“On a daily basis, what is the wake that you’re creating?”

— Chip Conley

This is particularly timely for those of us in the world of architecture and design, since so many of our friends and colleagues are celebrating the lives of several giants in our industry – Helmut Jahn, Art Gensler, Ed Friedrichs. All of them left great wakes behind them, for all of us.

What is it that will survive you? What are you creating on a daily basis with the work that you do?

I became a fan of Chip Conley when he founded Joie de Vivre Hospitality in San Francisco — “unique accommodations in vibrant San Francisco neighborhoods.” (Today the brand is JdV by Hyatt.)

When he wrote The Rebel Rules: Daring to Be Yourself in Business in 2001, I was hooked. In it, he “shares his success secrets. He focuses on the primary traits — vision, passion, instinct, and agility — that characterize today’s fast company leaders.”

After selling the JdV brand to Marriott, Mr Conley worked with Everfest and Airbnb in chief strategy roles. Then he began focusing on Wisdom@Work: The Making of a Modern Elder, and founded the Modern Elder Academy (MEA) in Baja California Sur, Mexico. One of my “modern elder” friends attended the MEA midlife wisdom school last year, and it is now on my bucket list.

Chip Conley: A Wake

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Thank you for reading!

Michelle Wempe is a Professor of Practice at Kansas State University (KSU). She is also the Founder of zumaooh^® and a Principal with Talentstar. After learning of Art’s passing, Michelle shared the following statement with the faculty and students of the Interior Architecture & Industrial Design (IAID) program at KSU. She graciously allowed us to post her statement so we can share it with you.

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Last night I learned of the passing of a great man — and the reason we are all either working or studying within the IAID department — Arthur Gensler. Arthur passed away Sunday in his sleep, thankfully as peaceful as could be.

Arthur’s genius is why the practice of Interior Architecture exists today.

Art was larger than life in both his personality and his presence — he was a giant of a man, somewhat uncomfortable in his big frame in a way that at the time gave him the beloved nickname of “the goose” — gangly and at times awkward, but always laser-focused on what was important to him, his firm, and most importantly, his clients.

First Gensler office at 555 Clay Street, San Francisco

He founded the firm now known as Gensler in 1965 at the age of just 29. His firm was focused on doing architecture from the inside out, rather than simply designing the outside and forgetting about the inside. He started the firm with his wife Drue and James Follett, who in my time, continued to be the Managing Principal of the San Francisco office for many years.

Many of my mentors in practice were among the first group of individuals to work at Gensler, with employee numbers in the single or double digits. (Today that number runs into the tens of thousands).

As a board member of the Northern California Chapter of IIDA, I spent several years putting together our large fundraising programs, including one called Pioneers of Design. Arthur and Jim were our first panelists, talking about the early days of the firm and the development of an entire industry focused on the power of working closely with clients, which allowed firms to develop their businesses as architectural enterprises. Their panel was followed the next year by another firm — SOM — whose SF office began another well-regarded interiors practice at about the same time.

When Jack Durgan¹ began the KSU Interior Architecture (IA) program back in the 60’s, he was focused very much on developing an expertise within our College that followed the leadership of Gensler and SOM — and providing our graduates with the skills needed to work in those kinds of practices. I wasn’t here [at KSU] then, but I had my first tour of our program as a senior in high school in 1974, and I was hooked — enough to decide to return to school 5 years later and study with Jack.

Our legacy, and our continued high rankings, are Jack’s legacy, and in many ways part of Arthur’s as well.

Historical Portrait of M. Arthur Gensler, Jr. | Courtesy of Gensler

Not long after I graduated, I worked in the Gensler|Denver office (along with short stints in DC and LA). It was at a time when the “big names” in the firm were still highly active. Art was just in his 50’s, Jim was in SF, Walter Hunt and Margo Grant headed the NYC office, Orlando Diaz-Azcuy was the firmwide design leader, etc. They were all people I knew and, at one time or another, worked with. The Denver office was managed by Larry King, who remains a friend and mentor of mine today — an alumnus from our own college (in Jack’s early years here), who sits on both our Dean’s Advisory Council and the KSU Foundation’s Board, along with his lifelong friend and classmate, Alan Lauck.²

Gensler Design Forecast® 2021

At that time, Gensler was working to expand their practice into architecture, from a core business focused on interior architecture, which was such a different way to approach practice-building, since most large firms did the opposite. The interiors group led the way in the firm, with those in the architecture group following. Today all departments within the firm are very much on equal footing, something that even today can be unusual within architectural firms.³

The Gensler mantra was one of family, and they began something that was almost unheard of in the architectural world of the 1980’s — valuing their employees and showing it. They were one of the few firms that paid everyone for every hour they worked, began a 401K program while I was an employee, and became an employee-owned firm during that time as well. They paid their employees well and provided semi-annual bonuses, based on performance. They also made room at the top of the firm for people of all backgrounds to achieve principal-level status, something that even in today’s world may be awarded primarily to men or those with an architectural license.

Part of Art’s Legacy is this vast constellation of talent and leadership that includes a who’s-who in our industry, one that many, if not all of us, will at some point connect into.

I’ve included links for Art’s obituary from Architectural Record and the San Francisco Chronicle, as well as yesterday’s LinkedIn post from Gensler’s current Co-CEO, Diane J. Hoskins — a wonderful tribute to a great man. The comments are inspiring, and there are many, many other posts on LI that talk about Arthur’s legacy in our profession, all from very personal points of view.

RIP Arthur!

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¹ Learn more about Jack Durgan, the founder of the Interior Architecture program at KSU, and Allan Hastings, who developed the Industrial Design component.

² In 1984, Alan Lauck founded lauckgroup in Dallas. In 1999, shareholders Anne Kniffen and Brigitte Preston purchased the firm and opened offices in Austin and Houston. In 2018, The Lauck Group, Inc., “One of Texas’s Premier Interior Architecture Firms” joined Perkins&Will.

³ In 2000, Gensler won the The American Institute of Architects’ Architecture Firm Award. In announcing the award, AIA President Michael J. Stanton, FAIA, stated, “Gensler is America’s foremost collaborative practice. The firm exemplifies how the creative mix of disciplines, all with ‘place’ as their focus, adds richness and value to buildings and their settings. Gensler has led our profession in bringing sustainability into mainstream corporate practices.”

Portrait of Art Gensler by Emily Hagopian. Courtesy of Gensler.

To reprise: On 9 April, Tom Jacobs and I were once again guests for Michelle Wempe‘s Contemporary Design Seminar at Kansas State University.  Our topic was once again, “What Will the Design Professions look like in 2030 and Beyond?” Here’s the final set of questions raised by the wonderful cohort of students (pictured above) —

The Value of Good Design

“Why does good design matter, today and into the future?”

“What are some of the alternate careers that might develop, within the design field?”

This is one of my favorite topics. Years ago, after reading The Business of Design by Keith Granet, I began talking about the duality of the profession — the impact of design, as well as the practice.

Last week, I attended a virtual tour of RMW, hosted by the AIA/SF BAYA (Bay Area Young Architects). Towards the end of the program, someone asked whether RMW did many LEED projects. They said that LEED certification is up to the client, but it’s a goal for all of their projects; the criteria for LEED, net-zero, wellness, and more are embedded in their design process. That’s part of the impact of design.

Before our class session, I had attended one of Rita McGrath‘s Friday Fireside Chats with Michael Schrage of MIT, in which they talked about measuring the value of innovation. In our class, I posed two key questions:

• How can we measure the impact of design?
• What is the economic value proposition of the work that we do?

We talked about the concept of value propositions, and the importance of fluency in being able to measure the value of our work and to discuss it among ourselves and with clients.

By the end of the 20th Century, William McDonough had introduced a new set of metrics for sustainable design, and he was recognized by Time Magazine as “Hero for the Planet.” Al Gore significantly increased international public awareness of global warming with An Inconvenient Truth. Gensler conducts global surveys and publishes their annual Design Forecast on the impact of design across a spectrum of market sectors. Stok has built a business on measuring (and influencing) the performance of buildings, with a commitment to “a radically better world for all.”

Most firms are talking to their clients about the ROI (return on investment) for their projects. And we will get better at doing it, talking not only about construction cost and value, but also about the human, environmental, and cultural costs.

What’s Next?

About 10 years ago, John Seely Brown spoke at the AIA California Desert Practice Conference. He presented a day in the life of a typical 15-year-old boy and how he engaged with his friends, family, and the world — mostly electronically. Later, I was able to chat with Mr. Brown. I mentioned that many of the people in the room may not have realized that the 15yo would be their employee in another six to eight years. (He used that line in the closing roundtable discussion.) And indeed, today, those 15yo’s are not only working with us, but they are also going to change what we do, how we do it, and why.

There’s much more, but the stories will be told by our emerging professionals — our students and employees, today and beyond.

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PS —
Today, Gensler posted a video on Climate Action Through Design. It’s well-worth the 3 minutes to watch.

Thank you for reading!

Fog City Gothic is a project of Fog City Type Foundry, a.k.a. Ben Zotto, a research historian on design, technology, and San Francisco. The font is modeled after the embossed street sign lettering used locally in San Francisco from 1946 into the early 1950s. It’s a friendly and bold mid-century display font that balances a rational stamper shape and the softness of the stamped result. Ben built-out the font as a side research project for a Field Guide to San Francisco street signs.

Until we can see Talentstar in lights, we love seeing it as Fog City Gothic!

We borrowed the title of this post from Michael Bierut, Pentagram. We do not know the quote’s reference, but it works perfectly here.

I hope that you’ll enjoy a post from 10 years ago, when Nancy Egan and I were teaching at the Harvard GSD.

THE LEARNING LAB »

My colleagues and I have always believed that it’s important to write, teach, and testify. When I was in kindergarten, my teacher said that I should become a teacher, and that became my career path. Until reality set in, shortly after graduating from college with a degree preparatory for teaching elementary school.

My father was an inventor and entrepreneur who had gone into the construction industry and then invented automated specifications for architects and engineers. The system he developed was adopted by the Construction Specifications Institute, and he was elevated to Fellowship in CSI.

I always loved architecture and had studied architectural history in high school. Then my father was in the AEC industry, so I began to meet some of his friends. I also had a close friend who was an interior designer. I realized that I really wanted to work in the AEC industry, too. The next thing I knew, I was working with architects and designers.

Over the years, I began teaching — as a guest lecturer in colleges and universities, and also in executive education. With my colleagues Nancy Egan and Paul Nakazawa, we taught in the Executive Education Program of the Harvard Graduate School of Design from 1995 to 2004, and then again from 2010 to 2012.  I’ve also spoken at professional association events, including AIA (American Institute of Architects) at the chapter, state and national level; PSMA (Professional Services Management Association); SMPS (Society for Marketing Professional Services); and KA Connect. In a full circle, in 2011, I was the keynote speaker for the CSI Western Regional Conference, with a wonderful opportunity to spend time with several of my father’s friends.

I have always enjoyed teaching at the undergrad and graduate level. Three years ago, one of my dear friends and colleagues, Michelle Wempe, accepted a teaching position with Kansas State University (KSU), where she is a Professor of Practice in the College of Architecture, Planning & Design. That has led to a series of guest-teaching opportunities, on everything from Professional Practice topics (Marketing, Communications) to the History of Women in Design.

Next week, I’ll report on our most recent teaching experience….

As writer Erin Spencer shares in The New York Times (In Her Words, March 29, 2021.), “The pandemic, racial reckonings, economic hardship and a next-to-impossible year have made this March particularly fraught.” Her words resonate with us that in spite of such an unprecedented year, we are still facing so many challenges that affect us both personally and as a Nation.

Patrisse Cullors, a founder of the Black Lives Matter movement commented about Women’s History Month, saying “We celebrate despite the obstacles we face.” And, we couldn’t agree more.

We will continue shining our Talentstar Spotlight on remarkable women (and men).

Today, we’re featuring my great-grandmother Laura Elizabeth Coons Cutler, who was born in San Leandro CA, on the east side of the San Francisco Bay. Her family was in the first large group of American immigrants to Northern California, coming by ship to San Francisco in 1846.

Her mother’s family (Goodwin) were pioneers, traveling from New York City to San Francisco on the Ship Brooklyn, led by Samuel Brannan. At that time, my great-grandmother’s mother (Emerette Goodwin) was a young girl. When the passengers boarded the ship in February 1846, they didn’t know whether San Francisco would still be in Mexican hands or under American jurisdiction. In May 1846, as they were en route, the U.S. declared war on Mexico. My great-grandmother’s grandmother (Laura Hotchkiss Goodwin) died on the journey and was buried on Más a Tierra Island*, outside of Santiago, Chile, where the ship stopped to take on supplies.

*In 1966, the Chilean government renamed the island “Robinson Crusoe Island,” to reflect the literary connection to the novel by Daniel Defoe (1719), inspired by Alexander Selkirk, a marooned sailor who lived there in the early 1700s.

In June 1846, the American settlers in California staged the Bear Flag Revolt, declaring the California Republic. U.S. military forces took control. The ship arrived in San Francisco on July 31, 1846, which was under the American rule. With 238 passengers, the newcomers doubled the population of the sparsely settled  San Francisco peninsula and proceeded to build communities on both sides of the San Francisco Bay, as well as San Bernadino (as a stopping point along a route from California to Las Vegas and then to Utah). They established the first English-speaking school, the first bank, the first library, and San Francisco’s first newspaper, The California Star, printed by Sam Brannan. By 1847, California was under U.S. occupation, and it became a state in September 1850.

My great-grandmother’s grandfather (Isaac Goodwin) was among the men who discovered gold at Sutter’s Mill. Her father (William Coons) had come to California for the Gold Rush, after serving as a soldier in the Mexican War; he was an actual 49er who mined for gold. As a child, she lost both of her parents, and her grandfather took her overland to Salt Lake City, where she later married an English emigrant (Thomas Robinson Cutler) who became President of Utah-Idaho Sugar.

Image: Marjanne Pearson’s great-grandmother Laura Elizabeth Coons Cutler (front row, middle) and her daughters. Marjanne’s grandmother Laura Edith Cutler (back row, second from the right) is shown together with her mother and sisters in Salt Lake City, 1908.

“Decades before Seth Godin talked about finding your tribe, an intrepid group, united by their unlikely roles as marketers in professional services firms, came together in a series of meetings that led to the founding of SMPS….

“There were firms that had marketers or BD people….But these firms were the exception. Diane Creel, FSMPS, recalls that when she wrote her master’s thesis on marketing professional services in 1973, she surveyed more than 100 of Engineering News-Record‘s Top 200 firms, and only six companies reported having full-time marketers on staff.

“…Bolstered by research like Creel’s, and with Weld Coxe’s book, Marketing Architectural and Engineering Services in hand, they recognized the potential for a new, legitimate profession, and SMPS became their platform.”

As the coda to our recent stories about Weld Coxe and SMPS, let us all celebrate the tremendous evolution that has occurred within our profession over the past four decades.

Looking Back: SMPS at 40 | SMPS Marketer | August 2014

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Enjoy this collection of articles about who, what, where, when, why, and how this happened —

• Looking Back: SMPS at 40 – Nancy Egan, FSMPS

• The Great Debate: What Marketing Really Costs – Liz Quebe, FSMPS

• “From Two-page Newsletter to Award-winning Journal: The Story of Marketer” – Randle Pollock, FSMPS

• The Cusp of Change – Marjanne Pearson and Robert W. Nilsson

• Retired Construction Executive/Marketer/Veteran [Bob Nilsson] Enlists Wounded Vets in New Careers– Pauline Harris

Today, I’m updating the list — a group that includes female friends and colleagues in the world of architecture and design — all of whom I’ve met over the past 30+ years and who I admire for their brilliance and leadership.

ARCHITECTURE

Shagufta Anurag
Founder Space Matrix International
Co-Founder Livspace
Founder + CEO Saltmine

I met Shagu in 2014, when I began consulting with Space Matrix International, based in Singapore with offices throughout Asia. She is a remarkable leader and entrepreneur who, within the past 20 years, has built three significant companies within the design industry. She was recently profiled in our feature article, Eyes on the Future: Making Big Moves.

Jill Bergman, AIA, ACHA, LEED AP, EDAC
VP + Healthcare Principal
HDR, San Francisco CA

I met Jill Bergman in 2004, when she joined CannonDesign in San Francisco as a healthcare planner. She was most deservingly recognized as an honoree in the 2008 BD+C 40 Under 40 list. Today, she is a principal with HDR, which she joined in 2015. She is a wonderful person who takes work seriously while enjoying her life, family, and friends.

Annie Chu, FAIA, IIDA
Founding Principal
Chu Gooding, Los Angeles CA

As I recall, about 30 years ago, Annie and her husband, Rick Gooding, were on the “101 New Blood List” of participants selected for an exhibit at the new Architecture and Design Museum in Los Angeles. I reached out to her, and in her inimitable style, Annie was happy to learn more about me and what I was doing. We’ve been friends ever since. Annie has become known for her work as an architect, interior designer, educator, and advocate in the civic and professional realms. In 2014, she received the IIDA Leadership Award of Excellence, and in 2016, she was elevated to Fellowship in the AIA. AIA/LA also recognized her with the distinguished Presidential Honoree Educator Award.

Anne Fletcher, AIA, LEED AP
Managing Principal
HOK, Los Angeles CA

HOK has been one of our clients since 1990. We began working with Anne when she became Managing Principal of their Los Angeles office. Under her leadership, HOK LA was honored by AIA California with their 2019 Firm Award. Today, Anne is featured in an HOK Q+A in which she Challenges Architecture’s ‘Gentlemen’s Profession’ Reputation.

Julia Gamolina
Founder + Editor, Madame Architect
Director of Strategy, Trahan Architects NYC

I met Julia as a result of her 2018 op-ed piece in The Archinect’s Newspaper. She was introduced by the wonderful Brien McDaniel, who worked with her at FXCollaborative. (Since then, Julia has joined Trahan Architects as Director of Strategy.) I “paid it forward” by introducing her to Michelle Wempe (scroll down) who has asked Julia to participate in several academic programs at Kansas State University, where Julia is always enthusiastically received.

Ruth Gless, FAIA
Managing Principal
Lincoln Street Studio, Columbus OH

For more information about Ruth, see An Architect Who Paints.

Jean Mah, FAIA, FACHA, LEED AP
Principal, Health
Perkins&Will, Los Angeles CA

Ruth Gless introduced me to Jean in 1992. In 1994, Jean was one of the six principals who opened the Perkins & Will office in Los Angeles. Interestingly, three of the six were women — Jean, as well as Amy Yurko and Phyllis Dubinsky. We began working together, creating a stronger leadership framework for that office. Jean is a strong leader and advocate, with an encyclopedic knowledge of healthcare and a wicked sense of humor.

INTERIOR DESIGN

Pamela Babey
Founding Principal
BAMO, San Francisco CA

Pamela and I met at SOM SF, in the beginning our careers. We both had the great good fortune to work with Margo Grant (Walsh) and Charles Pfister, the leaders of the interior design department. She and David Moulton, Michael Booth, and Gerry Jue continued working with Charlie until he died, and in 1992, they  founded BAMO. Last year, Michelle Wempe (scroll down) initiated a new course at KSU on The History of Women in Design, and Pamela was the final presenter — literally, the icing on the cake.

Lisa Bottom
Vice President
AECOM, San Francisco CA

I met Lisa in 1989, but we became good friends in 1995, when I became an advisor to her design firm, Bottom Duvivier. She and John Duvivier joined Gensler SF in 2005, and after 12 years as a principal and practice leader, she joined AECOM to lead the Corporate Market Sector in Building+Places. Whether talking about design or singing Handel’s Messiah, we always have a wonderful time, filled with joy and laughter.

Michelle Wempe, AIA Associate, IDEC, IIDA
Founder zumaooh®, San Francisco CA
Professor of Practice, Kansas State University
Principal, Talentstar, Inc.

Michelle joined us at Talentstar in 1998, introduced by Lisa Bottom. She is an exceptional designer and mentor who has continued to focus on design within her own design practice and as an advocate for design education. In 2018, she became a Professor of Practice at KSU, sharing her love and talent for design, along with her extensive knowledge and true wisdom. She is a wonderful person, and a very dear friend and colleague.

Cat Lindsay
Executive Director, WarnerMedia
Principal, Lindsay Newman, NYC

Cat is a brilliant designer, as well as my most wonderful cousin — actually second cousin once removed. We think we met when she was quite young, but we met formally after her architect husband, John Newman, participated in our Harvard GSD ExecEd course in 1997. After honing her design skills at SOM and Gensler, she spent three years as Head of Workplace and Design at WarnerMedia in NYC. Today, Cat is once more leading the design firm that she and her husband created. She, too, was a guest speaker in the KSU course on The History of Women in Design.

Linda Wallack
The Hello Authority at TOKOcreative
Principal Connector, Talentstar, Inc.

Linda defies description. We met in 1999, at the beginning of the dot.com era, when she was President and Owner of CleverSpin — a collective of design thinkers who shaped ideas into space, technology, and graphic experiences. She is an interior designer, a strategic thinker, an expert in marketing communications, and a change agent — a catalyst for creative alliances and opportunities. Today, she is also one of my wonderful partners and a dear friend.

ENGINEERING

Kirsten Ritchie, PE, LEED AP OM
Director of Sustainable Design
Gensler, San Francisco CA

Almost everything I know about sustainability is due to Kirsten, who has been working in that industry for her entire career. Introduced by mutual friends, we bonded when I moved to Oakland and lived only a few minutes away from her and her family. In 2006, I introduced her to Dan Winey at Gensler, and she has been there ever since, serving as an advocate, advisor, champion, and colleague. She has the sunniest disposition of anyone I know, with a natural curiosity and love of life. She is helping all of us create a better world.

For more information:

• Shagufta Anurag and Saltmine — Eyes on the Future: Making Big Moves
• Ruth Gless — An Architect Who Paints

Photography Credit:
Kudos to Alan Chimacoff and his photograph, Light Game 7.
© 2021 – Alan Chimacoff, Photography, Princeton NJ. All rights reserved.

by Julia Gamolina • The Architect’s Newspaper • December 21, 2018

In December 2018, in the New York Times Opinion Section, Allison Arieff asked, “Where Are All the Female Architects?”

In The Architect’s Newspaper, Julia Gamolina, the founder and editor of Madame Architect, said, “We’re right here.”

Ms. Gamolina said, “Instead of asking ‘Where are these women?’ start writing about them and telling their unique stories.” Which is exactly what she has done in Madame Architect, and what she encourages more of us to do.

Brava!

I had neglected to reply to Ms. Arieff’s original article, but I took the opportunity to post my comments to Ms. Gamolina’s article in ArchPaper —

I was excited when Julia Gamolina began publishing Madame Architect, and I’m delighted to know about some of the other platforms that are focused on women in architecture. I am also delighted when someone like Anne Fletcher is recognized by her firm and is promoted to a significant leadership role. (Anne recently relocated from HOK NYC to become Managing Principal of their Los Angeles practice.)

In 1991, Architecture magazine (yes, Architecture), published an article about women in “corporate” architectural firms. There was a very short list (8). That article about design firm leadership would be quite different today. But there’s a much bigger story.

There is still a very high percentage — perhaps 75% — of “small firms” (15 or fewer employees) represented by members of AIA, and there’s no doubt that many of those firm leaders are women. But what has changed dramatically is the number (and proportion) of women who are not only employed by larger firms, but who have moved and are moving into leadership and executive leadership roles in those firms, not just in design. Carole Wedge commented here, and she and her firm are excellent examples; however, they are definitely not alone. Although there continue to be firms with an abundance of male faces on their “leadership” webpages, there are thousands of women in leadership roles at the highest levels of architectural practice, and they have a huge impact on the future of the corporate, commercial, institutional, and residential sectors within our built environment.

As management consultants, my partners and I work with our clients to help them create roadmaps for the future. Part of that is understanding the complex responsibility of leadership at all levels of the organization, as well as the combination of talents and points of view that are necessary to achieve success.

On the recruiting side of our business, we have the opportunity to speak with people who are able to bring new dimensions to existing and developmental roles within our clients’ firms. For the past 30 years, we have intentionally reached out to women and others whose voices, intellect, and experience will make a difference.

There have been many published articles in the business world about the value of having women at the highest levels of leadership. California has become the first state to require women on corporate boards of publicly traded companies.

Our world is changing. We are facing a future filled with uncertainty and disruption. I predict that the design firms that succeed will have a breadth of diversity among their leadership that will allow them to think differently about themselves, their clients, and their world.

Each of us has the opportunity to make a huge difference to so many people every day, whether personally or professionally. For more information about Talentstar, please visit our ABOUT page.

~ Marjanne Pearson, Founder + Chief

Update – March 2021:

• Julia Gamolina is currently Director of Strategy with Trahan Architects in NYC.
• Ruth Gless provided a copy of the October 1991 article in Architecture, and details about the article have been updated.
• The AIA Women’s Leadership Summit, held in September 2019, broke records and norms, with more than 750 architects and designers at the biennial event.
• Photograph by Joe Szurszewski, published with the article on the AIA Women’s Leadership Summit.