Vol. 19, Issue 02 2021
So you want to be a Citizen Architect? Moderator: Jessica O’Donnell is a proactive and engaged young architect. She is a leader in her community, her firm, and the AIA. She is devoted to preparing the next generation of architects to propel the profession forward and continually seeks opportunities to get others engaged. O’Donnell was named AIA New Jersey’s 2019 Young Architect of the Year and spotlighted by the AIA as a 2020 Citizen Architect. Panelists: Tiara Hughes is a senior urban designer at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, an adjunct professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology, a commissioner with the Chicago Landmarks Commission, and a real estate professional. She is a St. Louis native, now based in Chicago. In 2021, Hughes received the prestigious AIA Associates Award. Tom Hurlbert is co-founder and CEO of a 20-plus-person firm, CO-OP Architecture, with locations in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and Aberdeen, South Dakota. In 2018, Hurlbert became the only South Dakota architect to ever receive the National Young Architects of the Year Award from the AIA. He is also president of AIA South Dakota.
Above: The “So you want to be a Citizen Architect” webinar panelists and moderator. (Graphic created by Monica Blasko)
Trinity Simons has served as the executive director of the Mayors’ Institute on City Design since 2012. In this role, she works with mayors across the country on the nation’s most pressing urban planning and design challenges. She speaks about the intersection of design and politics at universities, events, and symposia across the country. What do a Sioux Falls district commissioner, a commissioner of Chicago Landmarks, and an executive director for the Mayors’ Institute have in common? They are all Citizen Architects. What is a Citizen Architect? That was one of many questions three panelists were asked during a webinar organized by the Young Architects Forum (YAF) advocacy work group (Monica Blasko, Kaitlyn Badlato, Trevor Boyle, Anastasia Markiw, and Jonathon Jackson) on May 21. Moderated by the YAF’s Jessica O’Donnell, the “So you Want to Be a Citizen Architect?” webinar was a 90-minute session in which three panelists, Tiara Hughes, Assoc. AIA, NOMA; Thomas Hurlbert, AIA, LEED AP; and Trinity Simons, were asked a series of questions from the moderator and our listeners. Although each panelist comes from a different background, theirs journeys to becoming a Citizen Architect had many similarities.
Above: Attendees we engaged with Mentimeter polling questions during the webinar. (Graphic created by Monica Blasko)
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