Q & A
Kelly Hayes McAlonie, AIAWNY
Building a better Buffalo
By Barry A. Muskat, photos by kc kratt
 |
|
Kelly Hayes McAlonie
|
What’s your area of expertise? Care to comment on your recent projects?
My focus in the architectural profession is in academic planning. I work with educational institutions in the pre-kindergarten to twelfth-grade area as well as colleges and universities. Educational architecture has been a passion for me for years. My master’s thesis topic was “Children and Architecture,” where I studied the correlation between children’s literature and architectural spaces meant for children. When I graduated, I worked for Leather’s & Associates, a community-built design firm in Ithaca that specializes in children’s play environments. I was there for five years. I then moved to Buffalo and Cannon Design, where I’ve been for ten years. Since starting at Cannon, I’ve worked with many school districts, colleges, and universities in this area. Some particular projects are Harvey Austin Middle School with the Buffalo Joint Schools Construction Project; renovations to Old Main, Lyons Hall, and the Montante Cultural Center at Canisius College; the Academic Complex at Niagara University; and two projects which will begin construction in the near future: the Academic Building at D’Youville College and the Science Building Number 15 renovation at Buffalo State College.
How has the field of educational architecture developed or changed in your years of practice?
In the past ten years the interest and work has grown tremendously, particularly in New York State. The last building boom in educational architecture was in the 1970s, which means that many schools and educational facilities are in need of renovation and/or replacement. In the late 1990s, Governor Pataki initiated a funding program to encourage public school districts to renovate their buildings, and that is still ongoing. In addition, colleges and universities are experiencing growth in their enrollments. As a result, many institutions are building and/or renovating, and there is an increased expectation in the architecture. Our clients want buildings that do more than hold students: they expect buildings to promote learning and student performance and serve to create/reinforce the identity of the institution. These buildings are museums for learning with state-of-the-art technology. This is a wonderful time to work in this field!
You have become a champion of Louise Bethune’s legacy and have done much to spread public awareness of one of Buffalo’s most prominent architects. What is the state of women today in the architectural profession?
Louise Bethune was the first woman to be recognized as an architect by her peers. She was admitted to the Western Association of Architects in 1886 and the American Institution of Architects in 1888. When I was elected to the AIA Buffalo/WNY Chapter Board of Directors, I was bequeathed an extensive amount of research on Bethune by retiring architect Adrianna Barbasch, in hopes that I would continue her work of promoting Bethune’s legacy. I have been fascinated with Bethune and her career in Buffalo ever since. Bethune believed that there were no impediments for women to practice architecture. She felt that any woman who was willing to put forth the time and effort to learn the building industry and prove her competence would be welcomed. I think Bethune has been proven right. In schools of architecture today, women comprise approximately fifty percent of the enrollment. However, only twenty percent become licensed architects. I feel that this is largely due to the time factor. Architecture is a time-intensive profession where an intern architect will work for five to eight years before becoming licensed. The work itself is deadline oriented by nature. As a result, many women reconsider their commitment to the profession or pursue other related careers when they have families and their priorities change. Many firms recognize this and offer flexible work schedules, and the AIA is advocating a less time-intensive schedule to licensure. Women architects are in demand. Bethune may not have anticipated that. As women in other careers are moving up their ladders, they take note when they work with architectural firms that do not have women principals in their organization.
You graduated in 1994—a time when the architectural profession was moving from hand-drafting to AutoCAD. How has this changed the profession?
In the mid 1990s the architectural field moved to computer-generated drawings from hand-drawn. This was significant because for the first time in the history of the profession, technology dictated the role that each person played in the design and documentation process of the profession. A dividing line was drawn—pardon the pun—where those who did not learn AutoCAD went on to management roles, etc. It was the first time that an architect did not necessarily make his/her living by drawing, and the divide was largely generational. Yet, despite this change, the type of drawings and the relationship between architect and contractor remained the same, where architects produced plans, sections, elevations, and building details for construction purposes. Now the building industry is about to go through another, more revolutionary change. The next technology that the building industry is embracing is a new technology called BIM—Building Informational Modeling—where buildings will be modeled in the computer and issued to contractors and where information will be generated from the model as opposed to the traditional construction documents. Architects like Frank Gehry use this technology, as it is the only way to convey their design ideas effectively. Ultimately, the entire building industry will be revolutionized and the delivery time of a building will be lessened.
There’s been a lot of coverage of trends to green and the sustainability movement. Can you discuss the architect’s role, LEED ratings, and the expense of certification?
Former Vice President Al Gore spoke at last year’s AIA National Convention. He said architects are at the forefront of the battle against global warming, as buildings have the greatest impact on the environment—greater than cars. The architectural community has embraced this assertion. Many of us are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-accredited professionals and we are dedicated to buildings that are responsible to the environment. There is a cost to LEED certification, but most clients find that the expense is recovered over time, especially given the cost of utilities today. Also, there is a cachet to building a LEED-certified building. But more importantly, the message is to build responsibly and have a minimum impact on the environment.
 |
The biggest trend that I see is the sophistication of the general public when it comes to architecture. Karl Lagerfeld recently commented that architecture is the art form of the twenty-first century. The emergence of superstar architects like Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, and Santiago Calatrava [has] led to an awareness of the importance of design in the built environment. People have an opinion about architecture. Whether they like traditional architecture or contemporary work, they expect design excellence from architects, which heightens the conversation and raises the level of their work. This is particularly true in public buildings but less so in residential design. Hopefully, the general public will return to architects to assist them in designing their homes.
What is the function of the AIA? What is its role in the Buffalo Niagara region?
The AIA has two primary functions: to serve its members and to serve as a resource to the general public about architects and architecture. Locally the AIA has embarked on a number of initiatives that have improved life in Buffalo. In 2000, the AIA held a series of R/UDAT (Regional/Urban Design Assistance Team) workshops whose concern was to revitalize downtown Buffalo. Many of the outcomes from those charrettes have been realized and Buffalo has benefited as a result. Our urban design committee is working with the city of Buffalo to institute a new type of code called form based code, which relies on a descriptive form of code which is more design-oriented. Our Architecture + Education Program brought architects and architecture into the Buffalo public schools. The program won an award through the Buffalo Alliance for Education. The residential committee has partnered with the Buffalo Home Show to offer educational seminars on residential design. The AIA also has a strong relationship with the University of Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning and with other architectural groups in Buffalo such as the Darwin Martin Restoration Corporation and the Graycliff Conservancy.
What advice do you have for young people considering architecture as a career?
My advice is “do it.” Follow your passion in life. Architecture is a rewarding career with many opportunities in all sorts of areas. Small firms and large firms across the country are doing very good work and at the same time changing the environment.
|
Favorite building in Western New York …
Hauptmann-Woodward Building, though I’m also very partial to the Darwin Martin House. Favorite building in the whole world … There are many: The Pantheon, Chartres Cathedral, the Barcelona Pavilion by Mies van der Rohe, the Arab Institute by Jean Nouvel in Paris, and Tadao Ando’s Church of the Light. The architect whose work I find most intriguing … I have long admired the work of Japanese architect Tadao Ando. He draws inspiration from traditional Japanese architecture, particularly in his use of light and simplicity of form. I also just met Benedetta Tagliabue at the Bethune Lecture at the UB School of Architecture and Planning and found her career and work fascinating. Favorite artists (music or artworld) … I’m a big fan of musicians Aimee Mann, Patti Griffin, and Brian McAlonie, and I love the work of local artist Ani Hoover. Most important influence … The biggest influence on my career was my dad. He is a project manager for an architectural firm. He made sure I was exposed to great architecture and he pushed me to get licensed when I graduated. The biggest influence on everything else was my grandfather. He was my hero growing up. What I love … The little black dress, my Eileen Gray coffee table, MAC lipstick Happily married to … Brian McAlonie. People might be surprised to learn … I proudly hail from Newfoundland and abhor Newfie jokes. |
Barry A. Muskat is Spree’s architecture critic.
Back to the Table of Contents
Back to Top