Meet the AIA Cincinnati 2023 Board of Directors
AIA Cincinnati is led by a volunteer board, elected by our chapter members. This year we have six new members, in addition to a new president and vice president. Get to know your chapter leadership in these profiles.
2023 AIA Cincinnati Board Retreat
Christopher Bartell, AIA, LEED AP
GBBN
Director
What got you interested in architecture as a profession?
Taking an abstract idea that does not exist and bringing it to life has always fascinated me. As a kid, I loved creating leaf forts in the fall or igloos in the winter, with just some sticks, leaves or snow you can build something that was just an idea a few moments ago.
Who do you admire or what are you excited about/inspired by right now?
My favorite architect is Terunobu Fujimori. I love the playfulness in his work and his use of materiality.
How has AIA membership benefited you?
The AIA provides a great opportunity to strengthen our community ties. A number of mentors involved with the AIA have encouraged my professional growth as an architect and helped me to develop my leadership skills. Additionally, the AIA Cincinnati VISION Lectures are always a source of inspiration.
When you’re not working, what do you enjoy doing?
When I am not working you can find me on a long bike ride, hiking at Red River Gorge or sketching in my notebook.
Ross Battoclette, AIA
Champlin Architecture
Director
What got you interested in architecture as a profession?
Architecture allows for creativity and that is what initially got me interested in architecture. I enjoy the creative avenues and the opportunities to solve problems and create solutions that enhance the built environment.
Who do you admire or what are you excited about/inspired by right now?
I am excited about a healthcare project that we recently broke ground on. It is the first building with this specific healthcare system to use geothermal for a building. I am excited for the lives that this building will impact as well as the progress towards using sustainable energy.
How has AIA membership benefited you?
Being an AIA member has allowed me to develop a network with other architects who are all in different phases of their careers outside of the firm that I work at. That network has allowed me to learn, collaborate, mentor and advocate for the profession. This has proved to be invaluable throughout my career and wouldn’t have been possible without the AIA.
When you’re not working, what do you enjoy doing?
Spending time with my family and friends. I also love the snow and wish Cincinnati received more of it, but I get enough of it by going up north often.
Douglas Burkey, AIA
RWA Architects
Secretary
Rob Busch, FAIA, Leed AP
drawing dept
Director
What got you interested in architecture as a profession?
I think that architecture found me more than I found architecture. I spent a lot of time as a kid playing with wood blocks, erector sets, tinker toys, and any number of off-brand LEGOSⓇ. I had a Cub Scout leader who was an architect. I had a grandfather who was a surveyor. I have a crafty mother. I have a hard-working, do-it-yourselfer father. My parents built a semi-custom suburban home when I was in 6th grade – which also entailed countless weekend drives looking at houses they liked. I proved to have a decent set of rudimentary art skills in high school but didn’t really have counselors to direct my creativity. I think a standardized career test suggested ‘architect,’ among a number of other ‘matches,’ but I wasn’t even sure what that entailed. Does all of that add up to ‘architect?’ Lacking guidance, I completed one college application to the local school that had an architecture program. I had no idea what I was doing, but somehow got accepted into the DAAP architecture program. After a rough couple of years of stumbling naivety, my persistence paid off - something clicked – a cartoon-like light bulb if you will…..and now here we are! You can call it serendipity, luck, karma, whatever you want. I call it a blessing.
Who do you admire or what are you excited about/inspired by right now?
This question is surprisingly difficult to answer. I feel like my architectural influences are largely subliminal; I don’t go searching for them. And they are ever changing. Music and literary structure and storytelling have always been a big influence on the way I think about space and experience. I generally try to avoid getting too obsessed with another architect, designer, or piece of work. I find that sort of admiration can lead to a sort of dysfunctional stagnation where creative thinking is replaced with stylization or mimicry. But for what it is worth, right now: books – The Silmarillion, The Tanakh, Quo Vadis; music – U2, Switchfoot; architecture - Olson Kundig, David Salmela, Lake Flato.
How has AIA membership benefited you?
I am naturally introverted, insular, contrarian to a fault, and independent. While these traits have served me well at times, they have also proved to be difficult professional hurdles. Honestly, I think I was ‘at-odds’ with the AIA for a number of years – or at least at odds with the cost of membership. It felt ‘right’ to belong to the AIA, but also obligatory; I was paying for the use of the letters after my name. Because I have worked in small practices my entire career, I have not benefited from some of the stereotypical tangible benefits. Ultimately, I found our AIA Cincinnati to be comprised of a great group of real people practicing architecture from a variety of viewpoints and interests. They were celebrating good work and stellar careers through awards programs. Ultimately, I think it's people that matter. Opportunities through the AIA have given me exposure to so many interesting, like-minded friends sharing a passion for design and making Cincinnati an amazing place to work and live. Like many things in life, the real value of the AIA can’t be fully understood until you actually participate – not just join.
When you’re not working, what do you enjoy doing?
To be clear, I love what I do and I hardly think of it as work. It’s more of a passion and I think that my brain is always in design mode – a sort of fault or addiction linked to my Enneagram 5 personality. I love spending time with my family including my wife and four [mostly] grown children. For the time being, we’re all still in Cincinnati along with most of my extended family. We enjoy all of our local sports teams [who dey!] and are season ticket holders with FC Cincinnati. I make them suffer through my fantasy football obsession – which unhealthily extends well past the NFL season. I love hiking in Red River Gorge, disc golf with my nephews [who destroy me], study of biblical texts, a 4-way bean with a diet dew, Dungeons & Dragons [confessed nerd], reading, music, and a bowl of Lucky Charms with 2% milk. I’m also a 35x marathoner, but to be clear, I don’t love it. Running is my time to think, process, decompress, study, and work off that breakfast cereal.
Jennifer Choto, Assoc. AIA
BHDP
Associate Director
Zoe Gizara, AIA
MSP Design
Vice President/President Elect
Krutarth Jain, AIA, ACHA, EDAC, LEED AP
Champlin Architecture
AIA Cincinnati Past President
What got you interested in architecture as a profession?
The impact of this profession on shaping the world around us intrigued me. I found this to be a perfect blend of art and technology.
Who do you admire or what are you excited about/inspired by right now?
An incredibly talented design team surrounds me. The passion and energy each of them bring to our projects is extremely exciting. We inspire each other.
How has AIA membership benefited you?
I appreciate advocacy efforts at National, State and Local levels. AIA provided an avenue to stay in touch with other architects and firm owners to exchange thoughts on some of the common challenges we face.
When you’re not working, what do you enjoy doing?
Hiking and long walks
Monica Lowry, AIA, NCARB
Burgess & Niple
Director
What got you interested in architecture as a profession?
Growing up I was always creating something - furniture for my dolls, ideas for a club house, or ways we could renovate our house so I could (finally!) get my own room. I never got my own room but did cultivate a deep passion for creating spaces.
Who do you admire or what are you excited about/inspired by right now?
A few Instagram accounts have been a fresh burst of inspiration across my feed lately: covington_uncovered accidentallyweanderson, and hinterhouse.
How has AIA membership benefited you?
I participated in the AIA Cincinnati VISION program back in 2011/12 and it was an amazing experience that really propelled my career. I recognize that the creation and maintenance of programs like VISION are a result of selfless, dedicated leaders within AIA. I am at the point in my career where it is time for me to step into that role and be a part of something great for the next generation of Architects.
When you’re not working, what do you enjoy doing?
I absolutely love spending time with my husband, Nick, and our three busy kids. We enjoy doing anything and everything—hiking, fishing, playing soccer, and cheering on our favorite sports teams!
Angela Mazzi, FAIA
GBBN
President
Allison McKenzie, AIA, ALEP, LEED AP, WELL AP
SHP
AIA Ohio Representative
What got you interested in architecture as a profession?
I don't really know. I had several projects in grade school that encouraged us to build structures as a team that I really enjoyed, so that's probably as likely an origin as any.
Who do you admire or what are you excited about/inspired by right now?
Live music and travel will always be my inspiration for the creative side of my work. A recent trip to Colombia and some new music and performances by up-and-coming Nashville artists like Devon Gilfillian, Charlie Treat, ZG Smith and Nicole Boggs are my current fuel.
How has AIA membership benefited you?
Making connections and opportunities for honing my leadership skills have personally been invaluable.
When you’re not working, what do you enjoy doing?
I have trouble sitting still. If I'm not working (or traveling or attending concerts) you'll typically find me painting, sewing, or hanging out with my husband and dog.
Karen Planet, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C
RWA Architects
AIA Ohio Alternate
What got you interested in architecture as a profession?
The genesis of my interest in the profession of architecture is art.
Who do you admire or what are you excited about/inspired by right now?
I am always excited about the opportunity to design the next project.
How has AIA membership benefited you?
Actively participating in AIA activities, volunteering for committees, and serving on a number of AIA Boards at the state and local level has assisted me in building a network of colleges from across Ohio that have contributed to making me a better architect.
When you’re not working, what do you enjoy doing?
Working out with my masters swim club teammates at 5 AM!
Jeff Raser, AIA, NCARB
CUDA Studio
AIA Cincinnati Treasurer
What got you interested in architecture as a profession?
Legos, Lincoln Logs, and spare cardboard - early in life. About halfway through my professional life, however, I realized it is the space between buildings - where the connective tissue for people lies - which is my true passion.
Who do you admire or what are you excited about/inspired by right now?
I'm excited that pedestrians and bicyclists are starting to be recognized by the general public as valued members of a vibrant neighborhood in many communities. Street corridors are again becoming places for people instead of exclusively paths for cars and trucks.
How has AIA membership benefited you?
Through my involvement in the Urban Design Committee I've had the chance to frame issues and position ideas. I've also made professional contacts and developed comradeship and friendship.
When you’re not working, what do you enjoy doing?
Now that my coaching days are over, I enjoy biking, traveling to great cities, and meeting locals at favored watering holes.