Mandy Freeland, Architect, Inc.

12/14/2024

A little about our founder...

Mandy Freeland creates value in the architecture profession through her thoughtful, intentional approach to both her business and her advocacy work. As an architect, firm owner, and mentor, Mandy blends technical expertise with a genuine focus on professional development, community impact, and client connection. Her contributions include:

Empowering Emerging Professionals: Through her leadership in the AIA and her mentoring efforts, she champions professional growth, particularly for those in the early and mid-career stages, fostering a stronger future for the profession.

Innovative Education Initiatives: Mandy collaborates with her alma mater to expand architectural education, working to implement a baccalaureate program that aligns with industry needs and creates new opportunities for graduates and the firms that hire them.

Client-Centered Design: By prioritizing listening and understanding her clients’ needs, Mandy delivers thoughtful, intentional architectural solutions that balance creativity and functionality.

Firm Culture and Vision: Her architecture firm is rooted in values that emphasize humor, connection, and an inclusive culture, which attracts like-minded clients and collaborators while setting a new standard for workplace environments.

Advocacy and Leadership: As a leader in her local and state AIA chapters, she strengthens the profession by addressing challenges facing architects and local chapters, ensuring their success through innovative programs and accreditation support.

Mandy Freeland’s holistic approach bridges the gap between education, mentorship, and professional practice, creating lasting value for her clients, colleagues, and the broader architecture community.

09/17/2022

Projects go through so many ups and downs. This one started design a few years ago, with some unexpected pauses from our unexpected pandemic. We're thrilled to learn it's going to break ground soon! Retail / restaurant / professional office shell building in Hesperia, CA.
Architect: Mandy Freeland, Architect, Inc., Mandy Freeland, AIA, NOMA
Structural Engineer: Anacapa Engineering and Design, Inc., Ramon Sanchez, SE
Mechanical Engineer: Baskin Mechanical Engineers, Mark Baskin, PE
Electrical Engineer: JMPE Electrical Engineering, John Maloney, PE
Civil Engineer: Capstone Engineering, Andrew Bell, CE

12/15/2021

Join us at Firehouse Rosedale Station on Thursday, December 16 for a fun evening with AIAGE friends! It's a great opportunity to socialize with fellow professionals, associates, and students in the architecture field.

02/28/2021

01/05/2021

About our founder:

Mandy Freeland, AIA, is currently serving her second year as the AIA Young Architect Regional Director for Southern California and on her local AIA Golden Empire board as Secretary. She began volunteering in AIA as the AIA Golden Empire chapter President in 2016, eight months after she received her license. That year she was awarded a Presidential Citation for Excellence in Leadership from the AIA California President for her efforts in rebuilding her local all-volunteer chapter.

Together with the chapter board, AIA Golden Empire created committees and programs to bring value to the members, which earned the chapter the 2017 AIA California AEP Chapter Award for their creation of a robust emerging professionals committee and programming. During that year, Mandy served as the immediate Past President and the CACE representative, which opened a new avenue of communication and resources to the chapter with the inclusion of the Past President acting as volunteer Executive Director.

In 2018, Mandy was selected to be an AIA Champion for Blueprint for Better, an advocacy position that enabled her to carry the AIA Blueprint for Better Community goals to her local area. Mandy has continued to serve on the AIA California Communications Advisory Committee for the past four years. The position of YARD also provides a position at AIA California as a voting board member as well as a position on the Academy of Emerging Professionals Council of Advisors, a state committee that represents students, associates, and newly licensed emerging professionals of California.

Mandy went to Bakersfield College for Architecture and California State University, Bakersfield for Communications / Public Relations. She has worked in the profession for 20 years and opened her own firm six weeks after getting her license in 2015. In an area of traditionally male owned firms, hers was one of the first woman-owned firms in the region. She advocates for parents in the industry as a co-founder of the Facebook Group Parents in Architecture, teaches marketing and public relations to others in the profession, speaks on diversity and gender equity, and participates in K-12 STEM curriculum initiatives. She volunteers in local community development committees, specifically in response to a new high speed rail station in her city’s downtown, currently serving as one of two local architects included in those activities.

Mandy values her experience working for a local design-build construction company for seven years, forging the foundation for a collaborative respect with the construction teams on her projects. There is always something to learn from each other during the process of creating new buildings.

Her goals are to improve the profession by making the next generation of architects knowledgeable about business as well as more equitable for all. She does this first by being a firm owner and second by volunteering.
Photo courtesy of the talented Looky Loo Photography

12/15/2020

11/18/2020

One of our favorite services is creating Master Plans for commercial developments. We just wrapped up a conceptual Master Plan using the client's program of building types and our expertise in designing for communities. An important design factor, from our perspective, is to create individual parking areas for short walks to and from the building for safety.

09/11/2020

Hundreds of wildfires are threatening communities across California. The California Architectural Foundation is raising money to help support impacted communities organize their rebuilding efforts. Donate to the 2020 California Fire Relief Fund by texting CAFIRES to 41444.

Architects in California have provided organizational help for communities recovering from fires. Architects are providing community members with resources and comfort in resuming normalcy after emergencies at Disaster Recovery Centers. These centers are operated by the local cities and counties in coordination with state and federal agencies. The AIA pays special attention to when these centers pop-up, usually within a few days to a week of a disaster, to ensure that architects stand at the forefront and ready to help. Visit ArchitectsHelp for more information.

AIA California has deployed architects that are certified to conduct structural safety inspections through the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) Safety Assessment Program (SAP) during past fire disasters.

The AIA has an extensive list of architects who can be called upon should CalOES issue an order for SAPs at a moment’s notice. During the Paradise fires, of the 230 northern California architects that the AIACA reached out to, approximately 80 percent responded within a few hours and many were ready to deploy by morning.

We can't fight the fires, but we can help you get back in your home and get your community functional again.

Hundreds of wildfires are threatening communities across California. The California Architectural Foundation is raising money to help support impacted communities organize their rebuilding efforts. Donate to the 2020 California Fire Relief Fund by texting CAFIRES to 41444, or by clicking here.

07/31/2020

The National Organization for Minority Architects (NOMA) is hosting an online summer camp for middle school and high school students.

This summer,Project Pipeline welcomes all middle and high school students to join us online for our National Summer Camp!!Due to COVID-19 all Project Pipeline summer camps have moved to virtual space to ensure the safety of students and volunteers. hey

With Project Pipelines’ recent switch to a virtual platform, our national leaders have decided to host a virtual 8-day camp that is accessible to children from all over the United States. The national camp fee is $35 for the full 7-day experience beginning August 10-17, 2020.

Please visit https://membership.noma.net/event/projectpipeline to register while spots are available.