Zaida Basora
AIA Dallas · Board Member
Zaida Basora, FAIA, is an accomplished architect and sustainability advocate with over 40 years of experience in design, construction, contracting, and public policy. She has been serving as the Executive Director of AIA Dallas and the Architecture and Design Foundation since January 2020. Her extensive background spans both the public and private sectors, where she has served as an architect owner, consultant, and advocate.
Basora has played a pivotal role in shaping sustainability policies and initiatives, particularly during her tenure with the City of Dallas. She directed the city’s green building program, earning recognition from the US Green Building Council (USGBC) for promoting sustainability in Dallas and North Texas. Since becoming Executive Director, she has led numerous initiatives to advance the mission of AIA Dallas and the Architecture and Design Foundation.
Her leadership within the city of Dallas and her contributions to green building codes in Dallas have garnered numerous accolades, including a BOAT 2008 Award of Excellence, a 2009 CLIDE Award in Public Policy, the 2014 CoreNet Global Sustainability Leadership Award, and the 2014 Green Pillar Award and 2016 Luna Award as Outstanding Professional of the Year from the Hispanic Contractors Association. In 2019, she received the Kessler Lifetime Achievement Award from the Greater Dallas Planning Council.
In addition to her work with AIA, Basora serves on the boards of the Sammons Center for the Arts, Docomomo NTX, and EnXchange. She was appointed to the NCARB Licensure Advisory Forum as the AIA component executive representative in 2021. She was also a founding member and 2010 chair of the USGBC North Texas Chapter and served on GSA’s Office of High-Performance Green Building's Inaugural Advisory Committee.
Zaida Basora was elected to the AIA College of Fellows in January 2012, recognizing her significant contributions to the field of architecture and her dedication to advancing sustainable design practices.