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FOR THE PURPOSE OF… CONTRIBUTORS

Celia Carnes (“Teenage Dream”) is the
Why do organizations like the American Institute of Architects
Bradley W. Johnson (AIA) and the Washington Architectural Foundation (WAF) editorial project manager for the Cultural
Landscape Foundation and a contributor to
exist? If you’ve been reading this magazine for a while, you know
ARCHITECTUREDC.
that there are a lot of hardworking architecture firms in our
area. The Washington, DC, Chapter of the American Institute
of Architects (AIA|DC), in fact, is the country’s fifth-largest Steven K. Dickens, AIA, LEED AP (“Urban
AIA chapter in terms of number of member architects. While Re-Renewal”), is a partner with Eric Colbert
& Associates and a regular contributor to
architectural projects done for the federal government contribute ARCHITECTUREDC.
to the local design portfolio, they aren’t the main reason for
AIA|DC’s large size: federal work accounts for only about 30% Denise Liebowitz (“A Play on Words” and
of the local economy, and reflecting that, most of the design work done by AIA|DC’s “Civics Lesson”), formerly with the National
member architects—and most of the design work shown in these pages—is done for Capital Planning Commission, is a frequent
other clients, including homeowners, businesses, non-governmental organizations, contributor to ARCHITECTUREDC.
and local governments. AIA|DC exists to empower our member architects with
tools to do their work for a range of clients, so as to support Washington as a diverse, G. Martin Moeller, Jr., Assoc. AIA (“Pivot
climate-ready, well-designed city. Point,” “Scribe Vibe,” and “Scene Change”),
WELCOME the editor of ARCHITECTUREDC.
is an independent curator and writer. He is

Ronald O’Rourke (“Smart Design is
Elementary” and “Advanced Placement”) is
a regular contributor to ARCHITECTUREDC.
The Washington Architectural Foundation was created by AIA|DC in 1987 to help His father, Jack O’Rourke, was an architect
the public better appreciate the city around them. WAF has worked in the DC schools in San Francisco for more than four decades.
for more than 30 years, placing architects in classrooms with design-based projects to
enhance the curriculum of most every subject at any grade level. We’ve been in pretty
much every part of the local school system, from pre-K classes to the Duke Ellington
School of the Arts’ specialized museum studies program.
Since opening the District Architecture Center (DAC) 10 years ago, in October
2011, we have expanded our educational programs for kids to include weekend classes
on everything from Islamic art to landscape design. We’ve also pioneered a mentoring
program for young women—led by female architects, engineers, and construction
professionals—that encourages young women to see themselves in these rewarding
professions, where they have long been underrepresented. DAC has also allowed us
to reach a much larger adult audience with lectures on famous works of architecture
and the connection of architecture to other professions, such as construction, urban
planning, landscape architecture, transportation, and even theatrical stage design.
These programs, like the pages of this magazine, help show that architecture is all
around us, shaping and contributing to our quality of life on a daily basis, even when
we don’t focus on it consciously, and serving as an engine for addressing important
social issues, such as housing, education, and climate resiliency. WAF has a vision
that if the public engages with architecture on a sustained basis, it can help transform
communities and form a more equitable city that can serve as a model for the country.
If you are interested in helping us accomplish this vision, you can join WAF as a
member, or donate to support our programming around the city (aiadc.com/donate).
ARCHITECTUREDC’s final issue of the year focuses on recent institutional projects
that will help shape our future. Many of them are schools, and research shows that
attending a well-designed school raises test scores and improves learning. The
projects covered in this issue, in ways both large and small, show that the purpose of
architecture is to make our city and our world better.
We hope you enjoy this issue of the magazine, especially as we head into the
holiday season. As always, we love to hear from you, so please contact me if you have
any comments.

Mary Fitch, AICP, Hon. AIA
Publisher
mfitch@aiadc.com
@marycfitch

WELCOME 5