Kimberly Dowdell Recognized as

2024 Chicago Women in Architecture Breaking Glass Awardee

Kimberly Dowdell, AIA, NOMAC

The inaugural Breaking Glass Award honors established architects who are changing the face of the profession through their achievements and design excellence. The 2024 Breaking Glass Awardee is Kimberly Dowdell, AIA, NOMAC. Dowdell is the 2024 President of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Dowdell is also a principal with global design firm HOK, serving as firmwide director of strategic relationships. In 2019-2020, Dowdell served as national president of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA).

Dowdell has devoted her career to laying foundations for architects to create positive social and environmental change on a local, national and global scale. She has intentionally connected a diverse array of built environment stakeholders to help advance her professional mission, which is “to improve people’s lives, by design.”

At HOK, Dowdell co-chairs the firm’s Diversity Advisory Council (DAC) and co-founded HOK Impact, the firm’s social responsibility program. She also co-founded Social Economic Environmental Design (SEED), an organization that promotes design for healthy communities in 2005. Dowdell earned her Master of Public Administration at Harvard and her Bachelor of Architecture at Cornell, where she was elected by her fellow alumni to serve on the board of trustees in 2022.

ABOUT THE AWARD

Established in 2022, the Chicago Women in Architecture Breaking Glass Award honors established architects who are changing the face of the profession through their achievements and design excellence.

The awardee will be honored at the Opening Reception to our 50^th Anniversary Exhibit at the CAC. DATE TBA.

ABOUT CWA AND CWAF

Chicago Women in Architecture (CWA)

CWA is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit membership organization founded in 1974 to establish community, mentorship, visibility, and advocacy for women working in the field of architecture and related professions. Through the ongoing efforts of the entirely volunteer-led organization, this mission is realized by offering educational, professional, and social networking events; organizing and sponsoring lectures in partnership with like-minded organizations; and awarding annual scholarships to women architecture students in their final year of study.

Chicago Women in Architecture Foundation (CWAF)

In 2003, CWAF was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Today, CWAF continues its support of CWA initiatives by raising funds to expand scholarship offerings as well as fundraising for events and special projects that further the careers for women in and around the field of architecture.