AIA Cincinnati President’s 2026 Kick-off Message

Hello! My name is Rob Busch and in 2026 I take on the role of AIA Cincinnati president. However circuitous, the path to this position was unlikely. It was certainly a process of discovery.

In 1993, two years post-graduation from the University of Cincinnati, I became a licensed architect in the State of Ohio. I was hired out of school by the esteemed John Senhauser, FAIA, but not ‘gainfully’ employed as the economy had me tuck pointing the Mt. Adams office’s seemingly ruinous stone basement walls. If any of you know John, then you’re likely familiar with his extensive civic involvement, design-leadership, and AIA Cincinnati stewardship. That was my AIA introduction. 

Following his lead, I became an AIA member – but a disengaged, if not resentful, AIA member. I had been exposed to the cliché criticism of the cost of each AIA letter following my surname comma – and I believed it. 

On one-hand, I was proud to be an architect, the pinnacle accomplishment following six laborious and challenging years of DAAP that included eight co-op quarters. As the first college graduate in my family, it only seemed right to convert my degree into a license. ‘A’, ‘I’, and ‘A’ were a symbol of this accomplishment, an acronym suggesting that something was finished and official. Important – but nothing more. 

So, there I sat on the sidelines. Comfortable. Ambivalent. Maybe cynical. 

In 2005 I founded the architecture firm Drawing Dept. As a new firm owner, I had to address the value-to-cost relationship of AIA membership afresh. Admittedly, years of indifference had turned membership into a begrudged habit. In an attempt to promote the office, we entered some AIA sponsored design award programs. And we won! We were stunned. Then, we won a lot. Our sphere of influence grew. Through these award programs, I met an amazing group of local architects that were AIA members and shared my passion for thoughtful design. My eyes were opened. Maybe there was some value to being an AIA member. After all, award submission costs were reduced for members. And the award programs were fueling growth and professional connection. 

Along the way, and with some reluctance, I participated in and eventually led our local CRAN [Custom Residential Architects Network] committee - a competitive group of surprisingly close-knit practitioners. Frienemies. That led to attending annual AIA national CRAN Symposiums. I was meeting like-minded AIA members, sponsors, vendors, consultants, and building relationships that were previously outside of my introverted comfort zone.

It was getting a lot easier to pay those AIA annual dues. I was finally getting answers to my question: ‘what can AIA do for me?’ Then I realized, maybe I was asking the wrong question. Maybe, the right question is ‘what can I do for AIA?’ 

Maybe you’re asking what AIA can do for you. It’s a fair question. The answer, of course, depends on you. My encouragement is to not wait 15 years, like I did, to find out. Find something of interest to you and participate. This is not a plea for volunteering. Somehow ‘volunteering’ and ‘participating’ have become conflated. My plea is not for commitment…. it’s just to try something new. Find something that serves you well. 

Given the season, it may not be hard to imagine getting a new gym membership. Imagine never going to the gym, getting no results, and then blaming the gym. Have you ever felt that way about AIA Cincinnati? It’s alright to have questions about the value of AIA membership. The question is fair and sometimes the answer may feel fleeting. Try showing up. This is a simple reminder that there are a lot of different ways to participate. Come to the AIA Cincinnati CRANawards in April – you don’t have to be a residential architect. Come to a Women in Architecture program – you don’t have to be a woman. Come to a Committee on the Environment [COTE] meeting – you don’t have to be a tree-hugger. Just come. Fuel your passions while feeding others.

I believe that participating in AIA programs will add immense value to your membership. It might even make you a better architect. I know for certain that your participation will make a better AIA Cincinnati. I hope to see you soon. And, if we have not met, please make it a point to introduce yourself. We’re better together.