Associated Thoughts

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I had this month’s update for associates all planned out. Real nice and tidy. It was going to be about getting started—with your career, with your AXP record, with raising your hand and getting involved in your community—and simple ways for emerging designers to do that. And sometimes our nice and tidy plans get pushed aside, rightly so. As I type out these words, helicopters buzz low over my Washington DC neighborhood, and massive crowds stream through the streets in protest of the injustices perpetrated against George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so, so many in the black community over the last 400+ years. Injustices both outrageously specific and overwhelmingly systemic, and we grieve them.

And so we center these words from the May 31 statement by the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA):

The air in our nation is thick with a profound sense of grief and despair. Our collective air is so very thick that it’s literally hard to breathe. We struggle to grasp for air as we all navigate a global pandemic coupled with the deadly and pervasive virus called racism that has plagued America for over four centuries…As architects, how can we protect the health, safety and welfare of the public if our country is not properly including Black Americans as full members of our society?

photo courtesy of Michael Spory

We as architects serve the public. Not just the paying, powerful, or polite public. The ENTIRE public, in all its messy, complicated, and challenging complexity. And in serving the entire public as designers, we imagine environments and worlds that do not yet exist, and we help make them visible. How can we, who care so much about the beauty in our built environments, imagine and act to bring that better world into being, a world that repairs the systemic injustices enveloping our black brothers and sisters for the last 400 years? How can we as professional architects address racial issues within our own profession? How can we hold this in our gaze, and not look away?

Ultimately, this newsletter is still about getting started (and you can certainly find links for job boards, AXP advice, and community service opportunities below) but with a renewed focus on racial justice in our design offices and in our neighborhoods in our diverse, complicated, beautiful Virginia. This work has been going on for a long time, but the pressing reality begs us as emerging professionals to partner with our elders in clear-eyed reckoning with how race and architecture are colliding, in this moment in 2020. 

In the coming weeks and months, there will be a variety of opportunities to sustain this priority, so watch out. Read things like the links listed below, and share them with your friends and supervisors. Listen to diverse voices. Listen to your black and brown friends and colleagues, who have to come to work every day and try and smile and finish their task list. Get involved in our newly-established NOMA chapter. Donate to our PAC, and to trusted organizations doing justice work in our communities. 

We will keep moving. 

In solidarity and action,
Michael Spory, Associate AIA
spory@vmdo.com

Just a Few Fun Things to Click On

Some Statements about Racial Injustice from AIA and Design Leaders: Read statements from the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), the AIA, and AIA Virginia. Ask if your firm or institution has drafted any statement. 

Someone You Should Know: Jeffrey Butts is the Regional Associate Director for the Region of the Virginias for the 2019-2020 term. A graduate of Howard University and a designer at Hanbury (Norfolk), Jeffrey is an incredible resource between our regional chapter and AIA National. He’s doing big things, folks. 

Someone Else You Should Know: Robert Easter, FAIA is one of the newest AIA Fellows from Virginia (recently awarded in January!), the chair of the architecture program at Hampton University, and one of the most prominent voices for increased black and minority participation in Virginia and in the country. He serves as Hampton University’s representative to the AIA VA Board of Directors. 

Someone to Ask NCARB Questions: Michael Hammon, AIA is the NCARB Licensing Advisor for Virginia. He knows all things NCARB and is appointed by AIA Virginia to help you. Reach out to him at mhammon@glaveandholmes.com. He is happy to respond to big and small questions about how licensing works, how to navigate tricky situations, and how to help you get that stamp!

Something to Talk about with Your Boss and Coworkers: AIA has developed Guides for Equitable Practice, for resourcing architects to make the business and professional case for ensuring more equitable practices in our firms, particularly towards black and minority individuals and clients. This is an important baseline, especially the personal stories in this section. Ask your supervisors if your firm has discussed and implemented these guides. 

Something to Donate To: The Equal Justice Initiative, founded by Bryan Stevenson, supports criminal justice reform, racial justice, and public education about racial inequities and the residual structures and legacy of the enslavement of African-Americans. Based in Montgomery, Alabama, it’s National Memorial for Peace and Justice is a heartbreaking and architectural wonder to the legacy of lynching and racial violence. 

Something to Sign Up For: AIA Virginia is forming a joint and supportive relationship with our newly-launched NOMA Chapter. This is an important step, and is an effort that needs people of all skin colors to actively support minority architects. Fill this form out to show your support and interest; it’ll take less than 60 seconds.

Something Else to Sign Up For: Due to the loss of networking and internship opportunities, AIA VA is responding creatively to provide mentoring relationships between rising students and young professionals and working architects. I signed up–you should too! Only 2 hours per month. Forms for mentees & graduates are here, and forms for possible mentors are here. 

Something to Put on Your Calendar: Join other engaged folks for our Emerging Professionals Roundtable + Happy Hour. June 10 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm. Register online. 

Some Free Stuff for the ARE Exams: AIA National is offering their ARE prep course ArchiPrep FOR FREE for associate members until August 31. If you’re taking your exams, or thinking about taking them, this should push you over the starting line. 

Something if You’re Looking for a Job: For those on the job hunt, take a look at the job board on the AIA Virginia website — with employment opportunities all across Virginia. And check out AIA’s resource for navigating the 2020 job market. 

Something Inspiring: Past winners of the AIA’s Whitney M. Young Jr Award, which distinguishes an architect or architectural organization that embodies social responsibility and actively addresses a relevant issue, such as affordable housing, inclusiveness, or universal access.  

Dreiling Honored by NCARB

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2020 NCARB President’s Medalists
for Distinguished Service

Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA

Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA, of Massanutten, VA, is recognized for her outstanding leadership of both the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) and the American Institute of Architects (AIA). As interim executive director of the NAAB, Dreiling led the organization through a period of critical reflection and restructuring. Her efforts transformed the NAAB and built lasting partnerships both within and outside the realm of architectural education. Her commitment to efficiency and professionalism facilitated a new dynamic with NCARB, its staff, and its volunteers. In addition, Dreiling was elected the 90th president of the AIA after over 18 years of service with the organization. During her tenure in 2014, she oversaw a repositioning of the organization with a focus on cultural transformation, while also promoting efforts to support students, emerging professionals, and young architects.

The highest honor bestowed upon architectural professionals by NCARB—the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service—is awarded each year to individuals in recognition of their outstanding contributions and dedication to the Council and the architectural profession.

2020 Laudatories

NCARB wishes to express its sincere appreciation to Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA for her invaluable contributions to the Board of Directors, the Council and its mission, and the regulation of the architecture profession.

Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA
Helene Combs Dreiling stepped away from her role as the interim executive director of the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) after leading the organization through a critical restructure, re-energizing its focus on the accreditation of architecture education programs, and strengthening the relationship between NAAB and the Council. She helped guide the development of the groundbreaking 2019 Accreditation Review Forum, ensuring the contributions and collaboration of each of the five collateral organizations for the betterment of the education continuum. NCARB President Terry Allers is awarding Dreiling the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service in 2020.

But Then There was One

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With the 199th pick in the 6th Round, the New England Patriots select…

Tom Brady. Quarterback. University of Michigan.

In the National Football League (NFL), being drafted at the end of the sixth round is not impressive. It is not something that you brag about. To put it in perspective, the NFL draft has seven rounds and the last pick in the draft (in 2020 it was the 255th pick) is dubbed the nickname, “Mr. Irrelevant”.

R. Corey Clayborne, FAIA, NOMA, MBA

Scouts from all over saw Tom Brady and thought that the 6’-4” quarterback was slow on his feet and awkward at best, when running with the ball. So much so, that teams thought there were 198 other athletes that were better. Think about it.

But then there was one.

The scouts and front office executives of the New England Patriots saw something special. They saw a set of innate tools he possessed that could be honed to create an incredibly successful quarterback at the game’s highest level. He became an instrumental piece to the team’s success eventually going to nine Super Bowls and winning six of them. And he is a future member of the NFL Hall of Fame.

I feel like my story as an African American man in architecture is like Tom Brady’s story. It is full of moments that shout: But then there was one.

I have never overly enjoyed recreational reading. It makes me drowsy. Even today, I do not like long emails and prefer briefings and summaries to be one page with bullet points. So, it was no surprise that the first time I took the SAT, I received a 980 score. I took it again and improved by only 100 points. The University of Virginia put me on their waitlist.

But then there was one. Virginia Tech welcomed me with open arms into the College of Architecture and Urban Studies.

God did not bless me with the ability to sketch like Charles Piper, AIA [Quinn Evans] or build models like Nick Cooper, AIA [HKS]. My portfolio was mediocre, which may be a stretch. Many marquee architecture firms in Virginia never gave me a look when applying for summer internships.

But then there was one. A+E Collective in Great Falls, Virginia led by Anil Bhatia, AIA and Madhur Khanna, AIA. At the time, a firm of three people gave me a chance at a summer internship and I was determined to not let them down. They will always have a special spot in my heart.

After graduation, I worked at an Architecture/Engineering firm of about 150 people at the time. At an early age, I knew I enjoyed the project management and business development aspect of the business. In this firm, the Project Management department is a vital lifeline of the business – so to be a part of it is a big deal. Nearly all were at least 50 years of age or at least knocking on the door of it. None were black.

But then there was one. The President and CEO called me in their offices and said they were going to promote me into the Project Management department. This happened at the age of 28. And to my knowledge, the first African American to be elevated into that department within a firm that was founded in 1901.

And here we are today. As the Executive Vice President of AIA Virginia – the organization’s chief executive. At one time, this position was held by a gentleman with a PhD for over two decades. His successor was a national figure in architecture and remains one today. Who would be next?

But then there was one. Out of nearly 70 applicants, the Search Committee took a chance on me. At the time, a 35-year-old black male who had never run an association before. And this has been one of the best opportunities of my life.

My career is full of these moments. I could write a novel about it. I am proud to be in the 2020 Class of the College of Fellows: our Hall of Fame.

But don’t forget this:

If you, as firm leaders, are committed to being bold about diversity, equity, and inclusion – then you must provide “But then there was one” moments to those who may otherwise never be exposed to these great opportunities.

With service,

R. Corey Clayborne, FAIA, NOMA, MBA
Executive Vice President

New Members

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We are always excited to welcome new members to Virginia. The following members recently joined the ranks of AIA Virginia.

New Associate Members

Mr. Andre Barrios, Assoc. AIA (Northern Virginia)
Mr. Xinghan Chen, Assoc. AIA (Central Virginia)
Ms. Ojima Glover, Assoc. AIA (Blue Ridge)
Leen Hariri, Assoc. AIA (Blue Ridge)
Mr. Jack Littrell, Assoc. AIA (Blue Ridge)
Miss Nupoor Maduskar, Assoc. AIA (Blue Ridge)
RayShawnda McCoy, Assoc. AIA (Hampton Roads)
Mr. Tommy M. Nguyen, Assoc. AIA (Northern Virginia)
Mrs. SumayiaBinte Samad, Assoc. AIA (Northern Virginia)
Madison Summers, Assoc. AIA (Hampton Roads)

Transferred In

Ms. Amanda G. LeBeau, AIA (Hampton Roads) from AIA Tennessee
Miss Vanessa E. Poe, AIA (Richmond) from AIA Texas

AIA Virginia Allied Members

Hessam Nabavi, Promotions Director, Virginia Ready Mixed Concrete Association

View all of the AIA Virginia Allied members

Designing a Successful AIA Virginia Honors Nomination

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Ready to nominate a deserving individual or organization for an Honor Award, but not sure where to start? Check out the recording of the webinar “Designing a Successful AIA Virginia Honors Award Nomination.”

You’ll hear an overview of each AIA Virginia Honors Awards category, see examples of successful past nominations, and learn about your role as a nominator. After reviewing the recording, you should be able to determine which category is the right one for your candidate and understand how to apply some of the common elements of successful nominations to your submission.

This session was recorded on June 3, 2020 and was accurate at the time of recording.

About the 2020 Honors Awards program

The Honors program recognizes the best efforts of Virginians who — by profession or avocation — have made creating, preserving, and enhancing Virginia’s communities an important life commitment.

Nominations must be submitted online. Each nomination should be submitted as a single PDF up to 20 pages (not including letters of support) that is no larger than 15 MB.

Nominations may be made by individual members, by chapter honors committees, by AIA Virginia committees, or by the Board of Directors itself.

Current AIA Virginia Board members and Honors Committee members are not eligible for any award.

The deadline is Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 5 p.m. Check out the 2020 Call for Nominations for more information.

Still have questions? Contact Rhea George.

Newly Licensed

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We understand the dedication and effort required to study for and pass the ARE. Congratulations to the following member for passing her exams and gaining licensure. This is great news that thrills all of us and we are so proud to call you an architect!

Whitney N. McDermott, AIA (Central Virginia)

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

Virginia Architects Issue Joint Statement on Racial Injustice

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Virginia’s state and local chapters of the AIA and Virginia NOMA issue the following joint statement on racial injustice.

The killing of Mr. George Floyd was a despicable and heinous act committed by police officers who betrayed their oath to protect the community they served. The civil unrest we are witnessing in our cities is a public outcry in response to centuries of neglect, oppression, and suffocation of African-Americans. It is a response to an America that has failed to practice the very words upon which it was founded – that all are created equal. This is a forceful reminder that we have much work to do as a society in order for all Americans to enjoy the benefits of this inherited promise.

As architects and designers, we remain steadfast in our commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within our profession while designing spaces that benefit all people. Each pen stroke we put on paper sets into motion a series of consequences that shape our communities for decades to come. Though that responsibility is great, it is not our only obligation. We are called, each and every one of us, to remove barriers to our profession, boldly committing to providing opportunity and equity for all who wish to contribute.

Kelly Callahan, AIA: President of AIA Central Virginia
Scott Campbell, AIA: President of AIA Hampton Roads
Nick Cooper, AIA: President of AIA Richmond
Kevin Jones, AIA: President of AIA Blue Ridge
Kenneth Martin, AIA Member Emeritus, NOMAC: Inaugural President of Virginia NOMA
Joseph McCoy, AIA: President of AIA Northern Virginia
Beth Reader, FAIA: President of AIA Virginia

Read the statement from the national component of the American Institute of Architects

Read the statement from the National Organization of Minority Architects

Meet Robert Dale Lynch, FAIA, FAAFS, D-IBFES

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  • Registered Architect and Member, American Institute of Architects, 1970;
  • Testimony before a congressional subcommittee of the Judiciary of the US Congress on behalf of AIA to enact the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 1990;
  • Accessibility Consultant to Architect James Ingo Freed of Pei Cobb Freed on ADA compliance at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 1993;
  • Pennsylvania Society of Architects Gold Medal Award, 1996;
  • Member 30 years, American National Standards Institute, A117 Committee on Accessible & Usable Buildings & Facilities, 1988-2018;
  • Architect designer of accessibility modifications for over 170 homes, 1974-2019;
  • 12 years, faculty, U of Pittsburgh, School of Health & Rehab Sciences, 1988-2000;
  • Member, AIA National Design for Aging Committee Task Force guiding research at Georgia Institute of Technology for design standards on assisted bathing & toileting for aging & frail persons, 2015-2018;
  • Universal Design Consultant to Perfido, Weiskopf Architects in Pittsburgh for a pedestrian bridge, Western PA School for Blind Children – all students multiply disabled, 2018;
  • Historic preservation & accessibility expert, renovations to Art Deco Style Allegheny County Airport Main Terminal, 2009;
  • Member and Fellow, American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS), 3 presentations at national annual meetings on ADA compliance, personal injury, construction & building codes, 2009-present;
  • Expert testimony: 200 legal case reports, 7 depositions, 14 trials, 1974-present;
  • Presentations: AIA nationwide 3-day interactive teleconference on PBS to 5000 AIA members, “Opening All Doors”, 1993; AIA National Convention, Dallas, 1999; 3 presentations to annual meetings of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.
  • Secretary, Engineering & Allied Sciences Section, American Academy of Forensic Sciences, 2020-2021
  • Diplomate, International Board of Forensic Engineering Sciences, 2020.

Where did you go to college?
The Catholic University of America, 1959-1967, Washington, DC, Physics and Architecture.

Would you recommend studying architecture to a young person?
Yes. The practice of architecture is a personally enriching professional life that can fulfill one’s natural desire for seeking the beautiful while contributing to the welfare, liberty, and happiness of one’s community.

What does it take to be an architect?
To be an architect, one must have a basis of principle and maintain adherence to it; an essential knowledge of and love of human nature and humanity; knowledge of and facility with the aesthetically true, history, spacial conceptuality, science, mathematics, geometry, and drawing by hand.

Was there an architect who particularly inspired you?
Yes. I have reverence for, and am inspired by several:
• Louis Sullivan (1856-1924) combined the flowing, complex beauty of nature in his carving the stone facade with a unique technological insight that forged man’s design on into the birth of the modern skyscraper.
• Henry Hobson Richardson (1838-1886) conceived design with a deep understanding of historical truth; and, articulated what was, at first, Romanesque Revival, but ultimately owned by him as Richardsonian Romanesque with consistency and strength throughout his all too brief life.
• Eero Saarinen (1910-1961) had a magnificent ability to make the physics and geometry of nature a necessary and intimate component of his design. He glorified man’s architecture by emulating nature, just as did his ancestors, Sullivan and Richardson.

What are you currently reading?
Justice on Trial: The Kavanaugh Confirmation and the Future of the Supreme Court by Hemmingway & Severino; and, Jackson’s Way: Andrew Jackson and the People of the Western Waters by John Buchanan

What’s the best meal you’ve ever had?
Saint Patrick’s Day Dinner of corned beef, cabbage & colcannon prepared by my wife, Anne.

Why do you volunteer with the AIA?
I would volunteer with the AIA in order to share my experience in the practice of the profession of architecture with those who would consider following me so that they may more fully know that the professional path they have chosen is true and proper. I would volunteer so that they who follow may proceed to utilize and benefiting from my experience. Though my direct participation in the College of Fellows as an organization has been limited, I have continued my practice in the same vein and for the same reasons that I was elected back in 1996. I continue to contribute to my community simply as a good architect.

Meet Randy Holmes, FAIA

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Where did you go to college?
I attended UVA Undergrad (1979) and also UVA Grad School (1982)

Would you recommend studying architecture to a young person? Absolutely. It is a wonderful major with many options for how to apply architectural training to various career paths. Architectural training can take one towards a more traditional route of designing buildings to newer forms of a career like CAD modeling, gaming, or other types of application of design training.

What does it take to be an architect?
It requires perseverance, faith, enjoyment of the creative process, good listening skills, and respect for collaboration and leadership…..many more qualifiers could be added, however, the great thing about architecture is that it can utilize a wide variety of abilities within the profession. Most important, it requires a commitment to the built environment and the elevation of people’s experience of it.

Was there an architect that particularly inspired you?
There are many. As one who appreciate history, I value Vitruvius, Alberti (and many other Renaissance Architects), Wren, Lutyens, Cram, McKim, Mead and White, Carrere and Hastings, Bottomley, and others from around the turn of the 20th century. I was mentored by Jaquelin Robertson who heavily influenced the start of my architectural career and he introduces me to people like Leon Krier, Demetri Porphyrios and Andres Duany, and Liz Plater Zyberk. I collaborated on one project with Quinlan Terry who was influential to me. Jim Glave was a longtime mentor and friend. Robert A M Stern and his firm have always been an inspiration to me.

What are you currently reading?
The Future of the Past by Steven W. Semes. I just finished On the Road with Saint Augustine by James K. A. Smith which was fantastic.

What’s the best meal you’ve ever had?
That’s tough. I like many meals (my waistline is proof of the fact). It is often the combination of food and atmosphere that makes meals memorable to me. I just returned from Jamaica where a group of my friends, my wife and I sat on a point, looking out on the sunset over the ocean and had a fabulous meal of fish, vegetables, bread, and wine….these kinds of experiences seem to make the best meals to me.

Why do you volunteer with the AIA?
Because AIA is the architect’s advocacy group and our only large, national, professional association. We must make it as strong as we can and so volunteering is one way to make a small contribution towards that aim.