One of the New York area’s most influential architectural institutions is getting new leadership after the AIANY's Center for Architecture announced its new board of directors positions on Friday. 

The Center announced Sage and Coombe founding partner Jennifer Sage as the institution’s new chair, and Cornell University professor Peter Robinson as its new vice chair, in replacement of Columbia University’s Barry Bergdoll, who served in the position until June 30th. Marc Norman, a 2015 Harvard Loeb Fellow and the new director at NYU's Schack Institute of Real Estate, is joining the board as a trustee as well.

A graduate of Harvard College and the Yale SoA, Sage has enjoyed a strong tenure with the organization thus far. After joining the AIANY Board of Directors in 2013 as a Director, she went on to serve as Vice President of Design Excellence from 2016 to 2018 before finally joining the Center for Architecture Board in 2019. Through the work of her firm, she has been involved in major renovation projects for the Noguchi Museum and Bronx River Art Center, among many others. 

Sage has juried and taught at both of her alma maters, RISD, Carnegie Mellon, and Catholic University. She is also the 2021 recipient of the AIA Award for Excellence in Public Architecture. “The Center is both a place and a platform that makes the importance of architecture and design visible and accessible, allowing us to engage with those who know us and to broaden our reach to those who don’t,” Sage said in a statement. “I am honored to follow Barry Bergdoll and continue working on this mission.”

Robinson is a graduate of Cornell and the Columbia GSAPP whose work has garnered several awards. His time at firms like Gensler and CetraRuddy eventually led to his involvement in organizations such as BlackSpace Urbanist Collective, BRACE, and the New York Coalition of Black Architects, to which he served as the treasurer.

The Kingston, Jamaica, native has held teaching positions at Syracuse University, The New School, and Columbia's Barnard College. According to the Center, “his research focuses on cultural subjectivity and the city, broaching parallels and interferences between architectural and urban design, planning, and cultural theories to engage and inform social action.” 

Robinson added in the same statement: “I look forward to being a part of this collaborative, creative, and critical opportunity to share the full scope of architectural professionalism and civic responsibility with our city.”