Vertices | Issue 3 | Winter 2024

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Alumni Contributors Stephanie Brick ............. 2 Jessica Fair ................... 4 Elliot Nolter ................... 6 Keith Peiffer …………..…...8 Sara Pettit...................... 10 Lauren Powers ............... 12 Dwight Smith ................ 14 VERTICES Career Journeys, Projects, Inspirations and Insights Penn State Architecture Issue No. 3 Winter 2024

STEPHANIE BRICK,

VERTICES

My passion for creative design and caring for clients has been the driving force behind my career. Over the last fifteen years, I have worked as a lead for tiny (less than five people) firms focused on residential and/or sustainable design, to working as a civilian architect and Subject Matter Expert for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). I’m a regular bylined writer on design, published over 40 times by The Washington Post, with seven international syndications, and my groundbreaking industry research has been published under peer-review (an extremely rare accomplishment for practicing architects).*

Custom residential design was my first love in architecture: as the most personal of design sectors, it’s highly creative and fun. It affords a unique opportunity to work one-on-one with homeowners and translate their dreams into architectural realities. I knew this was where I wanted to be when I graduated, and I spent about half of my career thriving in this realm before shifting gears to commercial and the public sector.

*Formoreinforma on,see ImprovingHealthintheMilitaryand BeyondUsingSalutogenicDesign,publishedopen-sourcein Facili es (2022):doi.org/10.1108/F-06-2021-0058

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Concurrent with my love for residential, I’ve always maintained a fascination with the psychological and physiological impacts of designed space. (In fact, this was the subject of my undergraduate thesis.) But my keen interest and researching didn’t stop when I graduated. My everincreasing knowledge on the subject eventually tipped the scales of my career focus in favor of the commercial sector, where I could more impactfully apply design strategies into spaces to improve people’s mental and physical health.

By the time I was recruited by the DoD, I was a Subject Matter Expert in salutogenic design: an evidence-based design strategy to improve human health and well-being in the built environment. And I hit the ground running, fully committed to improving conditions for military and civilian service members working to defend our country. I am responsible for driving, from the ground up, the first biophilic design features in the history of an agency. I stood up agency-wide programs with catalogues of available salutogenic features, educational outreach, and new global building standards. I built and hosted multi-agency collaborations for federal facility innovation, lectured to thousands of people, and helped blaze the trail then pave the way for demonstrated architectural solutions to address the DoD’s well-being crisis.

Reflective of my architecture career, my featured project is not what I would have considered “impressive” back in my studio days: it’s a modular, 4’x8’ living moss wall, one of a few in a series of bland federal buildings. But this was the first green wall ever installed at this agency, and it had a radical impact: A thousand people responded to our broad being as a direct result of this one of the highest success rates of any mental health initiative

A er co-founding PSUs SEED (Students for Environmentally Enlightened Design) group my thesis year, I founded and managed the SEED Award of Dis nc on for ten years postgrad.Ihavebeenhumbled by recogni on ranging from the NKBA 30-Under-30 Award inLasVegas,tostanding-roomonly recep on speaking at regional conferences, to a Presiden al team award at the White House. I never would have imagined being where I am today when I graduatedfromPennState!

Beyond the metrics, the green walls had profound behavioral impacts and became a cultural phenomenon (and even adopted a few magically appearing residents like Baby Yoda, plastic Army men, and tiny elves). As reported, this initiative brought strangers together, made service members feel valued, induced calm that reduced job stress, and improved happiness.

This project – two years in the making – broke barriers and stigma, and its collected data was leveraged to grow larger programs to improve well-being across a global enterprise. That’s the power of salutogenic design, and the mark we can leave as architects on our customers – it’s what drives me as a professional and human being. To outsiders, it may just be a plug-and-play green wall, but to me, there is no impact more fulfilling or project I am prouder to showcase.

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Penn State Architecture Alumni 3

JESSICA E. MALARIK FAIR, AIA

Growing up in a small town in western Pennsylvania, I witnessed beautiful Victorian homes fall into disrepair, only to be torn down for gas stations and parking lots. I wanted to save those buildings. I just didn’t know how; until I started at Penn State.

I vividly remember my first day in Engineering Unit A when we were welcomed to our studio. The room was full of some of the smartest, most talented, and artistic people I’d ever met. I am lucky that some of these amazing people became lifelong friends and mentors. In the twenty years since graduation, Penn State Architecture professors, fellow students, and experiences have had a profound influence on my career and life.

During my undergraduate years, I had the opportunity to complete a Work-Study Program in the Architecture office and work with James Wines. He empowered me to find my voice and sense of self as a professional. After one particularly grueling semester of studio, he took several of us out to dinner. Through stories and napkin sketches, he reminded us of the power of laughter and that a career isn’t defined by one bad review. I still have the napkin sketch he drew for me that night and it brings back all the memories of the highs and lows of those rigorous five years and the literal blood, sweat, and tears of the architecture program.

And while I can remember too many sleepless nights and stressful crits, I also recall making pancakes in studio on a Sunday morning after another all-nighter, the Friendsgiving celebrations, the life-changing semester in the Sedia di Roma program, and OK, the trips to the ER when the X-ACTO knife got a little too close to a finger!

My passion for preservation grew during my fifth year when my thesis advisor, Darla Lindberg, taught me about adaptive reuse and historic preservation. Her confidence in me helped me find my passion, attend a preservation-focused graduate program, and become a preservation architect. To this day, I’ve kept the letter of recommendation she wrote for me and refer to it when times are stressful,andIneedalittleextramotivation.

In the beginning of my career, I grew through a variety of work experiences, including a brief stint at an international design firm, a sole practitioner’s office, two boutique preservation/residential firms, and even a timber framing company. But it wasn’t untilnearly a decade ago when I startedat Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE) that I found my niche as a preservation architect. At WJE, I’ve grown professionally thanks to engaged mentors and incredible project opportunities. For nearly five years I worked on the restoration of Amtrak’sWilliamH. Gray III, 30th Street Station, the second-busiest train station in the United States. This neoclassical, National Register-listed station serves as Philadelphia’stransportationhubforlocal,regional,andnationalraillines.

Our project scope included the repair and restoration of the limestone facades, original steel windows, and bronze doors; all while keeping the offices, restaurants-and most significantly-the rail lines, fully open and operational throughout the duration of the project. I crawled over every inch of this building (twice while nine months pregnant) and documented every piece of limestone, anditwasherethatIreallyhonedmyskillsasapreservationarchitect.

Senior Associate, WJE RegisteredArchitect(PA,DE,NY)

Learningcanhappen anywhere.Twoofmyfavorite piecesofadvicecamefroma springbreakExternshipat CooperCarry:

First,duringacrit,interview, ormeeting:

· Tellthemwhatyou’re goingtosay.

· Sayit.

I’m extremely proud of this project and it’s especially memorable to me because of the people, collaboration, and tremendous hands-on learning opportunitiesitprovided.

It was during this same time that I returned to Penn State to work on the rehabilitation of Old Main. I can’t recall if I had even been inside Old Main as a student, and to be back at my alma mater ona regularbasistoworkon the restoration of this iconic building was truly incredible. But while the building and work were extraordinary, it wasthe sense of purpose shared with the PSU alumni-centric team of colleagues, contractors, and client representatives that created another career-defining moment.

· Tellthemwhatyoujust said.

Second, always be kind and respectful to everyone. Don’t forget about those on “lower rungsoftheladder,”theycan become some of your most crucialsupporters!

It is an honor to look at my growth from a Penn State Architecture student to alumna and gain perspective about the transformative moments to come. In professional practice, I’ve come to learn your biggest asset is your ability to help others. If you’re too busy to help others, you’re too busy! Yes,wegrowasstudents.But as professionals, we have opportunities to grow as lifelong students of practice through interactions with eachother.

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William H. Gray III 30th Street Sta on, Philadelphia PA
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Penn State Architecture Alumni
WINTER 2024 Jessica Fair Old Main, Pennsylvania State University

Decathlon competition. First, as a member of the initial design team, and then as a core team member at the 2007 competition, helping to assemble the home on the National Mall in Washington, DC. This experience reignited my childhood passion for design/build and became the cornerstone of East Spruce's ethos: Resourceful, Responsible, Design.

On paper, this all sounds clear and calculated, but a career path, like design itself, is an iterative process.

I graduated from Penn State in 2009, during the height of the recession, but was fortunate to secure a safe job close to home with a reputable firm. I struck out several times pursuing my passion in design/build, Living with mom and dad and working long hours allowed me to save for a pivotal endeavor – buying and renovating a 130 year old carriage house (now my office on East Spruce Street). This was not how I pictured my early career, but nonetheless fulfilled my inherent desire to build and experiment, while learning the practice of architecture from an established firm. I worked for Spillman Farmer Architects for about 10 years before starting my own practice.

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The Catasauqua Municipal Complex stands out as the highlight of my career with SpillmanFarmer. Thisproject, active from 2011 to 2017,

began with a masterplan of a 12.5 acre former iron works site (which, by the way, was the site of my senior design thesis project). We won the commission, in part, due to my extensive knowledge of the site, and our passion for context-conscious and community-centric design. Following the master planning phase, we were hired to design the first new building on the brownfield site, the Municipal Complex. This building houses the town’s fire station, police station, and municipal offices under one roof. It was a priority of mine, as well as the Client’s, to honor the history of the town and the former Crane Iron Works property. We incorporated many salvaged and repurposed items from the project site into the design, including the hemlock wall cladding seen in the building’s lobby. This material was ripped from large beams of a crumbling building on the project site. The “sawtooth” roof design gives the building a more relatable scale and carries the site’s industrial aesthetic.

As a new father, and in need of a change, I started East Spruce design/build in 2018. This felt as good a time as any to pursue my passion. Little did I know, a global pandemic was on the horizon. I had few project leads and very little capital, but I had the desire and the drive to branch out from traditional practice and focus on smaller-scale, artfully-crafted buildings. I also knew that the future of our profession would be in high-performance, sustainable design. My time at Penn State, working on the Solar Decathlon home taught me that, so I pursued certification as a Passive House Consultant with PHIUS. This opened my eyes to a better way of designing and building, reinforced by the newlyincreased attention to indoor air quality, building health, and resiliency.

I was already working at home for two years when the pandemic shuttered many traditional offices, and was fortunate to keep a slow but steady stream of work - mostly home renovations. Increased material costs and supply chain issues forced several of my clients to bail on the new “dream home”, but I stayed nimble, and my first high-performance new home is now under construction. The lessons learned during this period have become integral to the future trajectory of East Spruce, reinforcing the importance of agility and adaptabilityin theever-changing field ofarchitecture.

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Penn State Architecture Alumni Elliot Nolter Owner / Architect East Spruce design/build

Fitting the popular cliché of budding architects, I loved castles and playing with Legos as a kid. I also loved art, but I was too practical to think I could really make a career out of it. During a ninth-grade assignment about career options, I learned about being an architect and decided it was probably a good fit for me. As a first-generation college student, however, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Fortunately, I absolutely loved architecture school: the messiness of the Engineering Units and the energy and camaraderie of the studio environment at Penn State.

As a licensed architect, I significantly contributed to several projects with Design Collective and Ziger/ Snead Architects in Baltimore over an 11-year span, receiving numerous awards for design excellence from the AIA and other professional organizations. My professional work encompassed a broad range of scales, construction types, materials, and programs. On most projects, I contributed from early design through completion of construction, and I spent many hours in the field doing construction administration. I was an associate at Ziger/Snead leading project teams and specialty consultants for a diverse range of projects (high-end residential, educational, and institutional). In this role I also contributed to the management of the firm through scheduling, billing, strategic planning, and improving internal processes. These experiences gave me a strong foundation in the skillful execution of well-considered architecture.

In between those two professional experiences, I pursued a Master of Science in Architecture (Design Research) at Taubman College at the University of Michigan. After spending many hours doing construction administration, I loved returning to the more theoretical and speculative work of graduate school. My self-directed research project considered American consumer space through disciplinary tools of representation and spatial analysis to visualize interactions between people and spaces that are both physical and data. I am fascinated by the ways that complex political, economic, and cultural forces are manifested in physical environments and infrastructure, in this work seen in everyday experiences like grocery shopping.

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About six years ago I transitioned from professional practice to a tenuretrack appointment in the School of Architecture (SOA) at Oklahoma State University (OSU) to pursue an academic career. Although I have had a long-term goal to teach since the first year of my undergraduate studies, it was especially important to me first to gain a solid understanding of professional practice that would ground my further work in the discipline.

I am thoroughly enjoying academia and the ability to think about architecture outside of the constraints of a given project. Given the breadth of my professional experience, I am constantly working to find ways to bring insights gained from practice into the academy. This interest is interwoven in teaching required Materials and Project Management courses, as well as design studios and a contemporary architecture theory and criticism seminar. I am primarily teaching studio in the middle of the Bachelor of Architecture curriculum (second-, third-, and fourth-year). In research, I have focused on the relational structure around contemporary design elements and materials, with a particular emphasis on turning a critical eye to those elements that we take for granted like acoustical panel ceilings.

I often refer to The Fitzgerald Apartments, as my architectural first-born. I was fortunate to contribute from the very early stages of the project to completion of construction. I spent four years and over 5,000 hours working on this project. I highly encourage this type of experience for young architects to gain an understanding of the entire process of executing a project.

The mixed-use, transit-oriented development included 275 apartments and a 1,200-car parking garage. In developer-led multi-family residential projects, efficiency is incredibly important. Our design solution utilized common typologies and adapted them to specific conditions of the site. The typical figure-8 configuration was broken to respond to a diagonal street and the movement of the light rail. These adaptations created opportunities: the “gaps” gave a distinct element at the entry points of the building, and a glass bridge spanning the gap became the signature design element of the building. By strategically introducing “ineffiencies” into the typology, we were able to create a unique and dynamic building that has been extremely sought-after by renters while meeting the developer’s pro forma.

Keith Peiffer

Asst. Professor, Architecture Oklahoma State University

I appreciated all of my professors at Penn State and the way the faculty represented a broad range of perspectives, which fed my curiosity for all aspects of the discipline. My interactions with Katsu Muramoto and Darla Lindberg were particularly significant in my development. As we discussed my final grade (my only B in studio), Katsu noted that it seemed like I was getting complacent and could producebetterwork.Hisfrank feedback was what I needed to inspire me to dig deeper into my interests and what I hoped to contribute to the discipline. While working with Darla as my thesis advisor, I appreciated the way she presented the discipline as a medium for ideas, positioning speculativedesignasawayto test and explore our thesis. This approach set me up to view my work as a way to exploresomeunderlyingideas throughout different stages of mycareer.

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Penn State Architecture Alumni 9
KEITH PEIFFER, RA (B.Arch. PSU ‘6, M.Sci. Arch. Univ. of Michigan ‘12)

I am a practicing architect with over fifteen years of professional experience. I graduated in 2009 amidst a major financial recession. Architectural positions for graduates were limited, but I was fortunate to connect with Pickard Chilton at the spring School of Architecture Career Fair, and I was offered a position in their New Haven, CT studio. The role was an incredible and highly formative one, and I worked closely with the wonderful Principals, studio leaders, and talented colleagues to help design headquarters, corporate campuses, and even an office building for the Minnesota Senate that looked upon the Cass Gilbert Capitol building in Saint Paul.

In 2014, I relocated to Philadelphia, and with the incredible foundation from my years at PC, I joined MGA Partners, a firm known for its craft, consideration of place, design legacy, and thoughtful detailing. At MGA, I worked on a variety of institutional projects ranging from studies for the Federal Government to campus planning to renovations and additions of historic buildings on college campuses. As an Associate at MGA, I lead aspects of the studio operations, including recruiting, staff mentorship and development, and sustainability and community outreach initiatives.

Outside of professional practice, I also mentored high school students in the study and practice of architecture for a decade through the nationally recognized ACE (Architecture Construction and Engineering) Program. Over the years, I worked with over 150 students from city public schools in New Haven and Philadelphia, serving as lead mentor, board member, and board co-chair in New Haven.

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Now, at the University of Pittsburgh, I developed and instruct a summer high school program, Experiencing Architecture, which hosts about twenty students from a variety of backgrounds and experiences each year. The program seeks to build connections with local Pittsburgh schools and communities, as well as the local design community, to ultimately establish this program as a vital part of a pipeline that builds diversity, equity, and inclusion in architectural education and in the practice beyond. I’m also a Visiting Lecturer at Pitt, where I teach a Foundations studio to undergraduate students.

When I graduated, I contemplated how I could merge architectural experience with my love of teaching and working with young people, and in this way, I think my college self would be proud of the path I’ve taken. I encourage students, graduates, and fellow professionals to take the steps towards the aspects of design, mentorship, research, or engagement that are meaningful to you, because the more engaged and connected you make yourself, the more likely you are to be able to mold your practice to what you want it to be.

The conventional building project that I’m particularly proud of is the comprehensive renovation of Chandler Ullmann Hall at Lehigh University, completed in 2019. This beautiful historic building was constructed as a ground-breaking Chemistry building in 1883, with an addition by Frank Furness in 1926 and another in 1937. We designed a thoughtful renovation to serve the Mathematics and Psychology departments that modernized the building while preserving and celebrating its historic fabric and ensuring it as a valuable and important campus place for the future. I am particularly proud of the work that my studio does on historic buildings on campus. My view is that the most sustainable buildings are the ones that you don’t need to build, where you can breathe new life into an existing building and restore it for many years to come.

The other project that gives me great joy is the Experiencing Architecture Program! Designing and executing the program allows me to connect with the amazing network of design professionals in Pittsburgh, as well as organizations, programs, and schools that are already doing great work in exposing young people to opportunities in design and architecture. In instructing the students, I hope to help them learn fundamentals about architecture, which they apply through their own design project. The program exposes them to the beautiful Pitt campus and Pittsburgh beyond through studio and construction site visits, all with the goal of helping the students and their families make more informed decisions about opportunities in design - and hopefully encouraging a few future architects along their path.

Sara Pettit Lecturer, Intern Coordinator

University of Pittsburgh

There were many amazing professors at Penn State, but Ute Poerschke and Katsu Muramoto directly impacted my career path. Professor Muramoto’s studio was a formative one for me, where design first made sense. In addition, Katsu (along with Professor Scott Wing) connected me with former colleagues at Kieran Timberlake, which led to an incredible summer internship opportunity. Professor Poerschke’s studio was the first that design felt rooted in something real. But most importantly,ProfessorUtehas always been a role model for me in the way that she gracefully (and incredibly) balances professional practice and academic instruction and clearly shows her dedication and great talentsinbothrealms.

I’ve remained connected with Penn State as a member (currentPast-President)ofthe Architecture Alumni Group since2014.

Back in my hometown of Pittsburgh, my husband Marco Virgili (B.Arch 2007) and I are raising two children (aged 6 and 3). When we aren’t talking about work, we’re discovering new renovationprojectsinourmid -century home, raising chickens(andapoorlytrained hound) in our small urban backyard, and planning our next road trip in our vintage camper.

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Penn State Architecture Alumni

Hello! I’m Lauren Powers. I graduated from Penn State in 2009, at the height of the recession. I was fortunate to secure a full-time position at Bohlin Cywinski Jackson in Philadelphia, the firm where I had interned the summer prior. Stepping into staffing vacancies created by the shaky economy, I had the chance to take on tasks that I might not otherwise have been offered and work on a number of exciting projects.

After eight years at BCJ, I was looking to build my capacity as a leader and a mentor, and to diversify my professional experience. While at BCJ, I collaborated with the landscape architecture team at WRT, and I appreciated their interdisciplinary approach to design. When I saw an opportunity to apply there, it seemed like the right step for me.

At WRT, I have continued working in the Education sector, including university, K-12 and master planning, and have enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from planners and landscape architects. Whether for K-12 schools, universities or commercial clients, I seem to find common themes in my work. Fitness centers, dining/event spaces and collaborative workspaces are my specialty and I jump at any opportunity to take on an adaptive reuse project.

I would say that my career has followed the path I envisioned; however, I have developed a more critical understanding of the profession and identified a number of lessons I’ve learned from my own professional path over the years – the most important being:

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Don’t settle on projects or remain in work environments that are not supporting your long-term goals

My participation in the PSU Architecture mentoring program has allowed me to share some of these things that I wish had known when I was entering the professional world.

While I've worked on large-scale higher ed projects over the years, including student centers at Georgia Tech, the University of Pennsylvania and Stevens Institute of Technology, the project I am proudest of is a smaller one at Cabrini University.

On the heels of a new campus master plan developed by WRT, our team of architects and landscape architects took on projects that included a new 180-bed residence hall, 137-car parking garage, and site work to improve accessible pedestrian pathways across campus.

The residence hall project is a favorite because of the team that made it happen. The group was small, but we communicated well, and were committed to making the project the best it could be. We learned and grew together in designing a building that was quite complex, but the quality of the details made it look effortless.

The parking garage was a project I never thought I would be excited about, but I learned a great deal and I’m proud of how the design was realized. This was my first experience with precast concrete. The process of casting, moving, and erecting the panels was new to me, and the

Lauren Powers Associate, WRT

The relationships I built with my architecture classmates were the most valuable experiences from my Penn State career. We supported each other through the challenges of architecture school including experiences in State College and abroad and we continue to support each other as we navigate our careers in the design and construction industry. We share our challenges, celebrate our successes, and learn from each other's experiences both personally and professionally. Without my Penn State Architecture family,I'mnotsureIwouldbe thearchitectIamtoday.

The opportunities to create texture and dimension with precast panels are endless and I look forward to finding ways to use the material in other project types. I am also optimistic about opportunities to use precast concrete systems to support embodied carbon reduction.

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Penn State Architecture Alumni 13
LAUREN J. POWERS, AIA, LEED AP BD+C (B.Arch. ‘09) Parking Garage, Cabrini University

Having retired from the profession in 2018, I can look back at my career as a completed chapter. I graduated 1972 from the Penn State architecture program, my concern at that time was not so much on the type of architecture I was drawn to, but rather to focus my efforts on obtaining my registration and entering into private practice. In school I had had some exposure to healthcare architecture as a team member of a government research grant to study the application of modular production systems to ambulatory care. At the time I had no idea the importance that would play in my career.

Initially my efforts were directed toward becoming a lead designer and I searched for an office that would provide the exposure and responsibility I sought. This journey took me through a number of offices both large and small with a short stint as a partner in a small firm in Florida, but I never lost interest in healthcare. I finally returned to Pennsylvania to finish my career leading the Healthcare Planning Department at Ballinger

Through my years I have seen many changes in the way architectural services are delivered. At the start of my career mylar and plastic lead were just emerging in the drafting arena. From there the process moved through overlay drafting with pen-bar, to Auto Cad with pen plotters and onto the Revit model augmented with Photoshop.

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Through this evolution, however, I regret there has been a lost art form that was the hand drafted “working drawing.” Beautiful detailed drawings were created by true craftsmen of the drawing board, working only with graphite and ink and the desire to put their signature on the end product.

One of the last projects I worked on was the Golisano Childrens Hospital in Rochester New York. It is a free-standing inpatient pediatric hospital and part of the University of Rochester Medical System. The importance to me was the success of the client collaboration from the start of programing through design. I was the lead healthcare planner working with all the user groups to bring this innovative children’s hospital to fruition. This was the first healthcare project Ballinger had completed that had all private NICU rooms allowing the family to stay with the infant during this difficult period, facilitating the healing process.

Dwight Smith Director, Healthcare Planning (Retired)

Ballinger

Considering my years at Penn State, it is difficult to identify one particular professor that stands out, but several do come to mind. Richard Plunz introduced me to the philosophies of Christopher Alexander and his distinct approach to design. Roy Vollmer was the advisor for the two-term research project I participated in and worked closely with all five of the team members. The relationship we had with him helped me to understand the importance of a team approach to design. Of course there was Raneiro Corbelletti who pulled everything together.

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VERTICES
DWIGHT SMITH, AIA Emeritus (B.Arch. ‘72) Golisano Children’s Hospital, Rochester, NY

Editor’s Note

This year’s Vertices contributors (with one notable exception!) graduated 15-20 years ago and embarked on career paths through design firms, solo practice, and academia working on new buildings, preserving and revitalizing existing buildings, engaging in research, and teaching. Reading their stories, all are finding their practice niche, passion and expertise, with notable projects and accomplishments in designing and impacting our built environment.

Their stories should also resonate with this year’s graduating architecture students, who will be entering the profession at a time of economic uncertainty and global unrest, not to mention the building industry shifts and technological advances that will challenge all practicing architects.

As the sayings go: “in every crisis there can be opportunity” or “when one door closes another one opens” we recall that sustainable design / LEED, CAD & BIM weren’t always ubiquitous (especially us boomers who think and work better with tactile hand-sketches and scale models). So too, the changes underway with hybrid work-from home and generative AI, will be met with innovations and inventions to be developed and practiced by current graduates. Successful and fulfilling careers in architecture are founded on perseverance and dedication to the craft and personal satisfaction in being part of creating something for others’ use and enjoyment, beyond collecting a grade or paycheck for yourself.

Experiencing and considering how people feel and interact with built environments is essential and continuing education for all architects. This year the Architecture Alumni Group launched an initial fundraising effort on Giving Tuesday to support student travel for career exploration and education. Thank you to all contributors, as we look forward to continuing and growing this fund.

Also congratulations to George H. Miller, FAIA (B.Arch. ‘73) who will be among eight honorees this year to receive Penn State’s Distinguished Alumni Award, the institution’s highest honor presented to its alumni. His documented career achievements and contributions exemplify what all architecture graduates can aspire to and strive for. We are…

Carla Bonacci, FAIA, PP (B.Sci. ‘81, B.Arch. ‘82)

Secretary-Treasurer

Architecture Alumni Group

This content is provided anecdotally and meant for information only. The statements, views and opinions herein are personally expressed by the respective authors only, and do not represent any other organization, employers, the Architecture Alumni Group, theStuckeman School or Penn State University.

Stuckeman Students Tour the WTC Campus (Fall 2023) Penn State Architecture Alumni VERTICES WINTER 2024 Cover photo by Christopher Ferro, Class of 2024

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