Interview with Colin Dean
What has been your experience as the Eugene AIA Director during COVID-19?
I took the helm of the Eugene Section in January of 2020. Working with our local steering committee, one of our first tasks was to develop an agenda for the upcoming year. In addition to our annual summer picnic and winter celebration, we were very excited to offer in-person construction tours of high-profile projects in our section area. These included Hayward Field, the Knight Campus, and the recently completed Benton County Historical Society Museum. Rounding out the year, we were planning for the 30th Annual People’s Choice Awards along with an awards celebration. As March rolled around, we quickly had to reevaluate how we provide services to our members. Thankfully, 2019 saw the numerous AIA chapters in Oregon combine under one umbrella to form a single-state chapter. Doing this offered the possibility of streamlining our member services and harnessing the power of a professional staff to help with running our organization and programs. Under a single-state chapter, we investigated ways to incorporate technology to help unite members from around the state. As social distancing took hold, we accelerated our technology roll-out and in a relatively short period of time were able to begin offering lunch and learns, lectures, building tours and so forth digitally. While we would all prefer, under normal circumstances, to meet in person, having the groundwork already laid for offering digital services helped to mitigate the disruption to member services until we can all again meet in person safely.
The AIA Southwestern Oregon chapter (AIA-SWO) became AIA Eugene, a section of AIA Oregon, on January 1, 2019. Were you part of that transition? What are some things you would like members to realize about the new single chapter AIA Oregon?
Yes, starting in 2018, I served as President-elect of AIA Southern Oregon. While I didn’t have a voting position on the State board at that time, I was closely involved in the planning, discussions, and eventual rollout of the single-state chapter. It was amazing to witness the inner workings of this monumental transition. The promise of a single-state chapter was a pivotal and transformative process for our membership. Prior to the transition, there were four AIA chapters in Oregon; AIA Portland, Salem, Southwest Oregon, and Southern Oregon. Each chapter was its own 501(c)(6) corporation which meant each had to maintain its own records, file taxes, and perform other administrative duties required of Oregon corporations. As a volunteer-based organization, this was incredibly inefficient and took time away from providing member services. Additionally, chapters were, more or less, working in silos, lacking communication and coordination with members in other locations. Now, we have a truly integrated statewide network of architects united with one advocacy voice and backed by a state-wide team of professional staff to help with awards, conferences, and other events.
Has being Eugene AIA Director changed your relationship to Eugene and Oregon?
It certainly has. Over the past year and a half, I’ve learned so much about this city, its inner workings, and what to expect next around the pike. I’m an active member of the Committee on Local Affairs where we discuss the latest municipal projects, city council activity, and hear from local leaders about items affecting the built environment not just in Eugene but throughout our section area. Widening the net a bit, as an AIAO board member, I hear monthly updates from leadership from around the state. Each section faces their own unique challenges and successes and through this platform, we’re able to work together on common issues.
You graduated from the University of Oregon with a bachelor’s in architecture and a second major in political science. Has your background in political science in any way informed your practice of architecture?
Of course, and on so many levels. Just grazing the tip of the iceberg, architecture is greatly affected by the mechanisms of government. At the local, state, and national level, we’re required to design within the bounds of zoning, building, and accessibility codes; we have state licensing requirements for professional practice; the tax structure affects developers’ appetite for new projects. My interest in politics and how the levers of government work has translated well professionally and with my position at AIA Oregon. I’m currently the AIAO board liaison for the Legislative Affairs Committee (LAC) and have a front row seat to the action currently taking place in Salem. I’m not sure how widely known this is, but the LAC is a pretty powerful committee. They have the ears of our legislators and, along with our lobbyist, help draft and champion legislation that reflects our members’ interests. So please, if you see an issue affecting our profession, raise your voice!
You have practiced in many firms, including ones in Seattle, Portland, and Ashland. How does your experience at these other firms compare to your experience practicing as an architect here in Eugene?
I feel like I’ve seen it all in my short career. I started out at a large multi-national firm in Seattle, moved to a slightly smaller, regional firm in Portland, followed by a stint at an 8-member office in Ashland. I have to say, being a medium-sized firm, Rowell Brokaw occupies a really desirable middle ground. Large firms are great due to the high-profile work that comes in the door but with that, there are so many faces in the office, you don’t get know your colleagues that well. Small firms are great because you get to know your co-workers on a truly personal level, but the project types tend to lack variety and too often come with painfully constrained budgets that, unfortunately, tend to drive design. Rowell Brokaw is large enough that we land amazing, design-forward projects of various types yet small enough that there’s almost a familial-like relationship among staff. The same goes for Eugene in general. Eugene is metropolitan enough that you can find great dining opportunities but small enough that you can get anywhere you’d want to go by bike. That along with its proximity to the mountains and coast, mild weather, and friendly people were just some of the considerations that drew my family back.
Any advice for upcoming professionals?
Yes! First, I’ll share the single most important piece of advice I received as a newly minted emerging professional: If you want to be a licensed architect, take your exams right away and before your career and life become so hectic, which will happen, that they get pushed aside! Second, if you have any interest in leadership, I can’t encourage participation in AIA strongly enough. Especially for emerging professionals where leadership and management opportunities are few and far between in an office environment, AIA offers a platform to sharpen your skills and gain experience that’s otherwise hard to come by. We have a ton of initiatives, events, and other activities that we’d like to rollout, but we just don’t have the people-power to do so. Please stop by a steering-committee meeting and volunteer to head up a taskforce! Personally, the greatest barrier for me getting involved in AIA leadership was my perceived notion that I didn’t have the experience necessary to take on such a role. The unfortunate reality is that very few of our members participate in developing the programs we offer and it’s always a struggle to find the next generation of leaders. With that, more experienced members are incredibly eager to mentor, assist, and prepare emerging professionals to take on these roles and AIA offers a steppingstone to help hone these skills.
Are there any upcoming AIA events that we should be aware of?
Throughout the spring and summer, we’ll continue to offer online CEU courses through the Digital Design Series and Virtual Lunch and Learns. Be sure to check out the Thursday@3 newsletter for all of the latest happenings. If you haven’t already, please sign up to have the newsletter delivered to your inbox, here’s the link: https://www.aiaoregon.org/enewsletter. We’re continuing to monitor the current COVID-19 situation and hope to resume in-person events near the end of the summer. At the very least and as long as it’s safe to do, we’d like to invite members and their families to an outdoor picnic sometime in August. Of course, in the fall, we’ll launch the 31st annual AIA Eugene People’s Choice Awards with a celebration of the winners to follow. Near the end of the year, we hope to resume our annual holiday party and we’ll be publishing the latest edition of the AIAO Design Annual in early 2022. Stay tuned!