New Perspectives from the South

Meet AIA Columbus’ 2021 Architecture Awards jury from the South through a series of lectures by the jury members!

All sessions will be 12-12:30 pm via Zoom
Earn 0.5 LU or HSW depending on the session
AIA Members, Allied Members, and Students – Free
Non-member guests – $3
Details will be sent prior to meeting via Eventbrite.

Register:  Meryati Blackwell – September 2

In this session we will meet jury member Meryati Blackwell.  Meryati Johari Blackwell brings over twenty-five years of experience to her role as Principal at Marlon Blackwell Architects where she also serves as Director of Interiors and Sustainability. Her sensitivity as a designer and knowledge of materials and details enrich every project in the office. She acts as an anchor for the firm, working alongside Marlon to thoughtfully ground and guide the design ethos as the firm grows; always supporting the creation of award-winning architecture for any place, at any scale, at any price and for anyone. With a degree in Architecture and Planning, Meryati is both a Registered Architect and a Registered Interior Designer as well as a LEED Accredited Professional.

During her tenure at Marlon Blackwell Architects, Meryati has been integrally involved in the realization of numerous noteworthy and award-winning projects including the Crystal Bridges Museum Store, Blessings Golf Clubhouse, Steven L Anderson Design Center and Vol Walker Hall, Montessori Schools, Northwest Arkansas Free Health, and the L-Stack Residence where she also served as the project’s General Contractor. In her role as Principal of Marlon Blackwell Architects, Meryati provides oversight of business operations and the development of the firm’s team and resources.

Earn 0.5 LU

Register:  Nicole Seekely – September 9

In this session, we will meet jury member Nicole Seekely, an architect practicing in Atlanta, currently working on projects in the Southeast region. She is responsible for designing, documenting, and managing projects from concept to completion.  Graduating from Georgia Tech with her B.S.Arch and Columbia GSAPP with her M.Arch, Nicole has experience working at firms both large and small and in different sectors including higher education, corporate, multi-family and urban infill.  Nicole uses her passion for the urban environment, zoning, and design by serving as chair of her neighborhood’s Historic and Preservation Land Use Committee and spearheading multi-neighborhood masterplan efforts.  She has won AIA Atlanta and AIA Georgia emerging professional awards and has been accepted into state-wide leadership programs including AIA Georgia’s Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program and ULI Atlanta’s Center for Leadership. No matter what she’s working on or whom she’s working with, Nicole conveys passion, thoughtful ideas, and fresh form to challenges the industry and city can bring.

We will learn about some of Nicole’s favorite projects, Excelsior Mill, an adaptive reuse of a 1900’s excelsior mill into office space; Works Parking Garage, a creative screening of a precast parking deck; and Lower Tuck, an adaptive reuse project of eight warehouses into 200,000 sf of office space.

Earn 0.5 LU|HSW

Register:  Elizabeth Chen – September 15

In this session we will meet jury member Elizabeth Chen, AIA. Elizabeth grew up in the exurbs of southern Florida where branching curvilinear roads and gated, cookie-cutter housing communities with names like “The Meadows”, “Four Rivers” and “Tiburon” (despite the lack of meadows, rivers, or sharks in any of these communities) were built on top of wetlands. It was a setting that exemplified complex histories and relationships between human development, the American Dream, and the environment. After moving to New Orleans for school in 2000, Elizabeth became interested in how we can design for a justice- and equity-centered built environment. Her experiences led her to projects in public interest design and design justice. She is an architect at Colloqate, a design justice practice.

We will learn about some of Elizabeth’s favorite projects, Talise and Sangkilang Water Systems, Expeditionary Learning School at Floyd Bennett Field, and Defrag Pavilion.

Earn 0.5 LU

Register:  Rand Elliott – September 23

In this session, we will meet Rand Elliott, FAIA.  Rand Elliott, FAIA, President of Rand Elliott Architects has served as principal of his own firm since its inception in 1976. Elliott has produced designs of exceptional individuality, providing clients with buildings and spaces that are unique as well as functional, distinguishing the firm as a design innovator. Projects, process, and inspiration have grown from Oklahoma roots and applied to work in London, as well as over 50 cities in the United States. This dedication to the architectural profession is recognized for its exceptional level of design excellence. Ten National AIA Honor Awards highlight 377 international, national, regional, and local awards. The work has been featured in more than 85+ books and 375 periodicals published in the U.S., U.K, Hong Kong, and around the globe.

We will learn about Rand’s favorite projects, PLICO at the Flatiron, Heartland Headquarters, and Oklahoma Contemporary.

Earn 0.5 LU|HSW

Register:  Mark Chen – September 28

In this session, we will meet Mark Chen, AIA.  Mark Chen, managing principal at Leo A Daly Atlanta has been leading design practices since the early 90s.  As managing principal, Mark is responsible for strategic leadership and management of the Atlanta office.  Mark’s is as an architect and master planner for commercial, higher education and healthcare facilities in the US, Europe and China. He began his career in Boston with Koetter Kim and Associates, moved to New York City, worked for Perkins and Will and Hillier and continued with a consulting practice for 10 years in New York City before moving to Atlanta in 2012.   Mark is a graduate of Harvard University and Cornell University and has taught at the Rhode Island School of Design, Syracuse University and at the New York Institute of Technology.  He has been a guest critic at several acknowledged architecture schools including Cornell University, Rhode Island School of Design, Harvard University and the Georgia Institute of Technology.  His work has been published in Architecture Magazine and Architectural Record.  He has won numerous awards including an honor award from the AIA Orlando Chapter for the Harrell Medical Education Building at the University of Florida.

We will learn about Mark’s favorite project, Harrell Medical Education Building at the University of Florida, and an overview of some of the work at Leo A Daly.

Earn 0.5 LU

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