Curtis Moody, FAIA. Image courtesy of Moody Nolan

Within the realm of architectural practice, the need to write and re-frame the narratives and contributions of women in architecture, Black architects, and other minority-identifying designers has gained increasing urgency in recent years. And while architects like Paul Revere Williams, Phillip Freelon, Norma Merrick Sklarek, Zena Howard, Gabrielle Bullock, and Kimberly Dowdell are nearly household names in design, these architects constitute but a few of Black architects who have impacted the profession. 

Curtis Moody, a renowned architect based in Columbus, Ohio who has been practicing for over 38 years, is another such architect. When he first started his practice back in 1982, his goal was not only to establish a thriving architecture practice but also build a firm that would be a representation of a group that is often overlooked and misrepresented. Since then, he has expanded Moody Nolan into a practice consisting of 230 employees with 12 offices across the U.S.

Archinect spent some time with Moody for an in-depth conversation discussing his journey toward becoming an architect and running the largest African American-owned architecture firm in the nation.

What originally motivated you to study architecture? 

My father had a friend who was a contractor. When we would visit his house I would see his drafting table filled with drawings of buildings and houses. I had never seen anything like that before. That was my first exposure to architecture. It was motivating to see somebody in my neighborhood doing something like that. 

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in a town northeast of Columbus, Ohio. I came from a very low-income neighborhood. My family lived in a two bedroom row house that housed seven of us. 

Where did you go to school?

I went to North High School in Columbus, which is now closed. While in high school, I played three sports. During that time, most people that I grew up with thought that if you were in sports, you would end up as a coach or something along those lines if you didn't make it to the pro level. I was a C-student and when I told my coach that I wanted to be an architect, he didn't believe that I had the grades to do so and discouraged me. He then challenged me to show him that I was capable of getting my grades up, and that’s exactly what I did. The next quarter, I got an A. 

My high school counselor then told my coach it was "wishful thinking" on my part that I was even aspiring to do something that "Blacks don't do." White people hired architects and this was something I shouldn’t pursue. Instead of an architect, I was told that I should I pursue becoming a draftsman. I’m glad that I didn’t listen and this is something that I passed on to my children and what I tell young people today. The only thing standing in between what you want and are going after is you. 

Where did you study architecture?

I went to The Ohio State University and received my B.S in architecture in 1973. (The Ohio State's architecture department is now the Austin E. Knowlton School of Architecture)

Did you have any architecture role models growing up?

No, which was one of the low points for me. When I was in college and surrounded by my fellow classmates, they showed me magazines and textbooks, but none of them ever had a person of color in them. They all had so many role models. It was different back then. 

We didn't have Google or the Internet to search for these people. Every time I got an assignment, I could never name a Black architect to use for reference. But by happenstance one day, I found an African American firm from Cleveland and somehow I got a copy of their brochure.

What was the firm called?

Whitley and Whitley from Cleveland, Ohio. Seeing them and finding their brochure motivated me. It showed me that firms led by African American architects are out there. I wanted be one of them. They showed me what was possible.

Looking back, I couldn’t have envisioned myself working on a project like that and having that connection. Being an alumni, participating in the athletic program, and now creating a place for new students athletes to make their own connections and memories. It's really special.

During your career as an architect is there a project that you find most memorable?

Yes, I have a project that was really emotional for me, which is the Schottenstein Center at The Ohio State University. It's the largest basketball stadium in the Big Ten Conference. Our firm designed the stadium. I played basketball as a kid, and was a former student athlete at the school. Looking back, I couldn’t have envisioned myself working on a project like that and having that connection. Being an alumni, participating in the athletic program, and now creating a place for new students athletes to make their own connections and memories is truly special.

What obstacles did you encounter during your time as a budding architect? Do those obstacles still surface today?

Obstacles, oh yes. There have been several and sadly, they continue today. We're a large firm now but we didn't have had some of the advantages we have now when I first started the firm. Many of my peers still don’t have those advantages to this day. 

Many years ago—and this happened in Mississippi—a (white) firm went to work on a project at a Historically Black College. The college informed the firm (who had been doing other projects on their campus) that they had hoped to see more Black professionals involved in the building and designing process. That firm reached out to us to help assist them with the project. It was to design a new residential hall on the school's campus. The normal approach within that state was that the primary firm takes a percentage, and the minority firm takes a percentage of "participation rights." When the option was presented to us, our team agreed that we wouldn't want to do that. We didn't want to have only 15% of the lead design effort. The firm agreed to our terms and we went on to work with them on the project.

We went with the firm to meet with the Board of Regents of the school, and the entire board consisted of all white males. The only other person of color in that meeting other than my team, was a representative from the university, who was a Black female.

As we presented the project, someone from the table asked me, "Mr. Moody, did you really do all of these projects?" I answered them truthfully and said, "Yes - we designed them" and I had the papers to back up my response.

That's horrible. 

But that was the attitude. They didn't see us in a leading design role. Unfortunately, firms like mine are often designated as support firms. But that's where you aim to make strides to change that. And we’ve been fortunate over the years in helping to dispel the myth because we have the history, capacity, and expertise to be in a prime role which is not common as of yet for many minority firms.

As the leader of a prominent firm faced with these sorts challenges, do you feel like things have changed over the years? 

Although we might talk about the problems and challenges in the field, we can also talk about the upside. The upside is that we have overcome some of it. There’s a silver lining when you've come up from these challenges and still achieved. Challenges have made us compete in a different way because we had to.

For instance, when I started the firm and hired female architects, there were concerns at client construction sites that the superintendent would be a male. There was concern that our female architects wouldn't be "acceptable" or fit for the project. 

For many of our projects there was always some reluctance from a client or vendor, depending upon who you were presenting to. We would get reasons like "that they didn’t have the right years of experience that should come with a position like that." As a firm, we’ve seen improvements for women, African Americans, and other minorities who are now succeeding in the field. We will continue to preach diversity, however we aren’t concerned the way we were, and had to be, 20 years ago. 

What do you think are some common misconceptions people have about running a large architecture firm?

Some people might believe that since we're a "minority firm," we don’t have the “ability” to do large projects. When anybody thinks of a minority firm, the word "minority" often implies notions of "smaller or lesser than." The other side of the equation is that these firms become known as the “other” firm. Another misconception is size. Firms believe they can't get certain projects because of their size, but that's where they're wrong. If we have the talent and the skills, it's possible.

No matter the constraints, if you can’t leverage a firm's skill set to accomplish the work regardless of size, then you have to rethink things. You can always build capacity, but the first requirement is having the skills to execute.

So is there a self-perpetuating feeling of "not being able to" or “not being good enough” that impacts minority-owned firms?

In most cases, it’s the lack of opportunity that’s preventing us from greater success. For our firm, I mandated that we were going to grow and grow to the point where our size wouldn’t lead others to question about our skills and performance. However, you have to remember there are other steps that come with that. When we can take away both arguments, that’s when we can challenge the misconception of talent.

With your extensive background and experience in leading and managing various projects, what advice do you have for young professionals starting out?

A good friend and mentor of mine gave me advice when I first started. Simply put, it's “Be successful.” Now as simple as it is, there’s a story behind this. When I first started the firm, I was asked to donate to the African American community. I enjoy giving back to my community, but at the time, people didn’t understand that we didn’t have the resources to keep donating our services and time. Having your own business doesn't mean you're wealthy. When you have your own business, it means that you can do something positive and productive with what is being built. Once you reach that point of “success,” your voice becomes much stronger than before.

What advice do you have for architects that have had to overcome adversity to build their careers?

Sometimes people will question "how you got there." I believe that you can't let your ethics disappear. That has to be paramount. When you speak and say you're going to take on a project, you have to have honor in it. Now sometimes that way of performing comes with tough decisions that can put you in tough situations. There will be times where you might want to pass on a project for whatever reason. When you're faced with those challenges, do the ethical thing. Do what you say you're going to do. Effort goes a long way, and it's always important to put effort into the things you promise to do. 

For all of us in this field, especially for African American architects, there is still this belief that we're risks to clients. You'll be faced with situations where you'll always have all these counterparts who are able to show their years of work and success. And for minority architects, that can be a challenge to go up against.

Do you find that architecture students today are more OR less prepared to join the workforce?

If the expectations of the firm doesn't align with what the students are expected to do, then it’s not good fit. For us, we don't expect a student to come in and know everything. No matter where they went to school, they don’t have the experience with the work and projects the way we do. For all the students that come through our doors, we look at the skills they do have. 

Often times, they’re more prepared in the tech side of things than I was when I started. Therefore, they come in with skills on that front and it's our goal to assign them tasks to help supplement what they know, but that also support further learning and leverages that skillset.

How do you rewrite those preconceived notions of the past?

What does it mean to be an architect today?

Because I’ve been around for a little while, it’s different from when I first started. However, I believe I’ve pushed the firm to be in a position that hopefully opens the doors for firms that come after us. We work really hard to be the upside to the argument of the expectations that a client has when using a minority firm. We strive for excellence in all that we do as design professionals that we believe resonates in the industry overall. (Note: Jonathan Moody, Curtis's son, is also an architect, and was recently named CEO of the firm his father co-founded 38 years ago. Curtis has since transitioned to board chairman)

How do you rewrite those preconceived notions of the past?

We’re going to work to do the best job that we can. We’re not "perfect" but that's what's driven us to do a great job. 

I believe I’ve pushed the firm to be in a position that hopefully opens the doors for firms that come after us. We work really hard to be the upside to the argument of the expectations that a client has when using a minority firm.

For myself, I aim to be the type of architect that can help. If I'm someone that can do better, then I’m going to help the broader group. When an architect does good, it helps the profession. I have to be real. I’m an African American architect, so how I go about approaching tasks placed in front of me can either help or hurt those like me. 

With the example I’ve set, I can continue to contribute in a way that helps people, helps the people in my firm, and helps my son. I can continue to set the example so the attitude changes towards firms led by Black architects. We aim to take away the fear or hesitation of hiring Black architects, so we can instead use our efforts towards showcasing how effective and skillful we are.

If you could describe your work/practice in three words what would they be?

Responsive. Thoughtful. Creative.