The Virginia chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (VANOMA) has secured its charter from the national NOMA organization!
Students from the state of Virginia were invited by VANOMA to participate in the national Project Pipeline event, our signature national program held over an 8 day period in a virtual format. Middle school and high school “campers” design a community based project which has drawings and a model as its deliverables. Students must then present their concept, drawings and model to the other campers and mentors using Zoom. VANOMA paid the campers’ fees thanks In part to a contribution from VIrginia AIA.
VANOMA is also communicating with our student (NOMAS) chapters at UVA, Hampton U. and VA Tech. As a show of support, members of VANOMA will participate in the convocation at UVA this fall and host Meet and Greets with the NOMAS chapters at each university. Members of the NOMAS chapters are invited to attend VANOMA virtual meetings.
Yours truly,
Kenneth Martin, Emeritus AIA, NOMAC President VANOMA
John Henri Spencer, FAIA, has been recognized with the William C. Noland Medal by AIA Virginia for his leadership within architectural education beyond the status quo to create opportunities for generations of architecture students. As the highest honor bestowed by AIA Virginia to an architect, the Noland Medal is intended to honor a distinguished body of accomplishments, sustained over time, spanning a broad spectrum of the profession, and transcending the scope of normal professional activities. The honor is in memory of William C. Noland, FAIA, one of the founders of the AIA in Virginia, its second president, and Virginia’s first member to be elevated to fellowship.
Spencer is a pioneering leader for Black architects in America, a distinguished teacher who influenced thousands of students, and a committed educational administrator who created countless programs, initiatives, and pathways for growth and mentorship. Under his leadership, the study of architecture at Hampton University evolved through focused curricular development, fundraising, and academic excellence–the pinnacle of a 63-year career of service in education, in the public arena, and to the profession of architecture. Spencer was born in Monrovia, Liberia to missionary parents serving at the Suehn Industrial Mission, which influenced his philosophy for teaching, community and professional service and social action. After high school in Huntington, West Virginia, John enrolled in the architectural engineering program at the Agricultural and Technical College (now university) in Greensboro, North Carolina. His education was interrupted by service in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War and, upon discharge, John transferred to Hampton Institute (now University) graduating in 1956 with highest honors.
Spencer joined the faculty of the School of Engineering at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where he co-founded the Committee for the Collegiate Education of Black Students (CCEBS) with support from the Ford Foundation to increase the number of Black students enrolled at the school. The first group recruited by CCEBS arrived in 1968 and of the original 128 students, 90 graduated four years later in 1972–more than the total number of Black graduates of Amherst combined in its 105 years. In its first decade, CCBES recruited and Amherst graduated more than 2,000 Black students. At Amherst, he also led efforts to provide volunteer tutoring for Black students and led the Amherst Human Relations Council and Fair Housing Committee, and established Black history education in high schools that brought about positive change in the town of Amherst and beyond.
In 1970, Spencer returned to the Hampton Institute as Chair of the Department of Architecture, where he encouraged students to look beyond the campus gates and involve themselves in the larger community. Notably, he initiated a student exchange program between Hampton and Amherst, and a broader travel program soon followed, growing out of a need to strengthen the fifth-year planning studio. It began with trips to large American cities supported by alumni who provided housing and meals at no cost. With the support of faculty, Spencer revised and expanded the program to require a two-week travel module to foreign cities, from Europe to Asia, and from Africa to Latin America. Since then, he has always led by example, becoming the first Black architect elected to the National Architectural Accrediting Board, first Black architect appointed to the Virginia Licensing Board, and assuming numerous other local and national positions of influence within the profession.
In his nomination letter, Professor and Dean Emeritus of Howard University, Harry G. Robinson III, FAIA, noted, “His consistent leadership has contributed to the strength of the African American narrative in architecture and has increased the richness and stability of the Hampton University Department of Architecture. If the Noland Medal is the pinnacle of recognition, the contributions of Professor Spencer are nearly unmatched and exceeded most.”
The William C. Noland Medal will be presented at Visions for Architecture on Thursday, Oct. 8 in an online awards ceremony beginning at 4:30 p.m. The program is free but registration is required.
Whitney McDermott, AIA, and Carrie Lee Parker, AIA, are recognized this year with the Virginia Emerging Professional Award by AIA Virginia. Launched in 2015, the Virginia Emerging Professional Award is intended to recognize the accomplishments of emerging leaders in Virginia for their contributions to the profession in design, research, education, discourse; service to the profession, mentorship, or service to the community. Most recipients are accomplished in several of these areas, and all demonstrate the strength of the architecture profession in their early promise as thought leaders and designers.
McDermott, an architect who holds degrees in civil engineering, architecture, and urban planning, has demonstrated an extraordinary consistency and focus for more than a decade on architecture’s capacity to improve the lives of others through construction innovation, design thinking, and community-focused collaboration. While at the University of Virginia, she became the Project Manager for the University of Virginia’s eco/MOD Design Build project and graduated with dual degrees in Architecture and Urban and Environmental Design. Post-graduation, she received a year-long fellowship at the Allegheny Mountain School and then returned to Charlottesville to help manage over 26,000 square feet of organic gardens at the city’s six elementary schools.
In 2017, McDermott began working with a group of residents from the Southwood Mobile Home Park, five miles south of Charlottesville, to create a strategy that would transform the way marginalized communities participate in community design. For nearly five years, she has offered her professional and volunteer time working with the 85 percent Hispanic community to create a resident-led strategy to guide the neighborhood’s redevelopment. McDermott has created and led the training programs for residents using the principles of Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) to reach across cultural boundaries in preparing workshops that communicate effectively. By employing ABCD coordination and governance, McDermott has helped residents create their own neighborhood redevelopment plan, write their own code of development, and create a mixed-income and mixed-use neighborhood 400 homes strong.
Parker, a Senior Associate at CannonDesign’s Washington, DC office, works with higher education clients on large, complex projects, to improve the user experience and provide innovative solutions at all scales. Her leadership activities inside and outside of the office, however, define her nomination for this award. For two years, Parker worked tirelessly on behalf of a group of front line designers and emerging professionals from across the globe that directly advise the Cannon’s leaders as part of its NEXT Council. For two years, she also worked with NCARB to make its Licensing Advisors Summit a success and enrich the proceedings of its Intern Think Tank, committed to improving both the practices and policies of architecture. Currently, she serves on AIA’s Manufacturer’s Council as an architect volunteer to maintain bonds between building product manufacturers and design’s vanguard, as well as a proposal author for the DC Board of Trade’s “Urban Design and Quality of Life Working Group,” where she has advanced ideas for storm surge monitoring and photo point monitoring for public spaces.
Her community work includes board leadership for Horizon House, a 291-unit building in DC entering its sixth decade and serving senior and disabled residents. Wielding a hammer, she worked with Rebuilding Together Alexandria to renovate and rehabilitate the homes of families and seniors in need, putting in the sweat equity her own community needed to not just survive but thrive. She has served as a board member for her own residential community, driving numerous capital improvements and providing pro bono design services for the renovation of the lobby, community center, pool house, and other amenities. Parker’s enthusiasm carries over to the office, as well. In her nomination letter, Patricia Bau, AIA, a principal and co-director of Cannon’s education practice, noted, “Carrie has served many roles in the life cycle of a project as programmer, planner, designer, project architect and project manager. Her versatility makes her a valuable member of our team locally as well as across the firm nationally.” Parker personifies the values of service leadership, community outreach, and mentorship, says Roland Lemke, AIA, a design principal at Cannon, in his nominating letter. “In the seven years that I have known her, she has positioned herself as an irreplaceable member of our team and office family.”
The Awards will be presented at Visions for Architecture on Thursday, Oct. 8 in an online awards ceremony beginning at 4:30 p.m. The program is free but registration is required.
Al Cox, FAIA, Christopher Gordon, AIA, and Mel Price, AIA, will be recognized with the Award for Distinguished Achievement next month by AIA Virginia. The Award for Distinguished Achievement recognizes the accomplishments of one or more architects each year in design, practice, education, service as “citizen architect,” service to the profession, or initiatives to advance social justice, equity, diversity, or inclusion.
Al Cox, FAIA, retired in March after 28 years as Historic Preservation Manager for the City of Alexandria, which is home to no fewer than six National Register historic districts and nine African-American historic places containing dozens of significant and contributing structures. Cox conceived and implemented several processes to streamline development review and build consensus between city officials, architects, developers, and citizens. By building relationships with all stakeholders and encouraging constructive public participation in the regulatory process, he became respected as a fair-minded, effective mediator, guiding development teams to the most appropriate design solution and consistently pushing them to accomplish their best work.
It was Cox’s conviction that the city is a living, evolving organism and not a museum frozen in time. In that vein, he fostered many successful new infill projects in Alexandria as well as many thoughtful and sensitive adaptive reuse projects throughout the city’s 15 square miles. A passionate preservationist, he was also a proactive advocate for good design, regardless of style. His philosophy, education and private sector experience was grounded in historic preservation for its cultural, economic and environmental benefits without limiting creative, appropriate modern design alternatives. The role of City Architect and the design review processes created by Mr. Cox provides a model that can, and should, be repeated in local governments throughout the country.
Christopher Gordon, AIA, is a national leader who collaborates with developers and zoning authorities to create affordable housing that advances the vision of a diverse, inclusive, and sustainable community. His comprehensive approach from concept through crafting innovative strategies to obtain financing through the whole life-cycle of the building, itself, shapes the efficacy of high-performing and affordable solutions for people. Gordon transforms lives, and as a founding principal of KGD Architecture in 1995, he has directed his firm to award-winning success while remaining anchored in the needs of clients and communities.
Chris’ 2018 Columbia Hills project for Columbia Pike in Arlington is one of dozens of examples of his design leadership over the last quarter century. The $91 million, 330,000 square foot project consisting of 229 units for low-income families, recently won a ULI Washington Trends Award as a national case study that blends a novel hybrid financing model with an EarthCraft Platinum certification with a host of amenities that bring richness and community to one of the area’s largest apartment buildings. “Chris advances the profession of architecture resulting in lasting impact on society,” says Manoj Dalaya, FAIA, in his nominating letter, “and he is highly deserving of an Award for Distinguished Achievement.”
Mel Price, AIA, has spent nearly two decades building a strong reputation for designing and leading numerous successful projects at all scales. When Mel Price and her partner, Thom White, opened their Norfolk firm Work Program Architects in 2010, they also pushed a different sort of philosophy of firm management through transparency about finances and salaries, prioritizing collaboration and openness above all in projects, and reserving 10 percent of firm profits to cover pro-bono service. In short, Price built a practice worth emulating with an unrelenting focus on community.
Price has also built a practice that’s helping secure Norfolk’s future. Coastal resilience is an urgent challenge that will affect the lives of millions of Americans, 1.7 million of which live in the Hampton Roads region. By forging close ties to her home city, Mel and WPA have steered several projects to completion that are born of a focus on resilience, will help ensure a sustainable future, and will repair communities long derelict or suffering. The Elizabeth River Project’s Resilience Lab, the Elizabeth River Trail, government grants for the Ohio Creek Watershed encompassing Norfolk State University and the Chesterfield Heights neighborhood, OpenNorfolk, and the Selden Market are all prime examples of Price’s valuable contribution to the region.
The Awards will be presented at Visions for Architecture on Thursday, Oct. 8 in an online awards ceremony beginning at 4:30 p.m. The program is free but registration is required.
Somewhere in a dusty shoebox, a photograph exists of my first day of kindergarten. Probably fresh white socks and an oversized backpack with soccer balls emblazoned on it, with a little round face smiling that he will get to go learn phonics. I was a cute kid (if I can say so myself), and first days were always exciting–awaiting the adventures of new friends, a new teacher, a new year of learning.
I have a photo of each of my twenty first days of school, from kindergarten to college and into graduate school–not even the supposed dignity of higher education could stop that tradition–and in each one, there is that familiar glimmer of upcoming learning, of new-notebook-smell, a flickering gleam of awaiting adventure behind the classroom door.
But I imagine those photographs might look different this year. Maybe some new clothes, but more likely sweatpants and masks. Maybe at the kitchen counter, but with our laptops and webcams in the background. Maybe no studio desk or snoozing lecture hall. This is a tough year to be a design student, whether fresh to the bleary-eyed architecture buildings or returning to close out your thesis project.
For better or worse, universities are largely back in session–and we will not debate the underpinnings of those decisions here. Rather, I wonder how we address and support the realities of students, who may be learning architectural history from a dining room table, or cautiously coming into a distanced studio desk once a week for murmury feedback through a mask, or struggling to understand structural principles on your own alongside paying your tuition bill and buying only the books you really need. It’s tough to imagine.
I wish I could change this reality for you. Design education is vibrantly beautiful, a petri dish of creative energy and cheap coffee, dented egos and smudgy fingers and model magic. It is inspiring; it is gritty; it is occasionally all-consuming and brilliant. Having had the privilege of being both student and teacher, I am immensely amazed at the tenacity of students and faculty right now, fighting to keep the spirit of design education lively from kitchen tables and spare rooms, sharing the nuances and hard lessons of studio via videochats and “Can you see my screen? How ‘bout now?” What you are learning now will not be in vain, and it certainly will flavor the designs you will bring to the profession. As a discipline built on new ideas, we welcome this infusion from you, forged in the crucible of a university experience for which you never asked.
AIA Virginia, each of our regional component chapters, and every design professional I know of is here to support this fragile time for designers. From mentoring programs, internships, and financial support, to virtual networking events to whatever else we can think of, the profession of architecture–and of each of our firms and institutions–depends on the success and energy of young designers. Getting connected to AIAS at Hampton, UVA, Virginia Tech, and the WAAC opens up networks and leadership opportunities that last beyond your degree. Joining VANOMA (or NOMAS) as both BIPOC individuals and allies contributes towards confronting and eradicating white supremacy and supporting opportunities for equity in architecture. Entering (and winning) competitions serves to sharpen your design chops and is eye-catching in a portfolio. Begin drafting your resumes and start scanning your sketches for your portfolios. Read as much as you can. Write about something you are intrigued by, and submit it to a newspaper, a design publication, or a student paper. Ask for help. Consistently show up prepared and on time. These practices are always in conversation with your academic work, contributing to a rising tide of design excellence that encompasses broad skills and big ideas.
Despite it all, design students will keep designing and staying up far too late, and teachers will continue attempting to impart knowledge and resent having to give grades. In the meantime, know that the design professionals cheer you on, are here for whatever you need, and are ready to hire you. While we were students once ourselves, you will have much to teach us about adaptability, tenacity, and the benefits of human-centered design of all our built spaces.
In solidarity and action, Michael Spory, Associate AIA spory@vmdo.com
Just a Few Fun Things to Click On
Something to register for: Registration for AIA Virginia’s annual conference is up and running! Under the banner of Foresight 2020, this year’s trio of programs(ArchEX, Design Forum, and Visions for Architecture) has gone virtual, with a killer lineup, with lots of discounted options for educational, professional, and networking programs during the entire month of November. Take special note of the speaker lineup for Design Forum on Thursday, November 5–with presentations from partner Kristen Murray from Olson Kundig and David Lewis from LTL Architects, and a keynote from Steven Holl himself.
Something for Virginia emerging professionals: Join us for YAFcon 2020: The Empathic Architect, which is a week-long virtual series of engaging conversations about designing and practicing with intentionality. Join your fellow EPs the week of Oct. 26–Oct. 30 for a daily series of peer-led discussions over lunch, and presentations by purposeful — sometimes unconventional — leaders each evening. Registration is intentionally kept low-cost to make it easy to attend–it’s only ten bucks for students!
*YAFcon is an annual gathering of the Young Architect’s Forum (YAF), which promotes the professional growth and leadership development of emerging professionals, including early and mid-career architects and unlicensed professionals on both traditional and non-traditional career paths.
Someone to know at Hampton: Robert Easter is the faculty advisor for AIAS and NOMAS at Hampton, and Shahada Allah (President; Shahadah.allah@my.hamptonu.edu) and Shanice Robinson (Secretary and Immediate Past-President, shanice.robinson@my.hamptonu.edu) are the leaders of the Hampton chapters. Wherever you might be, they would love to hear from you about getting connected to other Pirates!
Someone to know at UVA: Phoebe Crisman (crisman@virginia.edu) is the faculty advisor for AIAS at UVA. She can get you in touch with the right people.
Some ways to take action at your school: Along with the national NOMA organization and the about-to-launch VANOMA, each of the Virginia design schools has active chapters of NOMAS. Contact leaders at UVA, Hampton, Virginia Tech to learn more about diving in as a leader or ally. Some ARE testing updates from NCARB: Testing in person is (almost certainly) coming! We expect that on Monday, November 16, 2020, candidates can schedule remote-proctored appointments, while still being able to test in-person at Prometric test centers. The actual ARE content and division structure will not change–more information about exam delivery changes will be released in mid-September. NCARB expects to release updated ARE Guidelines, ARE Handbook, and a new demo exam in October. These changes will keep the exam’s rigor, while providing candidates with greater flexibility and accessibility. In summer 2021, NCARB is slated to switch to a new test administration vendor, for both in-person and remote testing. Visit NCARB’s website for details.
Many years ago, our firm rented an office in a historic brick and timber frame building in downtown Winchester. In several locations there was historic graffiti, inked in cursive, inscribed on the wooden columns and beams. The most prominent piece of graffiti was one which said 1917 – Country is hell all over. All of us in the office thought that the inscription was referring to when the U.S. entered into World War I. Little did anyone know back then that, in the spring of 1918, the ‘Spanish’ flu pandemic would soon come along, eventually killing roughly 675,000 people in the U.S. and a staggering 50 million worldwide. Now, a little over a century later, we are living through another frightening and vast, worldwide pandemic, with all of its social and economic repercussions.
Beth Reader, FAIA
Thinking back to that building and its graffiti, I remember that it was there that my co-workers and I would sometimes encourage each other to “be nicer than you really are!” When one of us would get irritated and annoyed with a client or a builder or an engineer or whomever, we’d say that catchphrase to one another, in order to prevent us from saying or emailing something curt or unkind, something not easily retracted.
During the current COVID-19 pandemic, there are signs everywhere about hand washing, masks, and social distancing. I would like to propose that we add another sign, one instructing people to be nicer than they really are. All of us are struggling these days, to different degrees. Job loss, social isolation, looming evictions, underlying health issues, uncertainty about the economy, racial injustice, political discord… really, it’s overwhelming. It’s no wonder that anxiety and depression are rising among Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone is just trying to cope the best they know how.
We all recognize that architects can and should use their skills to make their communities better, by doing socially relevant work, creating architecture that inspires and uplifts, and volunteering their time and talents in a myriad of ways. In addition to their important, more long-term career citizen architect work, architects can, on a daily basis, use their design thinking to help solve big things but also small things. They can try to fix or avoid conflicts rather than always having to win an argument or a difference of opinion. Architects also need to be empathetic and kind, and give people the benefit of the doubt. We are leaders, and we should all ask how we can make things better– the projects we take, the ones we don’t, the design priorities within our work. Check in on your colleagues in the office and on young emerging professionals, who are facing a severely constricted job market. Find out if your clients or builders are stressed, and give them some help and encouragement. Instead of being nicer than you really are, try to be as kind and empathetic to people as you possibly can.
Now that we own our office building, it’s tempting to scribble some graffiti ourselves: 2020 – Country is hell all over. But then, on the other hand, maybe we should just inscribe the Elvis Costello line: 2020 – “What’s so funny ’bout peace, love, and understanding?”
Member Tim Colley, AIA of Blacksburg, and President of Colley Architects, P.C. has been appointed by Governor Northam to the Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Certified Interior Designers, Land Surveyors and Landscape Architects. Congratulations, Tim!
Hear about vital developments with your professional society, elect officers and conduct other business at the AIA Virginia Annual Meeting of the Membership. The meeting will be held during Architecture Exchange EastWednesday, Nov. 4 from 4:15 to 5:15 p.m. There is no charge to attend the Membership Meeting.
The 2020 Nominating Committee has placed the following members for nomination for 2021:
Per Section 6.04 of the Bylaws, Sean Reilly, AIA [AIA Northern Virginia] will succeed to President.
President-Elect: Robert Easter, FAIA [AIA Richmond] Vice President of Advocacy: Kathy Galvin, AIA* [AIA Central Virginia] Vice President of Education: Krystal Anderson, AIA* [AIA Richmond] Secretary: Bill Hopkins, AIA [AIA Hampton Roads]
*Elected last year to fill an unexpired term (finished one year of service in 2020)
MEETING RECAP AIA Virginia | 2020 Board of Directors August 7, 2020 Zoom Virtual Meeting
Motions Made and Approved:
The Board of Directors of AIA Virginia voted as follows:
Approval of June 26, 2020 Meeting Minutes
Approval of the AIA Virginia Honors Awards as proposed by the Honors Committee
Approval of using donations from the 2020 Visions for Architecture to support Hampton University’s architecture program
Approval of the 2021 Slate of Officers for presentation at the Annual Meeting as proposed by the Nominating Committee
Approval of granting the President the authority to cast final votes for AIA National candidates for office at her discretion on behalf of AIA Virginia
Written reports were provided for the following consent agenda items:
PAC Update
Membership Update
Amber Book Update
Foresight 2020 Update
Virginia NOMA Update
Emerging Leaders in Architecture Update
Mid-Career Stage Leadership Program Update
Operation: Reach, Retain, and Develop Update
AIA/ACEC Joint Virginia Disparity Study Letter
AIA Virginia Participating in Virginia Energy Plan
Members may request a copy of these written reports by emailing AIA Virginia Executive Vice President, Corey Clayborne, FAIA at cclayborne@aiava.org.
The next meeting of the 2020 AIA Virginia Board of Directors will take place Friday, October 9, 2020.
We understand the dedication and effort required to study for and pass the ARE. Congratulations to the following member for passing their exams and gaining licensure. This is great news that thrills all of us and we are so proud to call you architect!
Mr. Casey P. Walker, AIA (Blue Ridge)
Have you recently passed the ARE? Upgrade your membership to Architect using this AIA form. or send an email to your Member Services Director, Cathy Guske, cguske@aiava.org
