Dallas Architecture Forum Hosts Prominent Architect
As the country takes a great look at equity and what that looks like, one organization is bringing a prominent voice for equity in architecture to town — virtually.
The Dallas Architecture Forum announced last week that architect Steven Lewis will be a guest-lecturer for a virtual discussion centered around not only equity in architecure, but also equity in neighborhoods and cities.
The lecture will take place on Zoom at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 21.
Lewis has served as national President of NOMA (National Organization of Minority Architects) and was honored with the AIA’s esteemed Whitney M. Young Jr. award. Lewis has worked in both the public and private sectors in New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and Detroit.
“The Forum looks forward to Steve Lewis’ lecture. It is especially timely and important this year as North Texas residents have increasingly focused on issues regarding equity in our society, including the design professions,” said the Forum’s executive director, Nate Eudaly. “Steve Lewis is widely recognized as one of our country’s leading voices for equity, not only in architecture but in our cities and their neighborhoods. He brings both deep levels of insight and expertise to this subject, and attendees will be both educated and challenged by his presentation.”
Lewis was a founding partner of the firm RAW International in Los Angeles, where he helped build a successful design practice over a 20-year period and collaborated with ZGF on memorable projects, including the Exposition Park Master Plan and the California Science Center.
In 2004, he accepted an invitation to join the U.S. General Services Administration’s Office of the Chief Architect in Washington, D.C., where he served a four-year term as program manager. It was here where he worked to “create a legacy of civic architecture for our time.” Key projects included the $300 million renovation of the Federal Complex in downtown Chicago designed by Mies van der Rohe, security pavilions at the 26 Federal Plaza Federal Building in New York City, and the Thurgood Marshall Federal Courthouse renovation in Washington D.C.
Lewis was a Loeb Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Design for the 2006-07 academic year, where he focused on the issue of race within the profession of architecture. In December 2010, he concluded a two-year term as president of the National Organization of Minority Architects, traveling around the U.S. and several other countries advocating for architects of color. He used his platform as president to prioritize cultivating the next generation of diverse architects and designers.
Lewis also served in the Detroit Planning Department with Maurice Cox, advancing the ambitious mission of helping to revitalize the city’s urban neighborhoods. While at Detroit’s Planning Department he served as the Design Director for the Central Region of the city as well as holding a Professorship in Practice at the University of Michigan, leading design studios focused on community issues and urban planning.
He is now a principal for the Los Angeles office of ZGF, where he leads the urban design practice with projects that include a major office complex in Sacramento for the state of California.
The lecture will be offered at no charge to all Forum members and sponsors, and anyone can join the Forum. Advance registration is required — click here to do so.
Dallas Architecture Forum members receive free admission to all regular Forum lectures as a benefit of membership, and AIA members can earn one hour of continuing education credit for each lecture. For more information on The Dallas Architecture Forum, visit www.dallasarchitectureforum.org or call 214-764-2406.
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