February 2025 Chapter Leader of the Month: Shri Bala
As a Senior at Falls Church High School, Shri Bala has embraced her passion for architecture through her advocacy for the role of design in fostering a sense of community. Her experiences as AIAS Chapter Presiden have motivated her to enhance her chapter‘s impact on our school and the broader DMV area:
“My school has been going through a long-term reconstruction, and this experience has taught me firsthand how the built environment influences student life and emotional stability as well as the power of well-designed spaces to act as connection-making modules for a community. These experiences have fueled my commitment to seeing architecture as positive change, both physically and emotionally, for communities everywhere.[…] I am hoping to study Architecture or Urban Design, with minors in Biomimetics and Public Policy, to further my understanding of how to create and uphold supporting and sustainable environments. ”
Recently, her chapter launched our Grow Bucket initiative to address local food insecurity by constructing self-watering planters to provide fresh produce to community families in need. They also have been spearheading the development of our school’s greenhouse in collaboration with another club, using geodesic architecture to create different innovative and sustainable green spaces at school.
While engaging in these community-oriented activities, her chapter has managed to continue growing in size, rapidly going from 15 to 65 current members . Together, the Falls Church High School chapter has hosted events such as design charrettes, volunteering days, professional development Q&As, and architecture workshops, bridging gaps in architectural education by promoting early exposure to architecture not just for their school, but also for some of their county’s K-12 pyramid schools.
Isabella Phillips, who nominated Shri for this feature, highlighted Shri’s impact on her community:
“Shri deserves to be AIAS Chapter Leader of the Month because she is incredibly dedicated to the organization and
always encourages others to be involved as well. She works tirelessly to plan events and opportunities for members of our
chapter, and always makes sure that she is there to participate and guide others. She demonstrates leadership qualities while
also displaying humility and grace. She listens to the feedback of members and works to implement their ideas to create an
environment that cultivates the interest of members and benefits the community. Shri Bala is a hardworking, dedicated
president of our chapter, and she inspires others to help their community just as she does.”