AIAD:COMMONS is back! Join us for the first COMMONS installment of the year!

As stated in our 2020 Statement on Racial Injustice, AIA Detroit is committed to amplifying the voices of Black people, providing a public platform for honest discussions that lead to more empathetic design.

We are beyond excited to host this native Detroiter to kick off our 2021 COMMONS series. Moderated by our very own Imani Day (Gensler), we know Kimberly’s story will be one to inspire us all.

RSVP HERE

Kimberly Dowdell, AIA, NOMA, SEED, LEED AP BD+C, is a Chicago-based architect, real estate developer, and educator. Originally from Detroit, Michigan [1], Dowdell is currently a principal at HOK‘s Chicago studio and was the 2019-2020 national president of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), where she doubled the organization’s membership over her two years as NOMA’s 33rd president. In addition to her contributions to increasing equity, accessibility, and diversity in architecture and real estate development, early in her career Dowdell co-founded the Social Economic Environmental Design (SEED) Network, an impactful network dedicated to advancing the right of every person to live in a socially, economically and environmentally healthy community.

In 2018, she was recognized as a Crain’s Detroit Business 40 Under 40 honoree and then received the same recognition in 2020 from Crain’s Chicago Business. Dowdell was also recognized with an AIA National Young Architect of the Year award in 2020. She earned her Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University and her Master of Public Administration from Harvard University.