Kimberly Dowdell's appointment as the 2024 President of the American Institute of Architects is historic. Dowdell, an architect and the Director of Strategic Relationships at the global design firm HOK, is the first Black woman, and first millennial, to fill this leadership role. As this is a one-term presidency, Dowdell’s vision for her time here is crystal clear: to prioritize mission around climate action and equity, to grow membership and bring a wider range of voices into the fold, and to create better wages that are reflective of the work, dedication, and (often prohibitive) costs it takes to enter into this field. For Dowdell, her appointment is but the first historic mark of many.
A Detroit native, Dowdell’s earliest understandings of architecture were through the lens of community and a desire to help connect physical structures with a better quality of life for the people who live and work in them. Furthermore, her drive to connect is something that has served her throughout her career. A proponent for mentorship, she is a long-time member of AIA, as well as the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA). In our discussion, she emphasizes the importance of mentors, some of whom continue to play an important role in her career today, as well as the numerous boards she serves on (including the Chicago Architecture Biennial and Ingenuity Chicago) that continue her advocacy work around architecture’s value and the future of the profession. Ahead, Dowdless joined us to break down what her role looks like today, her vision for the year ahead, and the advice that all prospective architects should know.
WHEN WAS THE FIRST TIME YOU WERE INTRODUCED TO AND UNDERSTOOD ARCHITECTURE AS A CAREER OPPORTUNITY?
“I grew up in Detroit, Michigan in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Detroit was undergoing some major disinvestment at that time, and many of the buildings that had previously been very vibrant and key aspects of city life were closed and abandoned. I remember having a distinct moment where I was looking at the old Hudson's department store on Woodward Avenue, and I thought to myself, ‘It's really sad that this building can't be used anymore, and I'd love to be able to work on that as an architect.’
“Just before that point, I had learned what an architect was in an art class. I made the connection between the built environment of my hometown, my community, and how architects could potentially play a role in improving conditions. That's when I decided to switch from wanting to become a doctor to pursuing a career in architecture. That was the origin story for my pathway to becoming an architect when I was about 11 years old.”
THE PATH TO BECOMING AN ARCHITECT IS QUITE LONG, INCLUDING SCHOOL, GRAD SCHOOL, AND LICENSING EXAMS. WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO STAY THE COURSE?
"On average, it takes a little over a dozen years to become a licensed architect, starting with architecture school, then continuing through work experience and licensure exams. It takes a lot of persistence and resilience, knowing that there will be bumps along the way. On many occasions, I had to tell myself, ‘If I want to get licensed and follow my dreams, I have to be hyper-focused and rely on my mentors and peers to support me through the process.’ That's part of the reason why I joined AIA and NOMA very early in my journey. Both of those organizations provided a set of resources in the form of educational opportunities, mentors, and a nurturing community to help support me through that very long-term pursuit. Another important strategy, of course, is selecting a workplace that is supportive of licensure.
“Today, I serve in a firm wide role for HOK, a global design firm known for large-scale projects such as airports, stadiums, hospitals and office buildings, designed with a special focus on sustainability. One of my early jobs was in the HOK New York office in 2008, which helped me not only cover the cost of exams, but also provided me with study materials. I've been very lucky throughout my career to have workplaces, like HOK and others, that are supportive of the licensure process. While it’s really important to stay the course, it’s also absolutely vital that you tap into your support network to accomplish the goal of becoming a licensed architect."
WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE TODAY ENTAIL AS A DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC RELATIONSHIPS AT HOK?
“Every day is wildly different. We have nearly 30 [HOK] offices around the globe. I started this role about a year ago with the intent to get to each of the studios and help serve as part of the firm's connective tissue between our various studios and practices. Part of my job is to help understand what's happening around the firm and communicate that to other components of the firm. I'm also one of three co-chairs for the firm’s Diversity Advisory Council (DAC), to help ensure that HOK is a place where everyone can belong and thrive.
“An exciting aspect of my role is being able to experience the really amazing projects that my colleagues are designing. I just flew into LaGuardia yesterday, and I'm still celebrating the fact that it's such a wonderful airport, which was designed by HOK, among project partners. Another aspect of my job is to make sure there’s heightened awareness of the HOK brand, and it doesn't hurt that I now have a larger profile through my current AIA leadership role.”
YOUR NEWEST ROLE AS AIA'S PRESIDENT IS A HISTORIC APPOINTMENT. WHAT’S INFORMING YOUR APPROACH TO LEADERSHIP? AND WHAT'S EXCITING YOU MOST ABOUT THIS CHAPTER OF YOUR CAREER?
“It has been such an honor to be elected, and to learn about the inner workings of leadership at AIA. When I first decided to enter the race for the presidency, I officially launched it intentionally on February 28, 2022, which was the last day of Black History Month, but also the day before Women's History Month started—just to kind of call out the obvious. Since 1857, AIA had never had a Black woman at the helm.
“But also, I want to be clear that I'm not running because I'm a Black woman. I happen to be a Black woman, and we hadn’t hit that milestone, so that's just a bonus. For me, it's less about the breaking of the barrier—which just should have happened a long time ago—and more about what can I do with the 52 weeks that I have in office to advance our goals around climate action, equity, and, frankly, improving conditions for architects. Part of my call to action for this year is ‘More in 24.’ There are three specific things that I want to focus on: more money—current compensation levels are not on par with the educational and licensure requirements—more members [for AIA], and [achieving] more [AIA] mission.
“Of course, part of the equity conversation involves helping people see leaders that they haven't seen. I'm also the first millennial president of the AIA, signaling that it’s time for a new generation to step up.”
"For me, it's less about the breaking of the barrier—which just should have happened a long time ago—and more about what can I do with the 52 weeks that I have in office to advance our goals around climate action, equity, and, frankly, improving conditions for architects."
WHAT ADVICE YOU WOULD OFFER FOR SOMEONE LOOKING TO PURSUE A CAREER IN ARCHITECTURE, OR ANY ROLE, WHERE YOU MIGHT NOT SEE YOURSELF REPRESENTED?
“I gave a university lecture last year, and challenged the students to foresee the future, or “4C” as I called it. One of the things I like to say about architects is that we can see the future, because we'll receive a design brief and then we envision what the future looks like for a particular project. As for the 4Cs, the first is curiosity: Ask why things are the way they are what can be done to improve conditions. The second is creativity: Think creatively around how to change the current state of affairs. Then courage: It takes a lot of courage to be able to raise your hand and say, ‘This isn't working, here’s how we might fix it.’ And the fourth is consistency: Show up every single day.
“Curiosity, creativity, courage, and consistency are the four things I prioritize. And the other key thing is having mentors, having an advisory board or just people that you can bounce ideas off of, because we just need that support as humans.”
YOU’VE MENTIONED A BIT ABOUT MENTORSHIP. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ON THAT FRONT IN TERMS OF FINDING THE RIGHT ONES?
“Be curious about who's out there. Who's doing what I want to be doing 5, 10, 15, 20 years from now? I was exposed to mentors early on through AIA and NOMA—seeing who was advancing the type of work I was interested in and who was winning certain awards. Beyond the research, it’s important to have the courage to reach out to prospective mentors. That's how a lot of my mentorship relationships started, and I've maintained some of those for now 20-plus years. I think it's the curiosity and courage in particular that is important to just get those relationships started, but then also being consistent with following up and knowing that people have busy schedules, If they don't get back to you right away, it's not personal. Just circle back around and let them know that you are willing to be flexible and to accommodate their schedule."
FINALLY, WHAT IS A PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WISH YOU RECEIVED AT THE START OF YOUR CAREER?
“Honestly, I don't know that I would've done anything differently because I feel like things are more or less working out in my career. I would maybe take more business classes in architecture school or even grad school, while I was studying government. While architecture is very much a business, it's a creative business. That makes it someone unique in that profitability is not always the highest priority. It's a wonderful thing to practice architecture successfully, but more architects have to be better business-minded people to really help the profession thrive. As such, I would encourage younger people to strike a healthy balance between creativity and financial sustainability throughout one’s career.”
Illustrations by Bijou Karman
