Elizabeth Chu Richter, FAIA, Begins AIA Presidency

Elizabeth Chu Richter, FAIA, CEO of Richter Architects in Corpus Christi, Texas, has begun her term as the 91st president of The American Institute of Architects (AIA). The announcement was made during a ceremony on December 12, 2014, at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Richter is the fourth woman to serve as AIA national president since the organization was founded in 1857, and she succeeds Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA, as president. This is the first time in history that two consecutive presidents of AIA are women.

Richter was born in Nanjing, China, but grew up in Hong Kong and Dallas. In 1974, she received her Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Texas at Austin. In 2001, she was awarded a national Young Architects Award from AIA for her community-sensitive designs and her role in spreading awareness of both regional and urban issues. She also ran a public radio series, The Shape of Texas, from 1998 to 2011.

She was promoted to the AIA College of Fellows in 2005 in recognition for her contributions to the profession and to society. In 2007, she served as President of the Texas of Society of Architects and most recently served as a regional director for Texas on the AIAs National Board of Directors.

As architects, we use our creativity to serve societyto make our communities better places to live. Through our profession and our lifes work, each of us has shaped and re-shaped the ever-changing narrative that is America in both humble and spectacular ways, says Richter. We have created harmony where there was none. We have shown we can see what is not yet there. We have shown we have the courage to grow, to change, and to renew ourselves.

Photo by William J Stewart Photography

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Elizabeth Chu Richter, FAIA, Begins AIA Presidency