, focusing primarily on Institutional/ Educational and Commercial projects, and Multi- and Single Family Residential work. With an interest in architectural history, also worked part-time as an adjunct professor at both the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and The New School of Architecture in San Diego, California.

As a principal architect, he has designed almost every building type and tenant improvement, producing construction documents for hundreds of projects, as well as managed his own firms’ projects and consulted with other architectural firms and construction companies to assure adherence to design intent, facilitate construction phase continuity, provide quality assurance, budget, and scheduling management.

Mr. O’Brien has substantial experience as a professional Building Envelope Consultant providing Quality Control and Assurance services for developers, builders, owners, insurance, and lending institutions. Architectural Forensic Expert, defending clients, construction and architectural firms and professionals, experienced in depositions and testifying in courts of law. Quality Control and Peer Review Consultant for Contractors and Architects. Experience in monitoring construction progress and detailing in the field to avoid potential building envelope failures, future defects, and litigation.

With a great deal of disaster response experience gained in the 2003 and 2007 San Diego County Wildfires crafting the subsequent recovery programs provided by the San Diego Chapter in the following years, Mr. O’Brien was selected to participate in the re-writing of the American Institute of Architects California Council Disaster Response Manual, was then appointed for a three-year term on the AIA National Disaster Assistance Committee, which was in the process of developing a national response program for local and regional components of the AIA.

Mr. O’Brien is trained and certified in the California Emergency Management Agency (CalEMA) “Safety Assessment Program” as a Disaster Services Worker/ Building Safety Evaluator, and has been deployed by the State of California to El Centro in 2010 after the Easter Earthquake to assess building and other facility damage.

Education & Certification

Bachelor of Architecture, Architecture, University of Idaho

Registered Architect, State of CA
National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) Certificate

SPECIAL TRAINING
CalEMA Emergency Response Training

Associations

American Institute of Architects San Diego
· Chapter President – 2008
· Government Advocacy Committee – Appointed Member
American Institute of Architects Los Angeles – Current Member
AIA National Disaster Assistance Committee – Appointed Member
International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants (IIBEC) – Member
San Diego City Council Land Use and Housing Subcommittee “Technical Advisory Committee” – Appointed Member/Chairman
City of San Diego Land Development Code Monitoring Team – Appointed Member
Mayor’s Naval Training Center Citizen’s Implementation Advisory Committee – Appointed Member
City of San Diego North Bay Redevelopment Project Area Committee – Appointed Member
Peninsula Community Planning Board – ChairPeninsula Community Planning Board Project Review Committee – Chair