AIA Columbus - Organization

Organization

The location of the Chapter has changed but a few times over the years. The address listed on the Chapter's original Articles of Incorporation is 50 West Broad Street, Suite 2440, Columbus 15, Ohio. The building at this address is a 44 story structure built 1924-27, and was originally known as the American Insurance Union Citadel. Designed by C. Howard Crane of Detroit in the Art Moderne style, it is currently known as the LeVeque-Lincoln Tower. At the time of its construction, it was the tallest building in the state, and was known as the "first aerial lighthouse" in the country, as it served as a guide to aviators. The original Statutory Agent for the Chapter was listed as Hugh Wait.

In 1976, when the book Architecture: Columbus was published, the Chapter's offices were located at 1631 Northwest Professional Plaza, Columbus, Ohio 43220. These quarters were a more modest suburban style office complex. The Statutory Agent and Executive Director of the Chapter was Inez L. Kirby, Honorary AIA. For a period of time, Ms. Kirby served concurrently as Executive Director of the Columbus Chapter and the Architect's Society of Ohio, currently known as AIA Ohio, A Society of the American Institute of Architects.

In 1999, the Chapter relocated back into the downtown area, directly across West Broad Street from its original quarters. On the Subsequent Appointment of Agent form naming Amy M. Kobe, Honorary AIA, as the Chapter's Statutory Agent, accepted by the Secretary of State on September 23, 1999, the address is listed as 21 West Broad Street, Suite 200, Columbus, Ohio 43215. The structure at this address is known as the Wyandotte Building, and was built 1894-97. Designed by Daniel Hudson Burnham, FAIA, the eleven story "Chicago School" Commercial Style structure is identified in Architecture: Columbus as the city's first steel-framed skyscraper. The Chapter initially occupied the smaller eastern half of the second floor, shared with two elevator shafts. A few years later, the office moved to the larger suite on the western side of the two-story atrium and elevator lobby, with Diane Deane serving as Executive Director.

A decade later, on December 30, 2009, the chapter moved its offices to much larger quarters at 380 East Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215. This building is a former automobile dealership (Byers Chrysler-Plymouth), and housed the first home of the Center for Architecture and Design. A juried design competition for the facility was administered by the Columbus Neighborhood Design Assistance Center in early 2009. The competition winner was Lincoln Street Studio. This space proved too ambitious for the capital campaign effort.

In December 2012, after a foundation-led capital campaign and four months of construction, the chapter and foundation moved into new quarters in the Lazarus Government Center operated by the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation (CDDC). The foundation holds the lease with CDDC and subleases a pro-rated portion of the space to the chapter. The two organizations have a management agreement in place that structures the relationship and use of staff resources.

The Chapter's current Executive Director and Statutory Agent is Gwen Berlekamp, who previously served on staff as the Chapter's Member Services Coordinator. Gwen is also the Executive Director and an ex-officio non-voting member of the foundation's board of trustees.