Elizabeth Leber, AIA LEED AP - Managing Partner of Beyer Blinder Belle. Photo By Jonathan Blanc

"In times of crisis and seismic moments come great opportunities for how you reshape who you are and how your employees view you. You begin to reshape your values, and for me, becoming a Managing Partner was an important time." These are the words of Elizbeth Leber, Managing Partner at Beyer Blinder Belle (BBB). When we connected via Zoom on a Tuesday morning in January, our conversation developed into a wonderful chat about unconventional paths to architecture, her love for art history and adaptive reuse, and the importance of taking off your headphones. 

Now that we're in the year 2022, practitioners continue to make efforts towards re-envisioning what a firm leader looks like. While women have resiliently changed and challenged the field of architecture for decades, Beyer Blinder Belle's Elizabeth Leber is no exception. “Any business leader needs to have empathy and the ability to identify with our clients and our staff,” expressed Elizabeth, “It’s important to remember that each person is an individual.”

Continuing with Archinect's Studio Snapshot series, my conversation with Elizabeth was more than informational. It was a glimpse into the headspace of a strong female lead whose dedication to managing a firm is matched by her passion for instilling design and social perspectives that benefit both the macro and micro scales of practice.

A Path For Women in Architecture Is Self-Led

"I was eight years old when I met my first architectural inspiration," shared Elizabeth. As a child, the father of her closest friend sparked her interest in the profession. "He built his own house. They had a beautiful contemporary house on the block, and being exposed to a different domestic space was memorable." She explained her fascination with all the pens and tools she noticed on his desk: the scale rulers, drawings, and papers displayed throughout his office. "There was a time when there weren't a lot of opportunities for women. My public school, for example, had a drafting and drawing class. I took them both." Elizabeth explained why she and her friend signed up. "We were the only women who took those classes. At that point, there wasn't a question: I knew I wanted to explore this further."

I was eight years old when I met my first architectural inspiration.

While her interest in architecture sparked at a very young age, she went off to pursue an undergraduate degree in art history at the University of Pennsylvania prior to exploring an M.Arch. For Elizabeth, studying art history and its cultural importance gave her a strong liberal arts foundation. Her experience provided helpful when she applied to Columbia University GSAPP where she received her Master's degree in architecture.

As Elizabeth recounted her academic experiences, I wondered what helpful insight she could provide students with non-architecture backgrounds looking to pursue an M.Arch. "For students who have a different undergraduate degree," she started, "I didn't know how my experience would differ when I first started. But then you have your first crit and pin-up, you learn how to portray your ideas. I think having an undergraduate degree outside of an architecture discipline does give you a leg up." When transferring her knowledge of art history and context, she explained: "I think at the time, I had my 'words' more than 'my hands.' I knew how to speak about my work, and visualizing my concepts soon followed."

I think having an undergraduate degree outside of an architecture discipline does give you a leg up [...] I think at the time, I had my 'words' more than 'my hands.' I knew how to speak about my work, and visualizing my concepts soon followed.

We continued to discuss the benefits of unconventional paths to architecture versus taking a traditional course of a B.Arch to an M.Arch. We discussed the idea that today's architects and designers have value in exploring and exposing themselves to different disciplines. This conversation quickly reminded me of the quote by architect and urban planner Matthew Frederick. In his book 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School, he explained: "An architect knows something about everything [...] An architect must know enough about each discipline to negotiate and synthesize competing demands while honoring the needs of the client and the integrity of the entire project."

Leading As A "Hands-On" Architect

Beyer Blinder Belle (BBB) was founded in 1968 by John H. Beyer, Richard Blinder, and John Belle. The trio met in New York as young practicing architects and together they founded an “architecture and planning firm with a decidedly social mission.” With hundreds of projects developed across five decades, the firm's ethos focuses on "the social integrity of communities." 

Elizabeth and I dove into the firm's structure spread across offices in New York City, Washington, DC, and Boston. We discussed what it was like leading a firm during a pandemic, hiring, and how her role as Managing Partner has influenced her outlook on professional practice.

Everyone talks about silver linings, but it's hard to talk about opportunities. In times of crisis and seismic moments come opportunities for how you reshape who you are. 

How has your experience as a Managing Partner been so far? 

I've been Managing Partner for a little over a year now. As the fifth Managing Partner for the firm, my predecessor, Fred Bland, handed over the reins on January 1, 2021. In March of 2020, when the pandemic fell upon us, that was a time when we took more of a hands-on approach for us as a team to define our goals, areas to pivot, and how we would survive. A pandemic was definitely not in the job description as a Managing Partner. Everyone talks about silver linings, but it's hard to talk about opportunities. In times of crisis and seismic moments come opportunities for how you reshape who you are. You began to reshape your values, and for me, becoming a Managing Partner was an important time. I'm flattered that the team felt they had faith in me. We are very action-oriented as Managing Partners in our firm. This new role didn't mean that now I'm a "business person" — I'm still very much hands-on as an architect.  

I applaud my team and what we've accomplished these past few years. But, regardless of the pandemic, I would have always shared this transparency of expectations and approach. While we value sharing and expressing our opinions about things, coming to a consensus and consensus building is very important to us at BBB.

Another important skill is having the 'long-view.' Being up at 30,000 feet, for example, and having the ability to see and view things from a range and perspective. Don't forget to see the big picture [...] It's also having a lack of ego.

What are essential skills to hone when in a leadership role at an architecture office?

As I progressed in my career, I knew I wanted to be a partner at a large firm. I was able to achieve that at BBB. Any business leader needs to have empathy and the ability to identify with our clients and our staff. It's important to remember that each person is an individual. You can't just think of people simply as teams or units working on a project. Another important skill is having the "long-view." Being up at 30,000 feet, for example, and having the ability to see and view things from a range and perspective. Don't forget to see the big picture. Nothing can be more important than that, and it's my gift that I can steer and pass on to others. Our mission is about creating places for people. People are the ones who experience that built environment. It's also having a lack of ego. It's not about putting my interpretation of how a firm should be.

How many people are currently employed at the firm? How is the office structured?

We have a little over 170 employees spread across three offices in the U.S. The majority of our employees are in New York — we started our DC office over 20 years ago, and there are about 30 staffed there. In Boston, we have about ten employees in that office. 

Has there been a spike in employment opportunities at the firm?

Our own hiring has ebbed and flowed over the past two years, as I’m sure has been the case for many of our colleagues. There are always employment opportunities at BBB because we are constantly looking for terrific and talented people to join us. We look to hire the person for the firm and not for a particular project, which we find is more lasting.

We look to hire the person for the firm and not for a particular project, which we find is more lasting.

When it comes to communicating with your teams, how has that been for you since the pandemic hit?

Before the pandemic, we had already been using virtual meetings and that technology. You have to go all-in on virtual technology to make things work. I'm very proud of all our teams. Particularly between our New York and Boston office, where those teams are often hybrid. When it comes to working on projects, it is a satisfying experience winning a project in a client interview, developing the programming, going through design documentation and construction to see the life of an entire project developed virtually.

Another way we were proactively prepared was how we approached adaptive reuse projects. We do a lot of work on existing buildings for historic preservation and adaptive reuse. Before, as you could imagine, we would travel to where the building was, conduct site visits, and implement testing and videos to assess the space. But now, we're separated from that work. As a team, we had started to implement real-time reality capturing and laser scanning so you can walk through these sites at home. At BBB, we're all about context and the importance of cultural context. So while nothing replaces person-to-person and person-to-building experiences, we've implemented these virtual components to help our teams. It's been beneficial to our clients as we remotely walk them through a building. Thankfully, we've just become more poised for this approach through the years.

Supporting Architects Is a Two-Way Street

The firm has a strong involvement with fostering programs for students and emerging designers. BBB has collaborated with institutions like Howard University and developed the Beyer Blinder Belle Foundation to provide fellowships and grant opportunities. Can you talk more about the firm’s work in these areas?

Yes, this is an area of importance at BBB. I love any opportunities I can get when working with our interns. We have fellowships, grants, and other internship opportunities to immerse young designers and individuals in professional practice. We send them on site tours, and in our summer program, we assign them projects that they can be a part of. Every summer intern could be a potential lifetime employee. It's our responsibility to offer them experiences where there is a match between their expectations and opportunities. 

Our interns and fellows need to see all aspects of an office, how teams work, and how our partners interface with our interns. We have a lot of training for our interns to make sure they understand the power of communicating their skills and ideas. Take Revit, for example: Every line means something, and there's value to that when we work with our interns. The reverse is that I'm exposed to new ways of thinking thanks to the visual communication of ideas that the schools are teaching students today. I think that's the core of it all, the amazing energy and skills that our interns can bring. It's our responsibility to find a way to harness that and help funnel it into viable projects.

...every line means something and there's value to that when we work with our interns. The reverse of this is that I’m exposed to new ways of thinking thanks to the visual communication of ideas that the schools are teaching students today.

What does Beyer Blinder Belle hope to accomplish in 2022? Are there any exciting projects in the works?

Our world is locally and globally in a time of extraordinary flux, starting with the pandemic. While we hope for more stability in 2022, I also think this is a moment for great transformation, taking advantage of opportunities to grow in many ways. We want to constantly reevaluate how we design, how we work, how we use technology. We want to have workplaces — virtual and physical — that our staff is excited to be a part of. We are growing in areas outside of our hometowns, including New England and the Southeast. I am excited for new projects we are seeking and launching in the realm of affordable and workforce housing; cultural and sacred spaces; and, as ever, creative adaptive reuse of underutilized buildings and urban spaces.

We want to have workplaces — virtual and physical — that our staff is excited to be a part of. We are growing in areas outside of our hometowns, including New England and the Southeast. 

What's one last thing you'd like to share with our community of architects, firm leaders, and aspiring architects and designers?

Ask questions and listen. At BBB, I think we offer an experience where there's an opportunity to come here with the faith and the conviction that there is a place for me "to be." I'd suggest for practicing professionals to keep their ears open, that the space they're in is the space where they can find a home. When I interview people for a position, I often ask: "What would make you feel at home in a firm like ours?" While it's not everyone's goal to stay at BBB forever when people do leave, I want to make sure that their chapter with us was valuable. Be honest with yourself and the rational way to get there [your goal]. 

Lastly, take your headphones off. When you're working in the studio or for a firm, it's easy to escape into your own bubble behind headphones. When I was an intern, there was a wealth of knowledge I picked up in the studio by listening to what was around me.