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Perkins&Will will design the new Bezos Learning Center for the National Air and Space Museum

2023-06-06T15:03:00-04:00

Perkins&Will has just been announced as the lead designers of the new Bezos Learning Center at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

The firm’s winning design was selected over a shortlist that included five anonymous proposals submitted by leading global architectural firms.

The center is supposed to be enacted in the space once occupied by Gyo Obata’s now-demolished glass pyramid structure from 1988. Once completed, the new addition will entail approximately 50,000 square feet of exhibition spaces, a rooftop terrace, a public observatory, and dining options. Its spiraling form is meant to evoke the shape of the galaxy. Total costs for the project are expected to be around $130 million.

“The spiral galaxy — our source of creative inspiration — is all about infinite possibilities,” the project's lead designer, Ralph Johnson, says of its conceptual approach and vision. “We are grateful for the opportunity to work with the Smithsonian Institut...

Zena Howard: Architecture's powerhouse strategist and advocate for diversity

2019-02-12T15:58:00-05:00

There are little more than 400 African American female architects in a profession of over 110,000. Although an improvement over the roughly 90 that existed when I entered the profession, the current numbers continue to reflect the obvious dearth of women like me. [...] My primary advice to young people is to seek mentorship as early as possible. Take advantage of many architects like myself who are willing to expose you to our studios, our staff, our work, and our own experiences.

If you're unaware of her name, you know of her work. Zena Howard's contributions to the architecture profession are rooted in design strategy and advocacy. With over 25 years of experience, the seasoned architect has worked on several notable projects. As Principal and Managing Director of Perkins+Will's North Carolina practice, her work is a reflection of her passion as an architect, mentor, team builder, and strategist. Several of Howard's projects focuses on public and private institutions, museums, and other educational typologies.

Motown Museum Detroit, Michigan. Image © Perkins+Will

Tenley-Friendship Library District of Columbia Public Library. Image © Perkins+Will

Earning her Bachelor of Science degree in architecture from the University of Virginia, Howard's expertise revolves around creating and leading design projects in sustainability, inclusive design, and historical and cultural buildings. Her background in LEED certification projects allows her to drive projects that no...

Zena Howard to replace Phil Freelon as managing director of Perkins+Will's North Carolina office

2017-05-11T13:45:00-04:00

Perkins+Will have announced that Phill Freelon will step aside as managing director of its North Carolina practice, to be replaced by principal Zena Howard. Freelon will continue as design director and still sit on the Board of Directors.

“Having worked with Zena for nearly 14 years, including our close collaboration on the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), I can attest to her leadership ability, commitment to client satisfaction, and professionalism,” states Freelon. “Her promotion to managing director is well-deserved, and our clients are in very good hands.”

Take a listen to our recent interview with Freelon, or check out some choice quotes from it here.

Want to know more about Howard? Watch this video interview with her:

"Quintessential America" at play in the Museum of African American History and Culture

2016-04-27T17:59:00-04:00

[Project leader Zena] Howard focuses on all of the aspects of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, but hones in on the porch, which happens to span 200 feet and it serves as an transitional space between the outside and inside of the museum. “I think that the porch is…quintessential America,” [...] “This project—not only given the scale, the complexity, the political and contextual sensitivities—is an amalgam of all the problems that we, as architects, love to solve”

Related on Archinect:

What architecture means to Zena Howard, project leader of the National Museum of African American History and Culture

2016-04-14T19:14:00-04:00

"And to me, as an African American, just realizing that this has actually come to be, that there's an actual National Museum for African American History and Culture on the Mall of Washington, D.C., and this museum should have happened years and years ago, but the realization that finally in America we're at a place where we can accept it ... It's one of the most prominent sites on the Mall. It's not somewhere tucked away.

Architect Zena Howard talks about what first drew her to architecture, the National Museum for African American History and Culture on which she worked as Senior Project Manager, and her outlook on the status of women in architecture.