Architects Foundation

by Milan Jordan, Assoc. AIA, Architects Foundation Board Secretary

The panel discussion “Breaking Barriers: Black Architects on Firm Ownership,” hosted at The Octagon, was a powerful conversation that highlighted the triumphs and challenges of Black architects who have forged their own paths in the industry. Using its backdrop of The Octagon, the Architects Foundation actively seeks partnership that supports the advancement of the profession and underrepresented architects; The Octagon is a historic space that welcomes activation and conversations on the future of architecture and design.

The distinguished panel included Michael Marshall, FAIA, Founder of Michael Marshall Design and Architects Foundation Board Member; Kathy Dixon, FAIA, Principal of K. Dixon Architecture and Architects Foundation Board Member; Ronnie McGhee, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP, Founder of R. McGhee & Associates Architects; Genell Anderson, AIA, NOMA, ICC, Principal of AMAR Group, LLC; and Sean Pichon, Principal at Michael Graves.

The event aimed to offer valuable insights for students, emerging professionals, and seasoned architects. Students were encouraged to learn from these trailblazers, gaining guidance on how to navigate their careers in a competitive industry. Emerging professionals were given strategies to advance and thrive, while seasoned architects had the opportunity to network and contribute to the ongoing conversation about fostering diversity and inclusion in architecture.

The panelists shared their personal stories, reflecting on key questions such as “What made you start your own firm?”, “What qualities are most important in becoming a leader”, and “What challenges did you face as Black firm owners?”

The Road to Firm Ownership

For some panelists, the journey to owning their own firms was driven by a sense of survival and resilience. Genell Anderson explained that for her, diversification was key to success. She made it clear that expanding her services—such as adding inspections to her offerings—was crucial in growing her business. Michael Marshall, on the other hand, recalled his early experiences of learning about the architect’s role in drawing “blueprints” (as they were more commonly called at the time) and dreaming as a young boy of owning a firm at the age of 11.

Challenges Faced by Black Firm Owners

The challenges panelists faced as Black architects and small business owners were significant. Kathy Dixon shared that starting a firm was particularly tough due to limited capital and marketing resources, with much of her business relying on referrals. Ronnie McGhee spoke about the importance of forming partnerships and being adaptable to secure work, especially when facing the limitations that often come with being a smaller firm. Genell Anderson noted the importance of surrounding yourself with talented people and being agile in order to overcome the challenges that come with running a small business.

The conversation also touched on the financial barriers and systemic issues Black architects face, including restrictive policies and the difficulties of securing insurance and certifications. Even when discussing challenges, the thread of creativity, problem-solving, and perseverance was always present and exemplified in the endurance of their firms.

Moderator Telicious Robinson (third from left) with panelists and AF Board members Michael Marshall and Kathy Dixon, and panelists Genell Anderson, Ronnie McGhee, and Sean Pichon.

What Makes a Good Leader?

When asked about the most important qualities of a leader, the panelists emphasized persistence, honesty, and the ability to listen. Ronnie McGhee stressed the importance of being a good listener and surrounding yourself with a strong team. He also emphasized learning from failures to improve in the future. Every project not awarded is an opportunity to learn how to respond stronger next solicitation. Genell Anderson spoke about the need for persistence and being honest with oneself, especially when it’s time to walk away from a project. Sean Pichon noted the importance of being resourceful and well-rounded, with a keen understanding of the financial aspects of a project.

The Role of Cultural Background

The panelists were also asked if their cultural background influenced the projects they pursued. Pichon explained that he specifically avoids projects related to incarceration, instead focusing on work that uplifts people. Genell Anderson shared that her background—particularly her connection to John’s Island—deeply influences her design approach, with African architecture playing a significant role in her work. She believes that her clients trust her because they know she understands their cultural context and values.

Reflections on Diversity and Inclusion

Reflecting on the last 30 years, the panelists shared their thoughts on the state of diversity and inclusion in architecture. Kathy Dixon noted that while there are fewer Black-owned firms today, she hopes to see more young people starting their own businesses in the future. The panelists agreed that access to capital and opportunities has improved, but challenges remain. Genell Anderson pointed out that limiting beliefs often hold Black architects back, and while progress has been made, architects are still losing ground in terms of representation, leadership, and opportunities.

The event provided valuable insights into the realities of Black firm ownership, the importance of diversity, and the ongoing challenges in the field of architecture. It was a reminder that while progress has been made, there is still much work to be done in creating an industry that is truly inclusive and accessible to all.

Written by AF Staff, Research by Kayla Laws

Saturday, February 17 marks the 209th anniversary of the day that the Treaty of Peace and Amity reached President James Madison at The Octagon and was signed in what is known today as the “Treaty Room”.  

This treaty ended the War of 1812, fought between Great Britain and the fledgling United States. The war had caused great destruction in the young nation’s newly established capital. In 1814, British troops burned federal buildings, including the White House and the United States Capitol. After the burning of the White House, President James Madison and First Lady Dolley Madison moved into The Octagon House, the nearby Washington home of their acquaintances John and Ann Tayloe, for a period of six months, from September 1814 to March 1815.

The purpose of the treaty was to achieve “universal Peace between His Britannic Majesty and the United States.” Prisoners of war were to be returned; both sides agreed to seek peaceful relations with the Indians; and efforts would be made to end the slave trade,” according to Hugh Howard’s Mr. and Mrs. Madison’s War: America’s First Couple and the Second War of Independence.   

Three different copies of the treaty were sent from Ghent, Belgium, where negotiations took place, to Washington, D.C., in case one shipment was delayed or lost. After reaching the United States Congress, the treaty was delivered to The Octagon by Henry Caroll, secretary to Congressman Henry Clay. “Madison walked into his study, an exquisite wood-paneled circular room over the entrance hall.  He crossed the pine floor and sat down before a delicate mahogany desk; its round top covered by dark green leather stamped with gold.  With characteristic precision and formality, Madison put his signature to the “Treaty of Peace and Amity,” Howard said. 

  

 

 The ceremony took place in the “President’s office in the circular room on the second floor over the entrance of the Octogen,” according to historian, Audrey Cutler. 

Servants yelled down the stairs to bring the champagne, and Paul Jennings played “The President’s March” on his fiddle.  

In his Reminiscences, Jennings writes that “we were crazy with joy.” The butler liberally dispensed wine to all, including the servants and slaves… [Sioussat] and some others were drunk for two days, and such another joyful time was never seen in Washington.”’ 

According to Joseph Gale, an eyewitness, “Soon after nightfall, Members of Congress and others deeply interested in the event, presented themselves at the president’s house, the doors of which stood open. When the writer of this entered the drawing room at about eight o’clock, it was crowded to its full capacity, Mrs. Madison (the president being with Cabinet) doing the honors of the honors of the occasion. And what a happy scene it was.” 

Candles were later burned in The Octagon’s windows celebrating the end of the War of 1812 and Madison’s exemplary leadership.  

 

REFERENCES  

 Cutler, Audrey.  “A Synopsis of Events of the War of 1812 and its Relationship to the History of the Octagon” 

 From the Octagon Files. “Interpreter’s Insights: Presidential History and Legends at the Octagon” 

 Green, Contance McLaughlin. “Washington Village and Capital, 1800-1878. 

 Howard, Hugh. Mr. and Mrs. Madison’s War: America’s First Couple and the Second War of Independence. Bloomsbury Press, 2012 

 Hunt-Jones, Conover. “Doly and the ‘Great little Madison.’” AIA Foundation, 1977 

 Jennings, Paul.  A Colored Man’s Reminiscences of James Madison. Cornell University Library, 1865.  

Lord, Walker. The Dawn’s Early light, New York, 1972. 

 Miller, Hope Riding. “Great Houses of Washington.” 

 Taylor, Contributor: Elizabeth Dowling. “Paul Jennings (1799–1874).” Encyclopedia Virginia, 2 Dec. 2021, encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/jennings-paul-1799-1874/.  

At this year’s AIA Women’s Leadership Summit (WLS), AIA and the Architects Foundation were honored to join Payette for a celebratory happy hour at their Boston office to honor the donors and recipients of the Sho-Ping Chin WLS Grant. Established in 2017, the grant is named in memory of Sho-Ping Chin, FAIA, a principal at Payette and one of the founders of the Women’s Leadership Summit. The grant covers the travel and registration costs to attend the summit, enabling a greater number of women architects to experience the community, knowledge-sharing, and leadership training that the Summit offers.

This year’s grant recipients, Laura Sherman of Decatur, GA; Libertad Lauren McLellan Harris of Beverly, NJ; Seher Hashmi of Orlando, FL; Mika Naraynsingh of Washington, DC; and Tooba Jalal of New York, NY; were joined at the reception by many past recipients. Also joining the happy hour were several Summit attendees who received funding from their local AIA chapters to attend the Summit, a testament to the impactful vision and generosity of Sho-Ping Chin, the WLS founders, and the donors who initiated the inaugural WLS grant in 2017.

A spectacular exhibition produced by Payette shared the life and legacy of Sho-Ping Chin and celebrated the success of the Women’s Leadership Summit and the community of women architect leaders it has inspired and cultivated.

The Architects Foundation was honored to recognize some of those visionary donors at the happy hour, with Executive Director Marci Reed and board president Bill Roschen, FAIA, presenting the Architects Foundation’s inaugural Inspiration Award to Carol Burns, FAIA; Heather Taylor, AIA; Janet Ross, AIA; Katy Flammia, AIA; Jeanne Lukenda, FASLA; and Carole Wedge, FAIA.

Looking ahead to next year’s Summit, the Architects Foundation is seeking donations to enable another cohort of future women architect leaders to attend. Support women in architecture by donating today.

Originally aired in February 2023, this Tangible Remnants episode at The Octagon Museum features a conversation with Sarah Shoenfeld and Derek Musgrove. The focus of the discussion was Sarah and Derek’s work to elevate 20th century Civil Rights sites and Black Power sites within Washington, DC. This is part of The Octagon’s programming series “Revealing Parallel Histories hidden in Plain Sight.”

In December 2022, the Octagon Alliance hosted the first of its continuing lecture series.  “Revealing Parallel Histories Hidden in Plain Sight” is a premier lecture series to give visibility to BIPOC voices and stories underrepresented in the national architectural canon, aiming to educate and engage attendees in topics related to Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

As the first installement in the series, photographer Andrew Feiler and Brent Leggs, Executive Director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, discussed Feiler’s book on The Rosenwald Schools.

Watch the full lecture below.

 

Octagon Alliance members receive exclusive benefits for Octagon visitation and events like the The Rosenwald Schools with Andrew Feiler and Brent Leggs. Become a member today.

 

Spring Webinar Series – The Future of Cities

Our society is undergoing a profound transformation. By mid-century, an estimated two-thirds of our global population – 6 billion people – will live in cities. Global population growth and urbanization are putting enormous stress on our civilization, fueling a host of cascading crises from climate change to housing, health to inequality. Despite the unprecedented challenges facing us, cities are uniquely positioned to serve as the hub of a global strategy to address our current crises. This series will focus on a number of key themes facing the future of our cities, offering provocative ideas about how we conceptualize our collective future and the role of design leadership in achieving global goals.

Technology & the Future City

1 LU  |  February 1 at 2pm ET

This session will provide a broad overview of the major implications of key emerging technologies unfolding in cities and a framework for understanding urban design and development connections to them.

Decarbonization for Cities

1 LU HSW  |  February 22 at 2pm ET

This session will identify some of the common gaps in current city approaches and highlight innovative work happening at the local level that may provide broader guidance to community decarbonization strategies across the country.

Public Process Leadership in an Age of Distrust

1 LU HSW  |  March 15 at 2pm ET

The session will address technique selection, as well as tools, resources and networks where participants can develop skills in public participation and building trust.

The 15-Minute City: Sustainable Urbanism in the Future City

1 LU HSW  |  April 5, 2023 at 2pm ET

This session will feature real-world applied settings for the 15-Minute City with lessons learned for other jurisdictions seeking to mobilize action for more sustainable urbanism.

Introduction to Design Assistance Teams

1 LU HSW  |  April 26, 2023 at 2pm ET

This session will explain the guiding principles and methodology that Design Assistance Teams employ to help communities reach more equitable and sustainable outcomes.

Building the Equitable City: Lessons Learned in Anti-Displacement and Equitable

1 LU HSW  |  May 17, 2023 at 2pm ET

The session will share practical lessons learned from a range of diverse experiences in major American cities that can provide guidance to other community practitioners, designers and civic leaders.

Join one or all of our live courses. Want to join the entire series? Receive 25% off when you purchase all 6 courses in the series (discount will be applied at checkout). Explore the series and register >

Architects Foundation Executive Director Marci Reed and Mortarr’s Jen Levisen toured through some of The Octagon’s most spirited spaces this week in Mortarr’s inaugural episode of The Forum LIVE on Instagram.

Read the story on Mortarr’s Forum  >

This virtual discussion explores the work by Hans Herrmann, AIA and students to create physical and virtual reality models of four unrealized E. Fay Jones buildings at the Crosby Arboretum, buildings intended to accompany the iconic Pinecote Pavilion completed in 1985.

The Unbuilt Crosby Arboretum is the only known E. Fay Jones multi-building composition/campus. Robert Ivy, FAIA, AIA CEO and biographer on E. Fay Jones highlights how Jones’ work is deeply rooted to place and nature. Jones received the AIA Gold Medal in 1990, the Institute’s highest honor.

Watch the panel >

Panelists:
Hans C. Herrmann, AIA, LEED Green Assoc., NCARB, Associate Professor of Architecture at Mississippi State University

Robert A. Ivy, FAIA, Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Institute of Architects (AIA)

Moderator:
George Smart, founder of USModernist.org and host of USModernist Radio

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) make up 3 percent of the country’s colleges and universities, enroll 10 percent of all African American students, and produce almost 20 percent of all African American graduates, making these institutions increasingly impactful and vital. While meeting admissions goals and improving retention rates are critical goals for any college, for HBCUs history, students’ backgrounds, cultural nuances, and other factors require different approaches to student success. Thoughtful campus planning and design can play an important role in creating environments that allow students to embark upon higher education as the cornerstone of the Dream.

On January 30, we convened a panel at The Octagon to discuss placemaking at HBCUs with:

Andrew B. Feiler, Photographer
Bradford C. Grant, Professor of Architecture, Howard University
Warren L. Williams, AIA, Principal, Lord Aeck Sargent
Renée Yancey, Managing Director of EDI Development & Workforce Strategy, The American Institute of Architects

Watch the recap >
Read our statement on The Octagon >

Scholarship to provide financial support to architecture student and mentorship from Yann Weymouth, AIA.

Washington, DC – The Architects Foundation is announcing the establishment of a new scholarship program in honor of architect Yann Weymouth, AIA.

“I am deeply honored to be a part of this scholarship,” said Weymouth. “This opportunity will allow me to engage, mentor, and guide some of the most talented young architecture students so that they can carry the torch forward to shape our future. For that, I am deeply grateful.”

The Yann Weymouth Scholarship will be granted annually—beginning next year—to a graduate architecture student dedicated to integrating exceptional design with sustainable initiatives. In addition to financial support, students will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to personally seek guidance and support from Weymouth.

During his career, Weymouth served as chief of design for I.M. Pei on the National Gallery of Art East Wing in Washington and the Grand Louvre Project in Paris. In addition, he held positions as senior vice president, design director, and worldwide design board member for HOK Architects, where he contributed to four major museum commissions in the state of Florida. He now serves as Design Director of St. Pete Design Group.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to celebrate Yann’s world-renowned career with this scholarship,” said Architects Foundation President Jeffery Potter, FAIA. “I look forward to seeing his impact on these students translate into successful careers in the architecture profession.”

The Architects Foundation held a private reception at the Octagon Thursday to honor Weymouth and announce the scholarship. At the event, Weymouth was joined by his daughter Katharine and his wife Susana; David Skorton, Smithsonian Institution; Chien Chung Pei, AIA, Pei Partnership Architects; William Hellmuth, FAIA, HOK; Charles Hine, Salvador Dalí Museum; Laura Hine, The James Museum; Mary Jordan and Kevin Sullivan, Washington Post.