Insights from a New Generation of Leaders - 2023
AIA 2023 Young Architect Award recipients provide insights into their leadership journeys, designing for social equity and keeping pace with changes in the industry, and offer advice for those entering the profession in this lively 75-minute panel discussion moderated by Armando L. Gonzalez, FAIA and Michael Strogoff, FAIA.
AIA 2023 Young Architect Award Recipients panelists:
• Janica Ley Baker, AIA, LEED GA
• Matthew Clapper, AIA, LEED AP
• Jacob Davis, AIA, LEED AP
• Alison Dvorak, AIA
• Efrie Escott, AIA, LFA, LEED BD+C
• Simona Fisher, CPHC, AIA
• Brien Graham, AIA, NOMA, NCARB
• Christopher Haedt, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
• Caroline Shannon, AIA
• Jason Takeuchi, AIA, NCARB, NOMA
• Kimberly Tuttle, AIA, NCARB, CAE
• David Wilson, AIA
• Kate Thuesen, AIA, LEED AP
• Ryan Murphy, AIA
• Shannon Gathings, AIA, NOMA
Insights from a New Generation of Leaders - 2022
AIA 2022 Young Architect Award Recipients weigh in on leadership, encouraging people to enter the profession, how the pandemic will shape our profession and social equity in this lively 90-minute panel discussion moderated by Armando L. Gonzalez, FAIA and Michael Strogoff, FAIA.
AIA 2022 Young Architect Award Recipients panelists:
• Paul J. Avazier, AIA
• Graciela Carrillo, AIA
• John J. Clark, AIA
• Nathan Griffith, AIA
• Chana Haouzi, AIA
• Edwin J. Harris, AIA
• Ryan J. Jang, AIA
• Parke MacDowell, AIA
• Elizabeth McLean, AIA
• Christopher Nielson, AIA
• Jessica M. O'Donnell, AIA
• Eric Pros, AIA
• Jennifer A. Rittler, AIA
• Emily Roush-Elliott, AIA
• Melody H. Tang, AIA
• Mario L. Walker, AIA
• Allison M. Wilson, AIA
Insights from a New Generation of Leaders - 2021
AIA 2021 Young Architect Award Recipients weigh in on leadership, social equity, climate action and how the pandemic will shape our profession in this lively 90-minute panel discussion moderated by Carol Ross Barney, FAIA, Armando L. Gonzalez, FAIA and Michael Strogoff, FAIA.
AIA 2021 Young Architect Award Recipients panelists:
• Mark Bacon, AIA
• Jack Becker, AIA
• Adrienne Cali, AIA
• Michael Davis, AIA, LEED AP
• Jeffrey Guggenheim, AIA
• Adam Harding, AIA, LEED AP
• Cody Henderson, AIA, LEED AP
• Dagmara Larsen, AIA, LEED AP
• Amanda Loper, AIA, LEED AP
• Danielle McDonough, AIA, LFA, LEED AP BD+C
• Jonathan Moody, AIA, NOMA, LEED AP, Fitwell
• Jennifer Park, AIA
• Danielle Tillman, AIA, NOMA
• Matt Toddy, AIA
• Matthew Thornton, AIA, LEED AP
Insights: Marlon Blackwell, FAIA, and Meryati Blackwell, AIA, ASID, LEED AP
Marlon Blackwell, FAIA, is a practicing architect in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and serves as the E. Fay Jones Distinguished Professor at the Fay Jones School of Architecture + Design at the University of Arkansas. In 2020, Marlon was the recipient of the 2020 AIA Gold Medal, the Institute’s highest honor, which recognizes those whose work has had an enduring impact on the theory and practice of architecture.
Meriyati (Ati) Blackwell, AIA, ASID, LEED AP, is a Principal and Director of Interiors at Marlon Blackwell Architects. Ati has been a guiding force in the growth of Marlon Blackwell Architects, helping to transform the firm from a sole proprietorship to the thriving international practice it is today.
In March, 2024, Marlon and Ati graciously sat down with Michael Strogoff, FAIA, on the grounds of U.C. Berkeley to discuss how they met, their career journeys, what shaped their design careers, views on younger professionals and the elusive search for work | life balance.
Insights: Odile Decq
Odile Decq is one of Europe's most provocative and experimental architects. In this Insights interview, Odile describes, with her French accent and matter-of-fact delivery, how she taught herself to be an architect, how she challenges her students, what is behind her lifelong quest to learn, and the challenges of practicing in a male-dominated profession. Odile also enlightens us about her approach to furniture and jewelry design and, of course, what is behind her signature shade of red.
Insights: Helmut Jahn, FAIA
Helmut Jahn, FAIA, is one of Chicago's most influential, innovative and prolific architects. Often described as a larger-than-life personality, the German-born architect has been practicing for close to 50 years and shows little sign of slowing down. Mr. Jahn has won international acclaim for his understated vocabulary rooted in European "Modernism and for his straightforward solutions that he refers to as "archigeering."
In this Insights interview, Mr. Jahn discusses his early influences, his passion for sketching, how he has incorporated technology into his design process, the importance of multi-disciplinary collaboration, why some architectural styles did not stand up to the test of time, and why he thinks his mid-sized practice can outperform larger firms.
Insights: Carol Ross Barney, FAIA
Carol Ross Barney, FAIA, founded Ross Barney Architects in 1981. The firm's distinctive structures, many of which have become cultural icons, include community buildings, campus buildings for premier academic and research institutions, and groundbreaking transit stations that connect vibrant neighborhoods.
Ross Barney Architects' work has been exhibited in Chicago, New York, Washington D.C. and San Francisco, and has received more than 60 major awards, including 4 National AIA awards, 2 AIA COTE Top Ten awards, over 35 AIA Chicago Awards, the AIA Illinois Firm of the Year and 2 World Architecture Festival High Commendations. Additionally, Carol received the AIA's Thomas Jefferson Award recognizing excellence in architecture in the public realm.
In this Insights interview, Carol discusses growing up in the 1960's, her love for Chicago, her passion for teaching and which aspects of design talent cannot be taught, the role of women in Chicago architecture, and why architects need to skillfully guide clients to embrace the best design solutions.
Insights: Thom Mayne, FAIA
Thom Mayne, FAIA, is a strong presence in both the architectural design and academic worlds. Thom has been widely recognized for his design achievements, including the Rome Prize Fellowship, the Neutra Medal for Professional Excellence, the Pritzker Architecture Prize, and the 2013 AIA Gold Medal.
In this remarkably revealing interview, Thom provides insights about his circuitous path to becoming an architect, the people who influenced him, and how his interests in non sequiturs and collisions shape his designs. Thom also offers his perspectives about whether design talent can be taught, the notion of architecture as a humanistic activity and, of course, his 220-volt personality in a 110 volt-society.
Insights: Chuck Davis, FAIA
Chuck enjoyed a long career as a partner in EHDD, a fabled Bay Area architecture firm. A Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, Chuck is the 2003 recipient of the Maybeck Award, the AIA California Council?s highest honor.
Chuck's design for the Monterey Bay Aquarium revolutionized aquarium design and was awarded the AIA 2016 25-Year Award. Its living connection with the waters of the bay creates an unparalleled experience for both scientists and visitors. It?s also a technical tour de force.
Insights: Larry Scarpa, FAIA
Larry Scarpa, FAIA, is an architect, sculptor and educator and an influential voice throughout the architecture profession. His firm won over 50 national and international awards, including 18 National AIA awards and 4 National AIA COTE Top Ten Green Building Awards.
Larry's diverse body of work includes inventive and sustainable designs for small objects, furniture and public art, as well as large-scale educational, civic and affordable housing buildings.
In this Insights interview, Larry reveals the moment that architecture took his breath away, how Paul Rudolph influenced his career, why the profession needs expertise that extends far beyond design, and how architects can have a larger impact on society. With his dry humor, Larry likens sustainability as something his mother would refer to as ?Jewish common sense.?
Insights: Beverly Willis, FAIA
For more than five decades, Beverly Willis, FAIA, has pioneered contributions to design and architecture. Influenced by her earlier career as an artist and industrial designer, she became part of the US adaptive reuse retail design’s modern movement. In 1971, before the existence of the desktop computer, she produced the first software program for use in planning large-scale apartment developments and new towns. In the early 1980s, Beverly designed the San Francisco Ballet Building, which was the first building in the United States dedicated solely to a major ballet company.
Beverly also has a distinguished career of service holding positions never held by a woman before. In 1978, Beverly was the first woman elected to represent AIA California Council. Beverly is also a founding trustee of the National Building Museum. In 2002, Beverly, at age 70, established the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation to advance the knowledge and recognition of women's contributions to architecture.
Shortly after receiving the 2017 AIACC Lifetime Achievement Award at the Monterey Design Conference, Beverly sat down with Michael Strogoff, aecKnowledge’s Founder, and discussed her unconventional path to licensure, how she got involved in AIA, her innovative use of technology, and her view of a profession dominated by men.
Insights: Steven Ehrlich, FAIA
Steven Ehrlich, FAIA, is internationally recognized for his designs, deeply rooted in modernism, that also fuse new technologies with cultural and environmental sensitivity. With his four partners at Ehrlich Architects, located in Culver City just south of Los Angeles, the firm evolved a unique approach to architecture and planning called Multicultural Modernism.
In 2011, Steven was awarded the prestigious AIACC Maybeck Award, which honors individual Californian architects for their outstanding bodies of work over ten years or more. The jury cited Steven's designs that encourage social interaction, merge indoor and outdoor spaces, and reflect the values of the communities that use them.
In this Insights interview, Steven discusses his insights into the profession, his views about emerging professionals, his trademarked "Multicultural Modernism" and his collaborative design approach.
Insights: Paul Welch, Jr., Hon. AIACC
Paul W. Welch, Jr., Honorary AIA California Council, is the Executive Vice President of the AIA California Council. Paul joined the AIACC in 1981. During his tenure, Paul has served and/or chaired numerous national AIA committees and task forces including licensing law, membership, government affairs, and most recently, the Component Partnerships Committee. In 2010, Paul was asked to serve as the interim Executive Vice President/CEO of the AIA, where he continued his work transforming the profession and the national organization.
In this Insights interview, Paul W. Welch, Jr., Hon. AIACC, discusses architects? benevolence and how they can get more involved in public service and what we, as a profession, can do to have a larger impact on society. Paul also provides his perspective about AIA?s repositioning initiatives, the larger context within which the value of design needs to be discussed, and why licensing is fundamental to architects? careers.
Insights: Jack MacAllister, FAIA
Starting when he first walked through the doors of the University of Pennsylvania and met Louis Kahn, Jack MacAllister, FAIA, recalls portions of his career, his passion for materials, and his love of the open sea.
Throughout his long career, Jack has placed great value on understanding how materials were fabricated and buildings constructed, and of the importance of working directly with clients, allied design professionals and the craftspeople building his creations.
Above all, Jack learned the value of mentorship, as he describes so poignantly in this in-depth interview curated by Tim Culvahouse, FAIA.
Insights: Gwynne Pugh, FAIA, ASCE
Gwynne Pugh, FAIA, ASCE, has been practicing architecture, planning and civil, structural and design engineering since 1971. In 1984, he founded Gwynne Pugh AIA & Associates in 1984 with a determination to incorporate sustainable and urban design principles into architecture, and to integrate architecture into the fabric of our daily lives. In 2010, Pugh + Scarpa was awarded the AIA National Firm of the Year. Gwynne continues his active practice as Gwynne Pugh Urban Studio.
Widely seen as an expert in sustainable structural design and engineering, Gwynne has served as Chair of the Santa Monica Planning Commission, President of the Planning and Community Development Department of the California League of Cities, and Peer Review Consultant to the Getty Conservation Institute.
In this Insights interview, Gwynne Pugh, FAIA, ASCE, discusses what influenced him most early in his career, his highly literate British Education, his early exposure to civil engineering and his love for the environment, how decades of experience enabled him to subconsciously integrate form and function, and the gratification he receives when architecture transforms portions of people?s lives.
Insights: Robert Ivy, FAIA
Robert Ivy, FAIA, is a widely recognized figure in the architectural profession. In 1996, Ivy followed his passion for journalism and became the Editor-in-Chief of Architectural Record. In early 2011, Robert was named the CEO of the American Institute of Architects, where he continues to serve as an advocate for the profession on many of the most important social, political, and environmental issues affecting the built environment. Throughout his career, Robert has moderated discussions and interviewed luminaries ranging from the Aga Khan to Pritzker Prize winners and AIA gold medalists.
Robert took some time during AIA California's 2013 Monterey Design Conference to provide some insights about his career, the changing landscape of architectural practice, emerging professionals, and his ongoing wonderment about the world of architecture.
Insights: Peter Dodge, FAIA
A youthful 83-year old, Peter is a founding partner at EHDD--one of America's most distinguished architectural practices. A Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, Peter is the 2008 recipient of the AIA California Council?s Lifetime Achievement Award.
In this Insights discussion curated by Tim Culvahouse, FAIA, Peter describes his circuitous path into architecture and talks with us about his buildings, his contributions to the profession, his family adventures at Burning Man, and how he and his partners came to understand each other by body language and a few words.
Insights: Richard Bliss Nelson, AIA
AIA Santa Barbara's Oral History Project highlights Robert Bliss Nelson, AIA, known for his clean lines and intricate detailing, his early work that embodied the essence of Spanish Revival Style, and his telephone pilings that supported buildings close to the salty ocean. Includes an August 2017 interview with Robert, shortly before his passing.
Directed, written and narrated by Robert L. Ooley, FAIA
Insights: George Homsey, FAIA
George Homsey, FAIA, was, for five decades, the "H" in "EHDD"--one of America?s most distinguished architecture firms. George was a legendary force in the office, shaping such seminal projects as the Hedgerow Houses at The Sea Ranch. In 2006, the AIA California Council honored George with its Maybeck Award--the state equivalent of the AIA Gold Medal.
In this Insights discussion curated by Tim Culvahouse, FAIA, George tells us about his association with Joe Esherick and partners Peter Dodge and Chuck Davis, about some of his best-loved projects, and about his most recently completed endeavor, at age 87: the crafting of design guidelines for Yosemite National Park.
