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Celebrating Sylvia Smith’s Career as She Becomes Partner Emerita After over 40 years of contributions to FXCollaborative and the field of architecture, Senior Partner Sylvia Smith, FAIA stepped out of the firm’s leadership at the end of 2023 to become Partner Emerita. She will remain active with the firm as a mentor and advisor and participate in strategic initiatives including the philanthropic work of the FXCollaborative Foundation. |
Sylvia joined the firm in 1981 and formed its award-winning Cultural and Educational Studio in 1996 to focus on program-intensive projects for mission-driven clients. The thoughtful exploration and interpretation of an institution’s goals and requirements is the hallmark of her design work. Partners Ann Rolland and Michael Syracuse, Principal Alex Leung, and Senior Associates Austin Sakong and Steve Mielke will carry forward the studio’s focus on expressive, enriching design and a collaborative design process. Mentored by Bruce Fowle and others at the firm who recognized the importance of leadership development, Sylvia has encouraged and guided this group for many years—ensuring the success of the studio. Sylvia is a unique leader who has inspired all who have worked with her. Her approach has been driven by the belief that grace and dignity elevate design, firmly committed to the optimism at the heart of those ideas.She believes a strong architectural concept can empower every project, regardless of type or size, and enliven the experiences of people who occupy or pass by. In recognition of her contributions, Sylvia was honored with the AIA New York State Fellows Award in 2013, the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation Pillar Award in 2019, and the Kea Distinguished Professor award at the University of Maryland School of Architecture in Fall 2014, among other awards. Sylvia was also featured in The Women Who Changed Architecture, published by Princeton Architectural Press in 2022. Austin Sakong, Senior Associate, often references Sylvia's impact on the studio and the office. He reflects, "She leads with passion, integrity, vulnerability, and love. We have no better model of what it is to be an Architect, in the deepest sense of that word." |
Benefit for Public Space, Design Trust for Public Space, 2011 |
University of Ghana Workshop, 2015 |
Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah Construction Site, 2015 |
Greeting President Kenyatta of Kenya and His Holiness Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin at the dedication of the Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah Campus, 2017 |
Working in the Studio, 2022 |
Sylvia with the Cultural and Educational Studio Team, 2023 |
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