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3 episodes with Melissa R Daniel
On today's episode of Architectette we welcome Melissa R. Daniel. Melissa is a Facilities Project Manager in Maryland and is the creator/ host of the Architecture is Political Podcast, where Black and Brown folks discuss architecture. She received the 2022 AIA Whitney M Young Award and the 2018 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Associates Award. Melissa serves as past Chair for AIA Housing and Community Development Knowledge Community and is a Steering Committee Member to the DC Legacy Project, Barry Farm-Hillsdale. We talk about: - Growing up in Tyler House, a public housing complex in Washington DC and how Melissa's childhood experiences led her to become an architect and later establish her podcast, Architecture is Political - We do a deep dive on recent development in DC and why it is important for new construction and urban renewal to be rooted in place and history, discussing a few specific examples like the Wharf in DC - We touch on Melissa's extensive volunteer experience, the progress made by women in architecture, and how she would like to see changes manifested within the profession - Lastly, we focus on the Architecture is Political podcast. Melissa shares a bit about her favorite conversations, how she studies and sources interview topics, and why she prefers to have non-architect guests. Links: Melissa's Website: https://www.melissardaniel.design/ Podcast Website: https://www.archispolly.online/ Podcast Socials: https://www.instagram.com/archispolly/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjOH86rBS83bCGodn9ibEbg Architectette Podcast Website: www.architectette.com Connect with the pod on LinkedIn, Instagram (@architectette), and TikTok (@architectette) Exclusive Content on our Newsletter: www.architectette.com Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/architectette/support
Replay: 2022 AIA Whitney M. Young Jr. Honor Award RIDING THE VORTEXWhat lessons on architecture, practice, and change can we learn from AIA Whitney M. Young Jr. Honor Award Recipients Kathryn Prigmore, Kathy Dixon, Katherine Williams, and Melissa Daniel?Named for civil rights leader Whitney M. Young Jr., the AIA Whitney M. Young Jr. Honor Award distinguishes an architect or architectural organization that embodies social responsibility and actively addresses a relevant issue, such as affordable housing, inclusiveness, or universal access. Architects and design leaders Kathryn Tyler Prigmore, FAIA; Kathy Denise Dixon, FAIA; Katherine Williams, AIA; and Melissa R. Daniel, Assoc. AIA are the winners of this year's award for their leadership in advancing educational programming to support and increase the number of people of color licensed to practice architecture in the U.S.According to the American Institute of Architects, “The number of practicing African-American architects had been a stagnant 2% in recent decades. In the early 1990s, there were just 1,800 licensed African-American architects in the country, and only 30 of them were women. As of the summer of 2021, those numbers have grown to 2,435 and 533, respectively, and VORTEX has been a major catalyst in the 254% growth in African-American women architects.”This episode includes the stories of the VORTEX collaborators, as well as a candid discussion about their careers, what inspires them, and their work to build this program.Guests:Kathryn Prigmore, FAIA, NOMAC, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, CDT is an architect, educator, and design practice leader with an inimitable understanding of the dynamics that impact the management of firms from the perspective of an architect, academic, and regulator. She has over 40 years of design and management experience for award-winning architectural projects of a wide range of sizes, types and delivery methods executed for private and public clients within diverse practice environments. Her academic leadership includes teaching experience in sustainable design. As an award-winning strategic thinker and planner, she is also a leader in regulatory issues and professional ethics. Kathryn is skilled at growing staff into leaders. Kathy Denise Dixon was born in Baltimore and grew up in Harford County, Maryland. She is a graduate of Howard University School of Architecture and attended UCLA matriculating with a Master's degree in Urban Planning in 1993. Kathy has been a licensed architect since 1998 and started the firm K Dixon Architecture, PLLC in 2003. She acquired legacy firm Walton Madden Cooper Robinson Poness in 2016. Kathy is a past president of the National Organization of Minority Architects and was elevated to Fellow in the American Institute of Architects in 2017. She is also the co-author of the book titled “The Business of Architecture: Your Guide to a Financially Successful Firm” published in December 2017. Katherine Williams, AIA, NOMA, LEED AP is a licensed architect in Northern Virginia and currently a Senior Project Manager at a DC university. Her career path includes work in traditional architecture firms, community development, and managing commercial construction for a general contractor. Katherine has written extensively about the architecture profession, diversity in the industry, and community development. She has served as editor for multiple publications and was the NOMA magazine editor from 2009-2014. She writes at katherinerw.com and is publisher/editor for
Episode 109: Architecture is Political CrossoverHow is architecture political?This week we are joined by Melissa R. Daniel, a fellow podcaster and creator of Architecture is Political, a podcast where Black and Brown folks have a conversation about architecture. In launching and developing her podcast, Melissa shares her story of growing up in Tyler House, a low-income housing development in Washington, DC. Her experience inspired her to pursue a career in architecture. Through the creation of her podcast, Melissa is exploring her identity and the role architects can take in political activism and design. We'll discuss why architecture is political and how architects can stay engaged through their work.Guest:Melissa R. Daniel is a Facilities Project Manager in Maryland and is the creator/ host of the Architecture is Political (AIP) podcast, where Black and Brown folks discuss architecture. She received the 2022 AIA Whitney M Young Award and the 2018 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Associates Award. Melissa serves as Chair for AIA Housing and Community Development Knowledge Community and as a Steering Committee Member to the DC Legacy Project Barry Farm-Hillsdale.
Episode 068: 2022 AIA Whitney M. Young Jr. Honor Award Winners: RIDING THE VORTEXWhat lessons on architecture, practice, and change can we learn from AIA Whitney M. Young Jr. Honor Award Recipients Kathryn Prigmore, Kathy Dixon, Katherine Williams, and Melissa Daniel? Named for civil rights leader Whitney M. Young Jr., the https://www.aia.org/awards/7501-whitney-m-young-jr-award (AIA Whitney M. Young Jr. Honor Award) distinguishes an architect or architectural organization that embodies social responsibility and actively addresses a relevant issue, such as affordable housing, inclusiveness, or universal access. Architects and design leaders Kathryn Tyler Prigmore, FAIA; Kathy Denise Dixon, FAIA; Katherine Williams, AIA; and Melissa R. Daniel, Assoc. AIA are the winners of this year's award for their leadership in advancing educational programming to support and increase the number of people of color licensed to practice architecture in the U.S. According to the American Institute of Architects, “The number of practicing African-American architects had been a stagnant 2% in recent decades. In the early 1990s, there were just 1,800 licensed African-American architects in the country, and only 30 of them were women. As of the summer of 2021, those numbers have grown to 2,435 and 533, respectively, and VORTEX has been a major catalyst in the 254% growth in African-American women architects.” This episode includes the stories of the VORTEX collaborators, as well as a candid discussion about their careers, what inspires them, and their work to build this program. Guests: Kathryn Prigmore, FAIA, NOMAC, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, CDT is an architect, educator, and design practice leader with an inimitable understanding of the dynamics that impact the management of firms from the perspective of an architect, academic, and regulator. She has over 40 years of design and management experience for award-winning architectural projects of a wide range of sizes, types and delivery methods executed for private and public clients within diverse practice environments. Her academic leadership includes teaching experience in sustainable design. As an award-winning strategic thinker and planner, she is also a leader in regulatory issues and professional ethics. Kathryn is skilled at growing staff into leaders. Kathy Denise Dixon was born in Baltimore and grew up in Harford County, Maryland. She is a graduate of Howard University School of Architecture and attended UCLA matriculating with a Master's degree in Urban Planning in 1993. Kathy has been a licensed architect since 1998 and started the firm http://www.kdixonarchitecture.com/ (K Dixon Architecture), PLLC in 2003. She acquired legacy firm Walton Madden Cooper Robinson Poness in 2016. Kathy is a past president of the https://www.noma.net/about-noma/ (National Organization of Minority Architects) and was elevated to Fellow in the American Institute of Architects in 2017. She is also the co-author of the book titled “The Business of Architecture: Your Guide to a Financially Successful Firm” published in December 2017. Katherine Williams, AIA, NOMA, LEED AP is a licensed architect in Northern Virginia and currently a Senior Project Manager at a DC university. Her career path includes work in traditional architecture firms, community development, and managing commercial construction for a general contractor. Katherine has written extensively about the architecture profession, diversity in the industry, and community development. She has served as editor for multiple publications and was the NOMA magazine editor from 2009-2014. She writes at http://katherinerw.com/ (katherinerw.com) and is publisher/editor for http://archstories.com/ (archstories.com). Melissa R. Daniel is an architectural designer in Maryland, and the creator and host of the...
**EPISODE CONTAINS EXPLICIT LANGUAGE**This episode features a conversation I had with Melissa R. Daniel of the Archispolly podcast. We cover a range of topics from safety in the built environment to the impacts on mentor had on her life.Melissa R. Daniel is an architectural designer in Washington DC and the creator and host of the Architecture is Political podcast, a podcast where Black and Brown folks have a conversation about architecture. She served as executive co-chair of the 2017 AIA Women's Leadership Summit, and was a recipient of the 2018 AIA Associates Award.Quote of the week: "The only way to find your voice is to use it." - Austin KleonLinks:Archispolly (@archispolly)DC Racial CovenantBarbara Laurie dp+partners (formally Deavreau & Purnell)NOMASome of the links above may be Amazon affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. This episode is sponsored by www.Smartsheet4architects.com, a better way to manage architecture projects.
2020 has been CHALLENGING. COVID-19 coupled with Police Brutality...it’s been a lot. Listen in as we have a raw conversation as to how the world is affecting us and architecture. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ahgthepodcast/message
Hey, welcome to this episode! We appreciate you tuning in this week. I'm glad I got the opportunity to record this episode, because it gives insight to different perspectives on being a black African in the US. In this episode, I'm humbled to have an interesting conversation with Melissa R. Daniel, who is an architectural designer in Maryland. With over nine years of experience in the design field, she plays an active role in the design community and has necessary conversations through her podcast, @archispolly.In this episode, I have a conversation with Melissa R. Daniel, an architectural designer based in Maryland. With over nine years of experience in the architecture industry, she plays an active role in the design community and has necessary conversations through her podcast, Archispolly. In this episode, we discuss the differences between being a Nigerian moving to the United States and being an African American born in the United States. We also talk about the importance of having black design mentors in different communities!It was a pleasure speaking with Melissa. She is encouraging, open to sharing her experiences in order to build designers up and inspires me to keep pushing towards my goals! Well, I hope everyone is learning and still supporting black lives! Enjoy!We appreciate every listen, share and follow! Stay safe!Music: https://.bensound.com
Melissa R. Daniel is an architectural designer in Washington D.C., with a broad range of project experience including multi-family housing, public housing, retail, embassies, federal buildings, and mission critical facility projects. Since 2013, Daniel has ensured that women in architecture have an established platform to tell their stories. She founded a Women in Architecture lecture series for the D.C. metro area, developed fluency with social media and web platforms to boost her storytelling and empowerment capabilities, and served as executive co-chair of the 2017 AIA Women’s Leadership Summit. Melissa is also a recipient of a 2018 AIA Associates Award, the 2018 AIA|PV Emerging Leader Award, and a 2015 BD+C 40 Under 40 Award. Beyond the profession, Daniel has been a member of the steering committee for She Should Run Frontrunners, a nonprofit that encourages women to run for public office. She has provided direction for the development of the organization’s mission and engagement strategies, and actively recruits new members and potential leaders. Melissa is also the creator and host of Architecture is Political, a podcast where Black and Brown folks have a conversation about architecture. - Check out the latest Architecture is Political episode where Melissa discusses the recent global protests, reflects on the written responses from architecture firms and allied organizations and how to cope in a work environment when you are the only black/brown person.
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