Elevation: Architects Shaping the Future (an AAREP BA Speaker Series Event)

Michael Willis, FAIA, founded MWA Architects Inc. in 1988, serving as President and Principal until his retirement in 2016. His leadership roles include President of the San Francisco Chapter of the AIA (1995-1996), elevation to AIA Fellowship in 1996, and President of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA). Since 2017, Willis has worked as a design consultant and taught at his alma mater, Washington University (BA 1973, M.Arch 1976, MSW 1976), most recently for the Spring 2020 semester. He has also served as teacher and critic at the Universities of Oregon and Utah. His achievements include the 2013 Distinguished Washington University Alumni Award for the University, School of Architecture, and Brown School of Social Work, and the 2015 AIA California Chapter Norma Sklarek Award. MWA Architects, under Willis’s leadership, created master plans for mixed-income affordable housing in San Francisco, Oakland, Portland, and post-Katrina New Orleans. He has facilitated planning studies in several St. Louis neighborhoods and served as principal on major infrastructure projects including the International Terminal at San Francisco Airport, Terminal 2 at Oakland International, and the Central Subway Yerba Buena/Moscone Station in San Francisco. With a focus on “Making Water Present,” Willis was principal architect for numerous water treatment facilities including the El Sobrante and Upper San Leandro Ozonation Facilities, North Richmond Water Reclamation Plant, Joseph Jensen Water Treatment Plant, and the rebuild of San Francisco’s Southeast Wastewater Treatment Plant adjacent to a historic Black neighborhood. In 2018, he served as a panelist at the Missouri Green Building Council conference on Architecture and Infrastructure.

Julia Weatherspoon is an architect on a mission to create more inclusive spaces within design. She has experience working on an array of architecture projects of various scales from workplace commercial interiors, aviation, community and civic design, and higher education. Julia is committed to pushing the envelope for improvement in diversity, inclusion, and belonging within the design industry and dedicated to increasing visibility and representation in design. She is an associate member of the American Institute of Architects San Francisco, and the President of the San Francisco Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects and sits on the NOMA Board of Directors as the Recording Secretary. She is engaged in a variety of advocacy communities in the Bay Area and sits on various committees including AIASF Equity x Design, Mentorship, Professional Practice. Julia is a champion for change and uses her voice to challenge people to look at design holistically and through an equity lens. Her inspiration is driven by the belief that architecture and design can do more. It has the power to change our perspective, elevate the human experience, and transform our lives. Her passion has brought her to moderate and speak on a number of panels including events for UC Berkeley, San Francisco Design Week 2018, and AIGA Pasadena 2019. She has also been featured in Architect Magazine in December 2018. Julia holds a Bachelors of Architecture from the University of Arizona.

Quinlin’s creative identity is rooted in his African American, Native American and Jewish heritage; he channels and honors these legacies through design justice, an awareness and healing modality that is at the core of his practice – engaging communities and projects with a sensitivity and focus towards healthy living, social + environmental empowerment, and legacy cultivation. In tandem, Messenger works closely with artists to facilitate conversations and experiences around race, equity, diversity, and inclusion. As the Founder and Creative Director of JUST Design, Quinlin believes design is a tool for social and environmental transformation, and that systems can be and should be just for all. Understanding the historical, current, and future contexts of projects is integral to Quinlin’s process and approach, integrating co-creative and eco-centered practices to address the deepest challenges our communities and ecosystems face.

Yakuh Askew is the Founding Principal of Y.A. studio, which he established 20 years ago on the principles of social responsibility. Committed to shaping a more equitable and sustainable future, Y.A. studio nurtures the next generation of design professionals, serves the needs of underserved and under-housed communities, and pushes the conversation forward on the built environment—all while striving to minimize its ecological footprint. With expertise in crafting custom homes, dynamic office spaces, and large-scale multi-family residences, Y.A. studio is known for creating thoughtfully detailed and engaging environments. Beyond his leadership at the firm, Yakuh is deeply involved in the architectural community, serving as the President-elect of the San Francisco AIA chapter, and holding positions on the USF Architecture Advisory Board and the LAI Golden Gate Chapter Board.