av¸£ÀûÉç

, FAIA, has been a member of av¸£ÀûÉç since 1979. As part of this community, he has served on several committees, helped judge av¸£ÀûÉç's book awards, and served on the Board of Directors.

To begin, tell us a little about your background and career path.

I am a practicing architect in New York City. I grew up in the Washington, DC area, and attended Yale as an undergraduate, majoring in Urban Studies and Art History. I received my Master of Architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania. After graduation I worked for nine years for a firm in New York before starting my own office, which somehow has survived thirty-eight years and is still going strong.

What projects are you currently working on?

My firm (Belmont Freeman Architects) is fortunate to stay busy on a broad variety of project types, including renovation, historic preservation, and very modern new construction. Currently we're working on two new houses on Martha's Vineyard, a renovation and addition to a classic 1906 building for the Brooklyn Public library, several renovation projects for Columbia and NYU, and the restoration of a 1950 house by Philip Johnson.

What's keeping you busy outside of work?

I am on the board of Storefront for Art & Architecture, and I teach intermittently at Columbia and U Penn. I write about architecture for various publications, principally Places journal. My mother was Cuban, and I have long been interested in Cuban architecture. In 2019 I purchased a home in Havana — an apartment in a beautiful 1958 modernist building — and renovated it. Now, traveling regularly to Cuba gives me the greatest pleasure, especially when I'm taking other people with me to introduce them to the splendors of Cuban architecture and urbanism.

Share a particular memory of when you first became aware of architecture, or when you knew you wanted to study its significance.

My father was in the U.S. diplomatic service, and when I was in the 3rd and 4th grades my family lived in Brussels. We spent every school vacation traveling around Europe and I remember being stunned by the amazing, beautiful buildings I saw - chateaux, cathedrals, grand civic monuments. The experience opened my eyes to a world of architecture that I'd never before imagined. From that moment on, I knew that I wanted to design and build buildings.

What interests you most about architectural history?

My architectural practice is informed by my study and appreciation of architectural history, probably in more ways than I am consciously aware. I can't imagine how any architect could not know and value architectural history.

Who or what has had the biggest influence on your work or career so far?

Persistence. Architecture is not a field for the impatient or those in need of quick gratification. Don't compare your own professional development or rate of success to those of others. We each have our own intended career trajectory and definitions of success.

When and how did you first become involved in av¸£ÀûÉç?

I became involved in av¸£ÀûÉç when I was in grad school. My boyfriend at the time was working on his PhD in architectural history at Penn and he said we should attend the av¸£ÀûÉç meeting in New Haven.

How has av¸£ÀûÉç enriched your experience in architectural history?

Enormously. When I get bogged down in the challenges of running an architectural practice, I go to an av¸£ÀûÉç meeting and get recharged; reaffirmed that I am participating in a continuum of architectural creativity that goes back many centuries. That sounds pretentiously lofty but it's true.

Do you have a vision for how av¸£ÀûÉç should evolve in the future?

My perpetual wish; that more practicing architects belong to av¸£ÀûÉç and understand the benefits, intellectual and professional.

What advice would you give to your former self? How far back you go is up to you.

Do a better job keeping up with the people I have met along the way. This may sound a little craven, but my av¸£ÀûÉç friends from when we were all in grad school are now senior faculty and the types who populate planning and design committees at their universities and who, in several instances, have recommended me for work on their campuses. I should have stayed close to more of them.

Any final parting thoughts?

I hope to see you at the av¸£ÀûÉç Annual Meeting in Mexico City.

This story is published as part of an ongoing series exploring the varying careers and experiences of av¸£ÀûÉç's diverse members. What's your story? Share it with us through our online questionnaire.