AIA’s 100th president Kimberly Dowdell on leadership, the value of AIA involvement, and why architects need to be bold

Kimberly Dowdell, AIA, NOMAC was inaugurated as the 2024 AIA president in December. Dowdell is the 100th person to hold the office and is the first Black woman and the first Millennial to serve in the position.

Currently a principal at HOK in Chicago, Dowdell sat down with the AIA Architect to discuss meeting the expectations of young architects, the importance of boldness in the profession, the value of AIA membership, and much more. 

What do you think the next generation of architects expects from AIA? As 2024 President how do you plan to help meet those expectations?

The next generation of architects is interested in an AIA that not only hears their concerns but is also communicative about what we are specifically doing to address those concerns as leaders of this organization. All members expect clear communication, but it is especially vital for those who are seeking support with launching their careers.

Transparency in the form of communication is very important to our membership. AIA is doing a lot of work on behalf of various different types of member perspectives—people at large, medium, and small firms, those pursuing a non-traditional path, and traditional architects, as well as the various generations at work. We’re also staying focused on our strategic priorities, which are climate action and equity. We must amplify our messaging around all of this.

In addition to being clear about what we’re doing and why we’re doing it, it’s just as important to take time to listen. All of our members, and young people in particular, want to make sure that their dues are paying for something that directly benefits them. As 2024 President, I seek to foster greater clarity around the benefits of AIA membership so that our members will tap into the full potential of this network. I also hope to better understand where we have progress to make as an organization and advance changes where they will be most impactful.

Part of your platform of #MoreIn24 calls for more members. What is the value of being part of an organization like AIA for prospective members and how do we convey that to them? 

It’s about being part of a larger community and having a support system that you wouldn’t necessarily have on your own. Architects need advocates, and the best way to benefit from advocacy is to have an effective professional association. We’ve been fortunate to have one of those for more than 160 years. 

This is our organization, if you join AIA it’s actually yours to shape, alongside the rest of us. That’s how I got involved, I wanted to see some things improved and I voiced my concerns. Over time, that evolved into increased service to the organization. After all of those efforts through the years, here I am, serving as president. 

Conveying value to the members can be as simple as making information more clear, concise and accessible. I’m delighted that aia.org has been revamped for the purpose of making interaction with our content more efficient. We are also leveraging social media to get our messages out there more quickly and to a wider audience. The message I hope people are receiving is that AIA is working for you on multiple fronts. Your membership matters.

What does architecture need less of in 2024? 

I think one of the problems in architecture right now is that we don’t always have enough confidence to require more from our clients. I want there to be less fear. I want architects to be bolder. 

My insight on the procurement process for design services is quite robust due to my recent role as marketing principal for HOK’s Chicago studio. In my experience in this part of the practice, I’ve learned that many clients are not sensitive to the cost of assembling responses to RFPs and RFQs, or preparing for interviews. Firms of all sizes have to navigate this challenge and it is costing our members a tremendous amount. We have to be prepared to push back on these processes and request more reasonable timelines, deliverables and overall expectations. 

Generally, there is no compensation tied to competing for work, unless a paid competition is sponsored by the client. I think we need to be bolder about articulating what we will and will not do based on the economics of practice. Firms spend a lot of money on pursuing new work, but I think we need to shift the paradigm on how clients procure design services. We need to do a better job articulating the value that we’re creating for our clients and being bolder when describing what we need financially to get our projects done. We need to have more respect for the work that we create so that our clients will follow suit, and that means resisting the urge to compromise our value.

How do you plan to encourage engagement at AIA’s chapter and individual levels?

I truly believe that the rubber meets the road at the local level. Engagement with a local chapter is important to help build community in your local area. You can take lessons learned at that level and bring it to regional, national, and international levels. 

The entry point for every member is what is happening in their own backyard. We need to encourage members to understand which programs exist and how they tie into their own sensibilities and interests, and if there’s something missing, we should help them find a way to bring it to their local chapter. 

For example, some people are interested in helping prepare the next generation of architects in a K-12 setting. If you notice your local chapter doesn’t have K-12 programming, you can voice that and try to provide some support to make it happen. We’re the ones making AIA what it is. Thus, we need to do the work to meet our own needs with the support of our fellow members and staff. Members are also encouraged to engage with AIA Knowledge Communities to pursue specific topics that cut across geographies.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from your leadership roles?

One of the most important functions of a leader is to secure the future. A leader’s job is to secure the future of the company, organization, city, or country that they’re leading. You have to think about the past and do your best to see the future. Architects are uniquely positioned to do that because we’re trained to take existing conditions and turn them into a better new reality. 

We must listen to our members and understand what is pressing to them right now, so we can be responsive to the future. For example, we need to be prepared for what we might come up against as it relates to artificial intelligence. If we do nothing, AI will continue to evolve, and we’ll be unprepared. AIA is currently looking at ways AI is impacting the profession, and hopefully we’ll have some recommendations to share with our members in the very near future. 

What is an event you’re looking forward to participating in as AIA’s president? 

I’m speaking at the U.S. Conference of Mayors next week (Jan. 17-19, Washington D.C.). I had an opportunity to speak at the same event last year, which is where I introduced the idea of every mayor hiring a chief architect. I’ve been thinking about the implications of that over the past year and I’m even more excited about it as a major element of my focus as president.

If AIA can help spur this movement, we can help mayors solve some of our most pressing issues. Having a chief architect advise mayors on issues around climate action, affordable housing, and health equity could be invaluable. I’m excited to have a platform to speak to our nation’s leaders and to represent the value that architects can bring to our communities. 

You’re based in Chicago but are from Detroit, two cities with rich architectural histories. What are some of your favorite buildings in each of those places?

It’s sometimes a challenge to select a favorite building as an architect, and particularly as AIA President, representing all kinds of architects. 

However, one of the buildings that I’ve found to be fascinating as a kid in Detroit was The Guardian Building. As a newcomer to Chicago, I have to say that the Chicago Cultural Center is really quite delightful. It hosts the Chicago Architecture Biennial, which is how I got to know the building and appreciate the many functions that it serves for the public.

In general, I love a good adaptive reuse story. While those two buildings remain what they were intended to be, one of my favorite projects from a city where I used to live is The High Line in New York. Transforming those abandoned rail lines into an elevated park and major civic destination is a remarkable story. It would be really great to see more adaptive reuse projects celebrated for the positive impact they can have on communities.