Amt, Ford, Price, and Wardell Elevated to Fellowship

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The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is elevating four AIA members from AIA Virginia to its prestigious College of Fellows, AIA’s highest membership honor for their exceptional work and contributions to architecture and society. The 2024 Jury of Fellows is elevating 96 members this year to the College of Fellows.

The fellowship program was developed to elevate those architects who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession and made a significant contribution to architecture and society on a national level.

As many of you know, the College of Fellows is AIA’s highest membership honor, with only 3% of members achieving this distinction. The bar is justifiably high, and the jury deliberates for days on the hundreds of applicants. If you’re new to AIA or interested in understanding the process better, you can learn more about the nomination and criteria, which includes fellowship objects, here.

The newly elevated fellows from AIA Virginia are:

  • Michelle Amt, FAIA of VMDO Architects (Central Virginia)
  • Edward Ford, FAIA of Edward R. Ford Architect-Author (Central Virginia)
  • Mel Price, FAIA of Work Program Architects (Hampton Roads)
  • Bruce Wardell, FAIA of brwarchitects, p.c. (Central Virginia)

New fellows will be honored at the AIA Virginia Fellows Fête, March 16, 2024 at Barboursville Vineyards.

New fellows will be honored at the AIA Awards Gala, June 7, 2024, at the National Building Museum in Washington D.C. Learn more about fellowship on AIA’s website.

Meet Robert Valentine Reis, FAIA, LEED AP

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As a Design Principal and Design Director at Hanbury, Rob provides design leadership across the firm and his award-winning designs throughout the United States and abroad include a wide range of project types in higher education, government, and corporate-commercial sectors. Rob values simplicity, clarity, and restraint as traits of design that not only stand the test of time, are loved and endure, and ultimately matter. Often working with diverse stakeholders Rob guides a process that is inclusive, collaborative, and focused on the unique qualities that define each opportunity.

Rob served on the AIAVA BoD from 2012 to 2020 and as President in 2019. Prior to that, Rob was an AIAHR board member for five years, annually chairing Architecture Week, facilitating the Design Awards program and the Annual Speaker Meeting, and bringing Pecha Kucha (peh–CHAK-cha) Night to Hampton Roads.

Originally from Minneapolis, Rob and his wife Lily – also an architect – have two daughters, Olivia and Ruby. After many years in Norfolk and officially ‘flat landers’, they love the beach, the surf, and life in Hampton Roads.

Where did you go to architecture school?

Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Harvard Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, MA
Otaniemi Technical Institute, Helsinki, Finland

What do you think it takes to be an architect?
Curiosity, resiliency, a dose of subservience, and the belief that what we love to do really matters.

Is there an architect that particularly inspires you?
Many. I work with them every day.

What are you currently reading?
The New Yorker. My Saturday afternoon respite. I am also reading The Soul of America by Jon Meacham. I’ve always had diverse interests and reading is one of the ways I satisfy that.

What’s the best meal you’ve ever had?
I love to eat and have had too many astounding meals… so maybe it’s more about the circumstances than the meal itself. One of my favorites – a late afternoon lunch on the 2005 Hanbury International Design Retreat – a perfect day under a vine arbor in Switzerland with the Swiss architect Franco Morrow after touring several of his amazing buildings. I don’t recall the food exactly, but one of the best meals I’ve ever had. “Fantastico!” F Morrow

Why do you volunteer with AIA?
When my wife Lily, daughter Olivia and I relocated from Washington, DC to Norfolk in 2005, leaving family, friends, and Georgetown behind, other than the handful of colleagues I interviewed with at Hanbury, we knew absolutely no one. So, by getting involved with the AIA Hampton Roads Board I initially saw an opportunity to plug in and meet like-minded people, which quickly advanced to supporting activities and events that I found interesting or compelling – the AIAHR Speaker Series and the opportunity to personally host James Timberlake, Ann Beha, and Neil Denari… a regional workforce housing design competition associated with the Celebration of AIA 150… the Design and Honor Awards celebrations… Architecture Week and the first of several Pecha Kucha events.

When joining the AIA Virginia Board in 2012 I did have one ‘immediate mission’ – raising awareness around the use of the ‘intern’ title for architecture graduates not-yet-registered. One of my not-yet-registered Hanbury colleagues, after masterfully presenting a project update was asked by our client, who was curiously eyeing my colleague’s business card with the presentation still pinned up behind us – “as an intern… are you paid for this work?” Wow… it struck me how vague, demeaning, and often inappropriate the intern ‘title’ was.

I want to say that I’m responsible for the AIA adopting the use of “architectural intern” or “intern architect” for graduates of NAAB-accredited degree programs, but before I could do anything AIA National, way ahead of me (imagine that…), was already implementing this change. Needless to say though, as I served a steady stream of opportunities to have a voice with colleagues in planning AIAVA events and initiatives, evolving member services, or championing public policy and regulation were satisfyingly at hand. And out of the gate to see an issue addressed so skillfully and expediently both assured and inspired me.

Meet Karen Van Lengen, FAIA

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Karen Van Lengen, FAIA, is an architect, the Kenan Professor of Architecture, and former Dean (1999-2009) of the School of Architecture at the University of Virginia. To her deanship, she brought a decade-long conversation on the relation of ethics and aesthetics to the School and successfully introduced several faculty-designed additions and renovations to the Architecture School that gave the University a new vision of campus architecture. Her current research focuses on the exploration of sound and communication as an integral part of the architectural design process. With artist Jim Welty, they have created interpretive visual animations of the soundscapes of iconic buildings and landscapes. Their work is included in the permanent collections of several international museums. Van Lengen has authored several books and articles related to themes of sonic spaces, and landscapes. Van Lengen began her professional career as an Associate of I.M. Pei & Partners before founding her own award-winning firm in New York City, Karen Van Lengen Architects.

Where did you go to architecture school?

Columbia University School of Architecture Planning and Preservation, MArch.

What do you think it takes to be an architect?

A strong dedicated belief in the future. That what we design, make, alter, and restore can positively influence the world around us and one another.

Is there an architect that particularly inspires you?

There are many: Hans Scharoun, Sauerbruch and Hutton, Thom Pfeiffer, Deborah Berke, Lacaton & Vassal, Jeanne Gang, Toshiko Mori and others.

What’s the best meal you’ve ever had?

Hard to pin that down to one meal, but off the top of my head, a delicious memory comes from a tiny informal restaurant in Portoria, Umbria, Italy where I had the most exquisite Linguine Porcini, never to have been matched since. At home, I would say Red Snapper Soup made by my husband Jim Welty.

Why do you volunteer with AIA?

The organization is an essential part of our professional community. It allows a diversity of people, from practitioners to academics to work together for the common good of our very important designed and natural environments.

2023 Region of The Virginias Fellows Fête

2023 Fellows Fête
March 18, 2023

The Grand Salon & DuPont Gallery of the Visitors Center
James Madison’s Montpelier
Presidential home
Memorial to the Enslaved Community
Museum of American history

Schedule

Available Tours / Activities

Saturday afternoon UVA Tour (details TBD)

5:00 pm Cocktail Hour
5:45 pm Group Photo
6:00 pm Introductions – Class of 2023 Fellows
6:20 pm Dinner

PURCHASE TICKETS>>

Additional Information

Virginia’s New Student Health & Wellness Building

UVA Tour
Alice Raucher, FAIA has graciously arranged a brief tour on Virginia’s grounds of their new Student Health and Wellness building, located on their new Brandon Green Street. The tour will be Saturday afternoon and specific times and details will be confirmed via email in the next few weeks.

Montpelier Tour
Public tours of the home are available on Saturday and Sunday. The last reservation on Saturday is 3:00 pm. You can make a reservation online using this link. The tickets are $36 per person and the RSVP for the tours becomes available for reservations two weeks prior to the date.

Directions to Montpelier
Directions from your location are available at the link below, the GPS address is:

11350 Constitution Highway Montpelier Station, VA 22957
(Do not take Chicken Mountain Road – State Route 639).
https://www.montpelier.org/

If you are staying in or near Charlottesville and would like to carpool or would prefer organized transportation to the Fête, please note this in your RSVP and pending response, carpools will be developed and organized transportation may be considered.

Hotel Accommodations and Transportation
Those staying overnight can use the link below to hotels in the Charlottesville and Orange County area around Montpelier. In addition, Montpelier offers some housing on their property. They have five houses, called the Constitutional Village; they are rustic homes built by Marion DuPont Scott, mainly for employees when Montpelier was a large working horse farm.  The homes are set up similarly to hotel rooms with some shared facilities. You can call Montpelier.  They are a 10-minute walk on the grounds to the Visitors Center and $175/night. See link below.

https://www.montpelier.org/learn/const-village

Montpelier also referenced The Inn at Willow Grove, bed and breakfasts such as The Holladay House, Inn on Poplar Hill, Mayhurst Estate among others.  You can call them to check availability and rates.  Accommodations for the many offerings in Charlottesville and the surrounding area can be found online.

Meet David Keith, FAIA

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David Keith, FAIA is a Design Principal and CEO of Hanbury in Norfolk, Virginia. David champions a model of practice driven by continuous talent development, creating a thriving culture of design excellence and transforming the firms that he leads and the communities and campuses in which he works.

David is a fierce advocate for growing the next generation of architects and professional leaders. Entering the profession in 1987, in the first Intern Development Program class, he observed that few firms had a clear approach to helping young architects grow professionally and personally. Ever since he has analyzed how architects learn. Beginning with his first opportunity to mold practice culture, he has shaped teaching firms that deepen and accelerate that learning, providing intentional opportunities for growth with every project.

David structures his practice to create a continuum of education for young designers entering the profession. His expanding firm’s new offices are located near architecture schools. He works closely with schools to understand what students are looking for. Out of this exchange and his personal experiences, David developed his firm’s career development and talent recruitment programs.

David has created teaching practices that use these tools to ensure continuous professional and personal growth:

  • Research: David incorporates research into studio practice, to enable individuals to explore subjects(building systems, program outcomes, evidence-based design, sustainability and resiliency, etc.)about which they are passionate. David works to build each designers’ confidence that they can complete outstanding projectsthat reflect their passions and interests.
  • Mentoring: David’s Responsibility Matrix (presented as a case study inThe Architect’s Handbook of Professional Practice) enables young designers to assess abilities, identify personal growth agendas, and communicate those agendas to teammates. This process takes place at every project phase kick-off, when young team members identify both the strengths they will bring to the project and five or six goals for professional growth. The project manager is expected to incorporate two or three of these goals into the team’s work plan, thus ensuring growth with every project and providing an opportunity for each employee to shape their career track in a personal way. This approach creates motivated and highly effective teams that often over-perform.
  • Expectations of Senior Staff: The incorporation of goals for growth into work plans is a core expectation of senior staff. Because it puts young people in unfamiliar situations, they will at times make mistakes. David closely guides how senior staff responds to such mistakes, enforcing a strict “No Assholes Rule”: no getting mad, no beating people up, no blaming. It is a moment for teaching.

Summer Scholars Research Projects

A pivotal element of David’s approach is the Summer Scholars program, which has brought young people from more than 25 prestigious schools of architecture throughout the US, Canada, Mexico, India, and China to engage in research and design that achieves real-world significance.

Design Excellence

The outward fruit of systematic talent development is design excellence across a wide range of contexts, from conventional practice, focused on higher education, civic and commercial projects; to pro bono practice, advancing the missions of organizations like Operation Smile; to rigorous design-build work for the US military; to regional community development. 

Firm Transformation

The inward payoff of talent development is firm transformation. The most vivid measure of David’s success is the transformation of Clark Nexsen. In the 15 years he was its Director of Architecture and Design Director it won over 200 design awards — more than 40 of them from the AIA — and rose to #11 in the ARCHITECT magazine 50. His current firm, Hanbury, with David in his fourth year as President and CEO, is on a similar trajectory.

The profession has long sought better models for bridging between school and practice. David Keith’s teaching office, its success abundantly proven, is just such a model.

Where did you go to college? 

I’ve been a Virginian most of my life. Born in Northern Virginia, grew up in Charlottesville, attended Virginia Tech, and have spent most of my professional life in Richmond and Hampton Roads.

I have a Bachelor of Architecture from Virginia Tech (1987).

What does it take to be an architect?

Curiosity, passion, humility, and leadership mixed in with a strong desire to learn and solve problems in creative ways.

 Was there an architect that particularly inspired you?

I am most inspired and grateful for the many teachers/mentors that have influenced my career….Olivio Ferrari, Doug Gilpin, Marley Carroll/John Walters, Rohn Price/Dave King, Sandy Bond/Rob Comet/Doug Westmoreland, Brad Tazewell, and Jane Rathbone along with many others. 

What are you currently reading?

I love books about art, architecture, and design, however, my reading has tailed off dramatically…I’m currently reading Vishaan Chakravarti’s A Country of Cities: A Manifesto for an Urban America

and I found Henry Ayon’s book Egyptian Places to be a delightful journey to a place I haven’t been.

What is the best meal you’ve ever had?

It’s not a single meal, but my favorite meal by far is Thanksgiving Dinner. We celebrate a traditional Thanksgiving with Turkey, Country Ham, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Stuffing, Pumpkin Pie (with Cool Whip), Green Beans, and Yeast Rolls. Most of all, I enjoy the gathering of my family (and it’s always a 4-day weekend which more often than not includes a Hokie win over the Hoos).

Why do you volunteer with AIA?

I believe that our profession has much to offer the world, and the AIA is the one organization that brings together architects from all backgrounds and provides opportunities to make an impact beyond our projects. It’s important to be involved and volunteer with the AIA as it will be what we collectively bring to it.

Meet Kathleen Frazier, FAIA

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Kathy is a founding member of Frazier Associates and is the Principal-in-Charge of architecture, urban design, and wayfinding projects. She is a certified Historical Architect with the U. S. Department of the Interior. Kathy’s extensive experience in historic preservation and community redevelopment projects includes adaptive reuse, facade rehabilitation, new construction in historic districts, design guidelines, streetscape, and corridor design, as well as town-wide signage and wayfinding programs.

Kathy has overseen the design services for the Virginia Main Street Program since its inception in 1986; it is an affiliate of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s National Main Street Center. She also has extensive experience with historic tax credit and Community Development Block Grant funding mechanisms. Kathy’s experience and collaborative approach extend to the firm’s numerous local government clients as well as various private and state institutional, and educational clients.

Through the firm, her projects have won numerous awards, including those from the American Institute of Architects, Preservation Virginia, and previously the Preservation Alliance of Virginia, as well as numerous regional and local organizations. Her projects have also been featured in publications such as Traditional Building, Southern Living, Virginia Living and Urban Land Magazine and she has written various articles on downtown revitalization for the National Main Street Center publications. Kathy was recognized with the Distinguished Service Award from the Virginia Main Street Program. She also served two terms on the governor-appointed Virginia Art and Architectural Review Board.

Where did you go to college?
I started at Mary Baldwin College because I thought that I wanted to be an artist. They had a terrific small art department but in the process of taking many art history classes, I realized that architecture was my calling. I then transferred to The University of Virginia where I received my degree in architecture.

What does it take to be an architect?
I think it begins with a love for buildings and places as well as a dedication to learning and serving. Of course, one needs to be able to think three-dimensionally too! After graduating from college, I worked as a designer for the Historic Staunton Foundation as they started their effort to preserve and revitalize downtown Staunton. That experience started me on the path of working with property owners and helping them understand the unique history of their building, how to bring it back to life, and at the same time, boost their business and visibility in the community.

Was there an architect that particularly inspired you?
When at Mary Baldwin, I learned about a Washington D.C. architect, T. J. Collins who moved to Staunton in the late 19th century. The firm was still in operation until about 15 years ago and I did an internship there in 1976 and also worked there after graduating from the University of Virginia. At that time, the firm was run by T.J. Collins’ grandson, the sixth generation of builders/architects in the family.

Collins and his sons designed hundreds of buildings in Staunton and other communities in the Valley in every conceivable style of the period from Romanesque to Classical Revival. All the drawings still exist in Historic Staunton Foundation’s archives and many of the buildings survive as well. That experience really gave me an interest in historic preservation, and also I met my future husband, Bill Frazier, at the office in 1976 as he was doing his architectural history master’s thesis on T. J. Collins.

I also want to acknowledge Bruce Abbey, one of my professors at UVa. I had him for studio as well as lecture classes. He is the one who really sparked my thinking about contextualism and it guided my thinking on design in historic areas.

What are you currently reading?
One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson. A fascinating moment in our history when so much happened!

What’s the best meal you’ve ever had?
Every meal my husband, Bill cooks! That said, the most amazing surprise meal/restaurant was La Bernadin in New York City back in the late 1990s. It is still there today and is one of the best restaurants in the country. We found it simply by luck and oh my, what a meal.

Why do you volunteer with AIA?
Because it is important for the general public to understand what and how architects contribute to our communities. Everyone knows about the need to go to a lawyer or a doctor, but going to an architect somehow seems optional. It is always an interesting experience to work with communities and individuals who have never used an architect and see their understanding and appreciation grow for the profession. So, volunteering with AIA as well as with local non-profit organizations helps foster that link to society, and it helps to encourage more young people to join the profession! While it has been a long journey, it is so worthwhile and rewarding!

Meet Kathleen M. Galvin, FAIA

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Kathleen M. Galvin, FAIA is a registered architect with her own practice based in Charlottesville, VA (Galvin Architects.) Throughout her professional and political career, Ms. Galvin has demonstrated an unfailing commitment to creating authentic, equitable, and sustainable places where people of all ages and income levels can thrive.

Ms. Galvin was lead architect and urban designer on such notable projects as the Crozet and Places 29 Master Plans in Albemarle County, Old Trail Village in Crozet, a form-based code for the Town of Orange, and the Eastern Planning Initiative. For fifteen years she has shared her expertise and passion for sustainable and equitable neighborhood design with students as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Virginia. Ms. Galvin served two 4-year terms as a Charlottesville City Councilor and one 4-year term as a City School Board member (from 2008-2020) where she focused on: creating pathways out of poverty; working with the community to reimagine their neighborhoods with more jobs, amenities, and affordable housing but without displacement; transforming city infrastructure to be safe for walkers, cyclists, and motorists alike; reforming the city’s zoning laws to reflect the community’s values; making government more responsive and effective, and designing city and school buildings to be more healthy and sustainable.

In 2017, Ms. Galvin received the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Award for Distinguished Achievement and in 2021 she received the National AIA’s highest award for her public service and civic leadership while advancing the profession of architecture, by being elevated to the AIA College of Fellows. Ms. Galvin grew up in hard-scrabble Brockton, MA, the daughter of an auto mechanic and school nurse who both volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army during WWII. As her “first teachers,” her parents emphasized the importance of education and modeled what it looked like to respond to the call to serve. Ms. Galvin received a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Economics (with distinction) and Geography from Boston University and a Masters of Architecture (MArch) from the University of Virginia (UVA.) She is a graduate of Sorensen’s Political Leaders Program (an affiliate of the UVA Weldon Cooper Center.) In addition to running her own practice, Ms. Galvin now serves on the Virginia AIA Board, Advocacy Council, and Political Action Committee (PAC) Board of Trustees, the Sorensen Advisory Board, the Form-Based Code Institute’s Advisory Committee, and the Friendship Court Redevelopment Advisory Committee. She and Michael B. Costanzo have been married for over thirty years and are the proud parents of their two sons, Patrick and Kevin, and the grateful caretakers of their beloved family dog, Orion.

Where did you go to college?
Cities always fascinated me, especially Boston so attending Boston University to obtain a BA degree was a perfect choice at the time. A childhood impacted by the economic decline of a once-bustling shoe factory town southeast of Boston however fostered an interest in economics and geography with a focus on affordable housing and urban development. After stints managing assisted housing and being the project manager for an architectural firm doing redevelopment studies for the Boston Housing Authority, I became passionate about community-driven design, placemaking, and architecture. Consequently, I built a portfolio at the Boston Architectural Center and was later admitted to the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture in 1983 under the leadership of renowned urbanist and architect, Jacquelin Robertson (who passed away in 2020.)

What does it take to be an architect?
The challenge for us today is how to keep our cities equitable, sustainable and beautiful, in the face of rising housing costs, climate change, growing income inequality, and a longing to preserve what is gracious and authentic while striving to innovate and create. Richard Swett, FAIA, former US Congressman and author of the book, Leadership by Design once wrote, “Creativity is the art of survival. If one is willing to look at all situations with an open mind, a creative attitude, then the limitations imposed by the problem become the finest incentives to exercise one’s maximum ability and talent.” That wonderful quote sums up why architects are well suited to take on the complex challenges of 21st-century urban life, not as bystanders, but as leaders. Architects are visionaries who both inspire and depend on others to get their projects built, from zoning officials, review boards, clients, and builders, to civil and structural engineers. Architects must be confident yet humble, decisive yet collaborative, all in the right ratios, and make connections with the right people all at the right time to solve gnarly multifaceted problems. These are the same traits that make for an effective elected or appointed political leader or community advocate. It’s probably why I won three out of four political campaigns and successfully served for twelve years in local elected office.

Was there an architect that particularly inspired you?
There was no one architect, but there were memorable urban places shaped by great architecture that inspired me. Despite our family’s precarious economic situation, my mother always found time for enriching experiences that unwittingly made me a lover of both great architecture and cities. Whenever we went to Boston, she would take me to wonderful places like the Italian North End and Copley and Lewisburg Squares (while my dad and brother went to Fenway Park). We’d visit magnificent buildings like H.H. Richardson’s Trinity Church, McKim, Mead and White’s Boston Public Library, Henry Cobb’s (of I.M. Pei & Partners) John Hancock Building, and Willard Sear’s magical Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum; designed as a Venetian palazzo, built by Venetian craftsmen and embraced by Frederick Law Olmstead’s “Emerald Necklace.” Little did I know as a child, that someday decades later I would become a UVA student of architecture studying in Venice, surrounded by such beauty every waking moment of my day.

What are you currently reading?
Adam Bede by George Elliot, Why Nation’s Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson, and Sick City: Disease, Race, Inequality and Urban Land by Patrick Condon.

What’s the best meal you’ve ever had?
It was a dinner party in 2016 at the Ristorante il Falcone, a restaurant in Charlottesville’s Sister City, Poggio a Caiano, owned and operated by septuagenarian, Chef Roberta Vivetta Cintelli. Chef Roberta had come to Charlottesville that year as part of a restaurant exchange program to mark the 40-year anniversary of the Sister City relationship between Charlottesville and Poggio inspired by the friendship of two famous native sons, Thomas Jefferson and Filippo Mazzei (a celebration I helped plan as a City Councilor.) That same summer, I gave a talk in Rome, about resident-centered community revitalization work, after which I was joined by my husband and sons for a tour of Tuscany. I alerted Mayor Marco Martini of our arrival in Poggio and he arranged for us to visit Guiliano da Sangallo’s renaissance palace for Lorenzo the Magificent. “Il momento culminante” however, was dinner at il Falcone with the Mayor, his city councilors and their spouses, my husband Michael and our sons Patrick and Kevin. The food and wine were spectacular, the company and conversation were brilliant and the friendships forged that evening are still alive and well!

Why do you volunteer with AIA?
It was time to give back to a noble profession that had enriched the life of this working-class girl from Brockton, MA beyond measure, affording her countless opportunities to do well by doing good.

Meet Daniel J. Lemieux, FAIA

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Director and Principal of Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. and Wiss, Janney, Elstner Limited, UK, Lemieux has led the advancement of building science in architecture throughout his over a 25-year career in professional practice and as a thought-leader in the development of international technical design and construction standards. Dan earned a Bachelor of Science, Architecture from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).

Daniel Lemieux, FAIA

Since joining WJE in 1996, Dan has successfully completed hundreds of projects in the area of building enclosure failure investigation, repair design, and architectural rehabilitation, including projects that have been recognized nationally for design and restoration excellence. As the firm’s Director of International Development, he is responsible for advancing WJE’s global architecture and building science practices. Prior to that, Dan served as Managing Principal of WJE’s Washington, D.C. office from 2005 to 2016.

Dan currently serves on multiple ASTM International committees including first vice chair of E06, Performance of Buildings and chair of E06.55, Performance of Building Enclosures. He is founding chair and a primary author of ASTM E2813, Standard Practice for Building Enclosure Commissioning (BECx) and worked closely with WJE colleagues and practicing and teaching professionals from across North America to support the development of ASTM E2813, ASTM E2947 Standard Guide for BECx and ASHRAE Standard 202 Commissioning Process for Buildings and Systems. He served as an author and technical editor for the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) web-based Whole Building Design Guide and NIBS Guideline 3: Exterior Enclosure Technical Requirements for the Commissioning Process and is a core member and contributor to the AIA Knowledge Community on Building Performance.

Dan has developed, chaired and been invited to speak at multiple workshops and symposia on building science and the physics of building enclosure performance in North America, the UK, EU, UAE, and China, and co-chaired the Symposium on Building Physics and Conservation with Historic England and Historic Environment Scotland in London. In 2017, Dan helped establish the first overseas operating unit for WJE in London as a Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Chartered Practice in the UK. He is a chartered member of RIBA, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), and a listed architect in the UK, Canada, and Australia.

Since the tragedy at Grenfell Tower, Dan was invited to review and offer technical input on proposed regulatory reforms in the UK in response to the fire and continues to work closely with WJE’s Fire and Life Safety practice on this topic through project work and as an active member of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) Europe.

Dan’s project work has included iconic buildings and cultural landmarks in the U.S. and worldwide, notably the post-seismic assessment, stabilization, and repair design of the Washington Monument and the Washington National Cathedral as well as failure investigation; repair design; design peer review; design-assist and supply-chain quality assurance services for clients and projects located in North and Central America the UK, EU, Middle East and Asia.

Where did you go to college?
Georgia Tech

What does it take to be an architect?
Creativity and perseverance…

Was there an architect that particularly inspired you?
In history, Brunelleschi, as you might expect, for embodying – and demonstrating through his own work – the creative potential that can be unleashed when nature, art, and science are brought together to inform and to deliver structurally efficient, unique, and truly inspiring architecture. For many of the same reasons today, I am most inspired by the work of Calatrava and, perhaps in a slightly more restrained way, the late Zaha Hadid…

What are you currently reading?
Re-reading Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin and just starting A Promised Land by Barack Obama…

What’s the best meal you’ve ever had?
Dinner at Hisa Franko in the Soca River Valley near Kobarid, Slovenia. The history of this place, it’s pastoral setting in the shadow of nearby mountains, and the creativity of chef Ana Ros make this journey well worth the trip.

Why do you volunteer with AIA?
To give back, and to join with others to further develop and enhance the technical depth of our profession…

In a world facing what many now recognize as a climate emergency, we are for many of them the ‘first responders’ in this crisis – reacting to fires and leaning into increasingly violent weather to understand their origin so that we can deliver a safer and resilient built environment for those we continue to serve. To respond effectively to that challenge, it is imperative that we return to first principles in how we educate and train the next generation of architects in building science and the ‘art’ of delivering truly sustainable design.

2021 Fellows Fete

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On Saturday night, April 10th, the Region of The Virginias celebrated the 2020 and 2021 elevated fellows – 13 in total!!!

Our new Fellows Regional Representative, Jane Rathbone, FAIA, gathered nearly 60 fellows and their spouses and guests to raise a toast to the new fellows and then have some fun cooking a delicious dinner with Chef Rolf Strub from Culinary Concepts AB out of Charlottesville.

Thank you to our sponsors:

Culinary Concepts AB

Meet W. Kenneth Wiseman, FAIA

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As a Design Principal at CannonDesign, Ken Wiseman leads the firm’s creative process to conceive, refine and implement innovative, living-centered design solutions for clients. His creative leadership embraces visioning, programming, master planning, architectural design, and interior design. Additionally, he provides advice and consultation regarding the wide range of issues that inevitably arise when creating new places. While his primary focus has always been on design, he also served as President of the firm and was a member of the Board of Directors for over a decade. He was responsible for the firm’s design quality and process methodologies. He represented the firm at the AIA Large Firm Roundtable for over a decade and was a leader of the LFRT Deans Forum.

Ken has been named a Distinguished Alumni of The Ohio State University. He has lectured and taught at over twenty universities and has been a registered architect in multiple states and provinces. Ken served on the Recreation Access Advisory Committee of the United States Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board and in late 2019 completed his service on the NAAB ARC Steering Committee, which revised architectural accreditation standards and procedures. He is currently a board member of the Greater Washington D.C. Board of Trade, his local planning committee, and a member of the national AIA/AGC Joint Committee, which is focused on improving communication, integration, work force diversity and collaboration in the design and construction industries.

W. Kenneth Wiseman, FAIA

Ken has designed Olympic Sport facilities, mixed-use urban places, corporate headquarters, justice facilities, science and technology facilities, community spaces, health facilities, and virtually every type of building found on a college or university campus. His planning innovations resulted in new conceptual models and standards for sport facilities and campuses that have been adopted by institutions globally. His design innovations include the first precast dome ever constructed and the world’s largest wood roof.

His design work has been recognized with 31 awards for design excellence, including awards from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC). Five of his buildings have obtained LEED platinum certification. Ken’s work has been featured in a wide range of media outlets, from the NBC Nightly News and the Today Show, to Architectural Record, Architect, the Globe and Mail, Canadian Architect, Interiors, and USA Today.

His career accomplishments include the design of the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, which was described as “the finest center of its kind in the world” by IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch. Ken’s design of the Richmond Oval, which was the speed skating venue for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, received the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s Innovation in Architecture Award of Excellence, and the Green Building Practices Award from the Globe Foundation and World Green Building Council. The IAKS (International Association for the Construction of Sport and Leisure facilities) designated the Richmond Oval as one of the “50 Most Influential Sports Buildings Designed in the Last 50 Years”.

Where did you go to college?
-The Ohio State University – Master of Architecture
-The Ohio State University – Bachelor of Science, Architecture

Would you recommend studying architecture to a young person?
Absolutely, and I do that regularly.

What does it take to be an architect?
Creativity, curiosity, optimism, a desire to make or improve something, and love of life.

Was there an architect that particularly inspired you?
Ms. Patricia Swan, AIA: Pat was my first mentor. She evolved from being my supervisor to teacher, to collaborator, to friend, to inspiration. She was the first female Associate Partner at Skidmore Owings and Merrill. She was possibly the most complete and well-rounded architect I have ever had the privilege of knowing. I miss her.

What are you currently reading?
Several years ago my sister gave me a Kindle, so I now have multiple books in progress. My current reading includes The Peripheral by William Gibson; Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl; Atmosphaera Incognita by Neal Stephenson and Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth and Happiness by Richard H. T Haler and Cass R. Sunstein.

What’s the best meal you’ve ever had?
The best meal I ever had was at Tante Louise in Denver Colorado. It was my first date with my wife and I have no idea what we had for dinner.

Why do you volunteer with the AIA?
My motivation is to help improve the profession and increase our relevance in society.