I Am AIA:
Todd Smith AIA, NCARB
ExpandBorn and raised in Leavenworth, WA. Todd graduated from Cascade High School in 1998 to then attend the University of Washington School of Architecture. Graduating in 2002 he went to immediately work with Johnston Architects for 8 years, leaving as a Principal in 2010 to prepare for a move back to Leavenworth. Todd and his family (2 children and wife) moved back in 2012 focusing on delivering site driven design to Central, Eastern and Western Washington. Now, an office of 9, Todd and his practice, Syndicate Smith, thrive aspiring to deliver life-changing design to clients statewide.
WHY DID YOU JOIN AIA SEATTLE?
There wasn’t a question as to not joining. Seeking out representation to further connect to the industry is the mechanism to open up larger windows into our practice, and the State/Nation/World at large. It is a bit odd that this connection resides in Leavenworth, and not the Puget Sound. That said, my love, knowledge and past life in the Greater Seattle area makes this an easy symbiosis: one that I navigate daily. Clients, Visitors to town, and Friends quite often come from the Greater Seattle Area, in that this is the gateway to the rest of the state: Leavenworth. Being that Chelan County is a county represented by the Seattle Chapter, this was a logical choice.
WHAT IS THE VALUE OF AIA TO YOU?
It’s an established, credible professional advocacy organization representing Architects, the importance and value of architecture, especially in their most remote and vulnerable areas across the nation, and globe.
WHAT RELATIONSHIPS HAVE YOU CREATED?
Within the AIA: my most cherished relationships have been made with those who practice in entirely different locales than we do. I recently had the opportunity to jury a design program for the Long Beach/South Bay (CA) AIA chapter Called “Living on the Edge” Coastal Residential Design Awards. Meeting the Chapter President, and Executive Director in San Francisco’s AIA23 Conference, we got to be friends and they solicited me to come down to Santa Monica and hang out and Jury. This was an amazing ambassadorial trip representing the PNW and a relatively unknown region of the world called Leavenworth, WA. Other Relationships created are every interaction that I get to pursue everyday with clients, contractors, consultants and anyone interested in Architecture. PEOPLE make our practice. Not recognizing this relationship to our practice as a prime motivation for getting up every day would be a crime.
HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN WHAT YOU DO FOR A LIVING?
I recently spoke at a regional high school Social Studies class and aimed to answer this: My living comes from convincing people that there is immense value in creating life changing design at every opportunity.
