Jay Zapata, AIA

Jay Zapata, AIA

Zapata began his career in Panama as a production coordinator at one of the country’s most prestigious firms, Pinzón Lozano & Asociados Arquitectos. Later, after his promotion to designer, he was instrumental in the firm’s innovative F&F Tower, a 52-floor corkscrew skyscraper in his home city. In 2010, after earning his bachelor’s degree from University of Panama, Zapata moved to Los Angeles to consult with The Getty Institute on the iconic Getty Center in Brentwood, California. He played a critical role in the institute’s Seismic Retrofitting Project, a comprehensive damage and construction assessment of four historic earthen sites in Peru.

Between 2011 and 2012, Zapata brought architecture to the broader public as a consultant on the HGTV show The Outdoor Room. In that role, he coordinated the design and construction trades for the popular reality show’s second season. Since then, Zapata earned accreditation as a LEED Professional in Building Design & Construction from the U.S. Green Building Council. After several years as a project architect at AC Martin, formerly Togawa Smith Martin, he founded Zprout Architecture. Based in San Gabriel, California, his firm specializes in multifamily developments, commercial architecture, and federally funded projects in the Bay Area and Southern California.

With a keen understanding of the challenges facing immigrant design professionals, Zapata shares his pathway with colleagues seeking licensure in the U.S. To help advance the profession, he became involved with AIA Pasadena & Foothill in 2015, where he served in a variety of roles, including chapter president in 2019. Through his leadership, the chapter has seen participation across its programs significantly increase, and it has received numerous grants that have expanded its community outreach. During his presidency, the state opened its doors to the cannabis industry, and Zapata led a successful public forum that positioned architects as community leaders able to solve neighborhood compatibility, design, and public safety issues.

With an undeniable passion for engagement and far-reaching impact, Zapata demonstrates the myriad ways in which service can benefit AIA and its members. He is also a role model for immigrants as they pursue design in their new home.