Work Highlights
Chaz is a design practitioner focused on developing housing models rooted in self-determination, and creating pathways to put them into practice. As a co-founder of Office of she developed the organization’s first strategic plan, shaping its purpose as a practice on Reparative Urban Development. At LA Más she managed the Backyard Homes Project, an initiative that helped homeowners build a new Section 8 rental Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU).
She’s an orgaizer with Design as Protest, a Board Member at the Association for Community Design, and currently working at a Community Land Trust in Eugene Oregon.
Chaz has been featured in Wallpaper Magazine and named Cultured Magazine’s inaugural 2021 Young Architect.
Chaz’s work is in the Smithsonian Institute Permanent Collection, and she has been has been invited to guest lecture at Rice University, University of Oregon, SCI-Arc, UCLA, USC, and UC Berkeley.
EDUCATION
2015 - 2017 M.Arch, University of Oregon
2011 - 2015 B.Architectural Studies, ASU
TEACHING
Woodbury University
Spring 2024 Adjunct Professor
ARCH 589 Graduate Studio 4; ARCH 547 Environmental Systems Integration
Cal Poly Pomona
Fall 2021 Lecturer
ARCH 4011 Topic Studio: Public Spaces, Low Rise Neighborhoods
Cal Poly Pomona
Fall 2020 Lecturer
ARCH 4011 Topic Studio: Much ADU about Nothing
TRAININGS & ACCREDITATIONS
2024 Urban Homesteading Assistance Board National Incubator
2023 Pathways to Equity P2E Virtual Fellowship
2022 Southern California Association of Governments Housing Policy Leadership Academy
2021 Ross Minority Program in Real Estate, University of Southern California
AWARDS
AIA Phoenix Metro + City of Phoenix ADU Competition Winner, 2024
Los Angeles Architectural Award for Innovation in the Built Environment, 2023
Cultured Magazine Young Architectʼs Honoree, 2021
AIA SouthWest Oregon, Peopleʼs Choice Award - Emerging Professional, 2016
PRESS
Office of: Office brings together fun, seriousness and curiosity in architecture, Wallpaper / Firm Feature
10 emerging Californian practices rethink architecture in the Golden State, Wallpaper / Firm Feature
Accessory Dwelling Unit Equity Strategies: Promising Practices to Advance BIPOC and LMI Equity/Inclusion in the ADU Housing Ecosystem, Casita Coalition / Interview
How to Put Affordable in the Missing Middle, University of Torontoʼs School of Cities / Project Coverage + Interview
Chazandra Kern Designs With, Not For, Communities, Cultured Magazine / Interview
Well-designed rentals L.A. can afford. That's the mission of the Backyard Homes Project, Los Angeles Times / Project Coverage
Policy and Program Models for Creating Accessory Dwelling Units in New Hampshire, New Hampshire Housing / Project Coverage
L.A. is making the process of building backyard homes faster with new, pre-approved designs, KTLA 5
Los Angeles launches bold new ADU program to combat housing shortage, Architectʼs Newspaper / Project Coverage
Whatʼs it like to be a neighbor right now,Curbed Magazine / Interview
Perspective: How to make accessory dwelling units affordable, Accessory Dwellings / Project Coverage
Empty Garages: The Answer to Californiaʼs Housing Shortage?, New York Times / Project Coverage
2015 - 2017 M.Arch, University of Oregon
2011 - 2015 B.Architectural Studies, ASU
TEACHING
Woodbury University
Spring 2024 Adjunct Professor
ARCH 589 Graduate Studio 4; ARCH 547 Environmental Systems Integration
Cal Poly Pomona
Fall 2021 Lecturer
ARCH 4011 Topic Studio: Public Spaces, Low Rise Neighborhoods
Cal Poly Pomona
Fall 2020 Lecturer
ARCH 4011 Topic Studio: Much ADU about Nothing
TRAININGS & ACCREDITATIONS
2024 Urban Homesteading Assistance Board National Incubator
2023 Pathways to Equity P2E Virtual Fellowship
2022 Southern California Association of Governments Housing Policy Leadership Academy
2021 Ross Minority Program in Real Estate, University of Southern California
AWARDS
AIA Phoenix Metro + City of Phoenix ADU Competition Winner, 2024
Los Angeles Architectural Award for Innovation in the Built Environment, 2023
Cultured Magazine Young Architectʼs Honoree, 2021
AIA SouthWest Oregon, Peopleʼs Choice Award - Emerging Professional, 2016
PRESS
Office of: Office brings together fun, seriousness and curiosity in architecture, Wallpaper / Firm Feature
10 emerging Californian practices rethink architecture in the Golden State, Wallpaper / Firm Feature
Accessory Dwelling Unit Equity Strategies: Promising Practices to Advance BIPOC and LMI Equity/Inclusion in the ADU Housing Ecosystem, Casita Coalition / Interview
How to Put Affordable in the Missing Middle, University of Torontoʼs School of Cities / Project Coverage + Interview
Chazandra Kern Designs With, Not For, Communities, Cultured Magazine / Interview
Well-designed rentals L.A. can afford. That's the mission of the Backyard Homes Project, Los Angeles Times / Project Coverage
Policy and Program Models for Creating Accessory Dwelling Units in New Hampshire, New Hampshire Housing / Project Coverage
L.A. is making the process of building backyard homes faster with new, pre-approved designs, KTLA 5
Los Angeles launches bold new ADU program to combat housing shortage, Architectʼs Newspaper / Project Coverage
Whatʼs it like to be a neighbor right now,Curbed Magazine / Interview
Perspective: How to make accessory dwelling units affordable, Accessory Dwellings / Project Coverage
Empty Garages: The Answer to Californiaʼs Housing Shortage?, New York Times / Project Coverage
LEADERSHIP
2024 - 2025 Asian American Justice + Innovation Lab, Community Leadership Program
2022 - present Association for Community Design, Working Board Member
2021 - University of Oregon Architecture Department Advisory Board, Member
2020 - present Design as Protest, Core Organizer
PRESS
2025 10 emerging Californian practices rethink architecture in the Golden State Source: Wallpaper / Firm Feature
2024 Office of: Office brings together fun, seriousness and curiosity in architecture Source: Wallpaper / Firm Feature
2023 Accessory Dwelling Unit Equity Strategies: Promising Practices to Advance BIPOC and LMI Equity/Inclusion in the ADU Housing Ecosystem Source: Casita Coalition / Interview
How to Put Affordable in the Missing Middle Source: University of Toronto’s School of Cities / Project Coverage + Interview
2021 Chazandra Kern Designs With, Not For, Communities Source: Cultured Magazine / Interview
Well-designed rentals L.A. can afford. Source: Los Angeles Times / Project Coverage
2020 Policy and Program Models for Creating Accessory Dwelling Units in New Hampshire Source: New Hampshire Housing / Project Coverage
2020 L.A. is making the process of building backyard homes faster with new, pre-approved designs Source: KTLA 5
2020 Los Angeles launches bold new ADU program to combat housing shortage
Source: Architect’s Newspaper / Project Coverage
2019 Perspective: How to make accessory dwelling units affordable
Source: Accessory Dwellings / Project Coverage
2019 Empty Garages: The Answer to California’s Housing Shortage?
Source: New York Times / Project Coverage
PRESENTATION
2025 - “Unpacking the CLT–LEC model” Northwest Community Land Trust Coalition Annual Gathering
2024 - “Housing Oregon Conference: Tenants Opportunity to Purchase Act” Oregon Housing & Community Services Department
2023 “ULI Toronto: How to Put Affordable in the Missing Middle?”, University of Toronto’s School of Cities
2021 “Decolonizing Design Research: Collective Voice”, AIA New York
2019 “Housing Oregon Conference” Oregon Housing & Community Services Department
WORKSHOPS
2026 “An Introduction to ACD’s Resource Repository”, Association for Community Design
2023 “Organizing & Design Justice”, UCLA Planning Abolitionist Futures
2023“Reflections on Positionality”, Woodbury NOMAS Invited Speaker
2023 “Community Design Workshop”, Urban Humanities Global (Un)Conference
2022 “Positionality & Direct Action”, UCLA Planning Abolitionist Futures
2021 “POLICY AS PROTEST - VISIONING WITH DAP”, Hindsight 2021
INTERVIEWS
2024 Storytelling Spaces of Solidarity in the Asian Diaspora (SSSAD)
2022 “How to: do no harm”, The Canadian Centre for Architecture
LECTURES
2023 “Design for/by/with”, 2023 AIA Arizona Associates Gathering
2022 “First Friday - Distance Edition: LA Más”, The Architectural League NY
2021 “LECTURE: LA MÁS”, Taubman College University of Michigan
2021 “Open Forum in Support of LA’s AAPI Design Community”, AIA LA
2021 “Llewelyn-Davies Sahni Innovative Practice Lecture”, Rice University
2021 “Community-Driven Design with Antoinette D. Carroll, Alex Ramirez, and Chazandra Kern” University of California, Berkeley
2020 “Civic Leadership: Unpacking the Democracy of Design”, AIA New York “The Backyard Homes Project”, Creative Neighbors
2019 “Design+ with Elizabeth Timme and Chaz Kern”, College of Design Lecture Series. University of Oregon
2024 - 2025 Asian American Justice + Innovation Lab, Community Leadership Program
2022 - present Association for Community Design, Working Board Member
2021 - University of Oregon Architecture Department Advisory Board, Member
2020 - present Design as Protest, Core Organizer
PRESS
2025 10 emerging Californian practices rethink architecture in the Golden State Source: Wallpaper / Firm Feature
2024 Office of: Office brings together fun, seriousness and curiosity in architecture Source: Wallpaper / Firm Feature
2023 Accessory Dwelling Unit Equity Strategies: Promising Practices to Advance BIPOC and LMI Equity/Inclusion in the ADU Housing Ecosystem Source: Casita Coalition / Interview
How to Put Affordable in the Missing Middle Source: University of Toronto’s School of Cities / Project Coverage + Interview
2021 Chazandra Kern Designs With, Not For, Communities Source: Cultured Magazine / Interview
Well-designed rentals L.A. can afford. Source: Los Angeles Times / Project Coverage
2020 Policy and Program Models for Creating Accessory Dwelling Units in New Hampshire Source: New Hampshire Housing / Project Coverage
2020 L.A. is making the process of building backyard homes faster with new, pre-approved designs Source: KTLA 5
2020 Los Angeles launches bold new ADU program to combat housing shortage
Source: Architect’s Newspaper / Project Coverage
2019 Perspective: How to make accessory dwelling units affordable
Source: Accessory Dwellings / Project Coverage
2019 Empty Garages: The Answer to California’s Housing Shortage?
Source: New York Times / Project Coverage
PRESENTATION
2025 - “Unpacking the CLT–LEC model” Northwest Community Land Trust Coalition Annual Gathering
2024 - “Housing Oregon Conference: Tenants Opportunity to Purchase Act” Oregon Housing & Community Services Department
2023 “ULI Toronto: How to Put Affordable in the Missing Middle?”, University of Toronto’s School of Cities
2021 “Decolonizing Design Research: Collective Voice”, AIA New York
2019 “Housing Oregon Conference” Oregon Housing & Community Services Department
WORKSHOPS
2026 “An Introduction to ACD’s Resource Repository”, Association for Community Design
2023 “Organizing & Design Justice”, UCLA Planning Abolitionist Futures
2023“Reflections on Positionality”, Woodbury NOMAS Invited Speaker
2023 “Community Design Workshop”, Urban Humanities Global (Un)Conference
2022 “Positionality & Direct Action”, UCLA Planning Abolitionist Futures
2021 “POLICY AS PROTEST - VISIONING WITH DAP”, Hindsight 2021
INTERVIEWS
2024 Storytelling Spaces of Solidarity in the Asian Diaspora (SSSAD)
2022 “How to: do no harm”, The Canadian Centre for Architecture
LECTURES
2023 “Design for/by/with”, 2023 AIA Arizona Associates Gathering
2022 “First Friday - Distance Edition: LA Más”, The Architectural League NY
2021 “LECTURE: LA MÁS”, Taubman College University of Michigan
2021 “Open Forum in Support of LA’s AAPI Design Community”, AIA LA
2021 “Llewelyn-Davies Sahni Innovative Practice Lecture”, Rice University
2021 “Community-Driven Design with Antoinette D. Carroll, Alex Ramirez, and Chazandra Kern” University of California, Berkeley
2020 “Civic Leadership: Unpacking the Democracy of Design”, AIA New York “The Backyard Homes Project”, Creative Neighbors
2019 “Design+ with Elizabeth Timme and Chaz Kern”, College of Design Lecture Series. University of Oregon