Smith, Sylvia

Sylvia Smith

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Education

  • University of Virginia School of Architecture
  • Dickinson College

Affiliations/Firms

  • FXFOWLE Architects

Professional organizations

  • Became AIA fellow in 2009

Related websites

Keywords

New York, institutional

Biography

Early life and education

Architect Sylvia Smith, FAIA, LEED, earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Studio Art and Art History from Dickenson College, where she was named a Metzger Fellow.  She received her Master of Architecture from the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture in 1978 and is LEED accredited by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Career in Architecture

Smith joined architecture firm FXFOWLE in 1982, was named a Principal in 1996, and then a Senior Partner in 2008.  She formed and leads FXFOWLE’s Cultural/Educational Studio, which has won numerous awards for design excellence. Since joining the firm, she has been responsible for program intensive projects of varying scope and size.

Smith is constantly cultivating new ways to make architecture more expressive and enriching. She is interested in design as a practical and poetic articulation of theoretical ideas, and is firmly committed to a sense of optimism at the heart of those ideas. She believes a strong architectural concept can empower every project, regardless of type or size, and enliven the experiences of people who occupy or pass by.

Sylvia, an active member of the AIA, is a registered architect in the states of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Kentucky, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. She is a member of the American Library Association, the Society for College and University Planners, the American Association of Museums, and the Friends of Fort Tryon Park. She sits on the Dean’s Advisory Board for the University of Virginia School of Architecture and on the Board of Trustees of Dickinson College as Chair of the Facilities Committee. She sits on the Design Trust for Public Spaces’ Board of Directors and was an invited participant in the 2005 Urban Age conference in New York and the Design Colloquium 2008 in San Francisco. Sylvia was named one of the Women Real Estate Leaders for the 21st Century by the Association of Real Estate Women. Recently, Baruch College honored Sylvia with the Bernard Baruch Medal for Business and Civic Leadership for her outstanding success in business and commitment to her community.

Major Buildings and Projects

  • The Ramaz School, New York, New York (2015)
  • Hunter’s Point Campus, New York, New York (2013)
  • Corlears School Expansion, New York, New York (2011)
  • Center for Global Conservation, New York, New York (2009)
  • The Juilliard School Expansion, New York, New York (2009)
  • The Bronx Zoo Lion House Reconstruction, New York, New York (2008)
  • Syracuse University Whitman School of Management, Syracuse, New York (2006)
  • Arnhold Hall Cultural Center at The New School, New York, New York (2003)

Press and Awards

  • AIA New York State Fellow’s Award (2013)
  • Municipal Arts Society of New York, MASterworks Award, Best New Building, Illumination Lawn/Lincoln Restaurant Lincoln Center, New York, NY (2011)
  • Boston Society of Architects, Education Facilities Design Award, The Juilliard School, New York, NY (2011)
  • American Institute of Steel Construction/IDEAS Awards, National Award, Illumination Lawn/Lincoln Restaurant, New York, NY (2011)
  • American Institute of Architects—New York City, Honor Award for Architecture, Illumination Lawn/Lincoln Restaurant, New York, NY (2011)
  • American Institute of Architects—New York City, Honor Award for Urban Design, Lincoln Center Public Spaces, New York, NY (2011)
  • Architect Magazine, Annual Design Review (Citation), Center for Global Conservation, Bronx, NY (2010)
  • American Institute of Steel Construction/IDEAS Awards, National Award, Alice Tully Hall, New York, NY (2010)
  • New York Construction Best of 2010 Award, Architectural Design Project of the Year, The Juilliard School Renovation and Expansion, New York, NY (2010)
  • The Greater New York Construction User Council, Outstanding Project Award, Alice Tully Hall, New York, New York (in collaboration with Diller Scofidio + Renfro) (2010)
  • Environmental Design + Construction, Best Institutional Building, Center for Global Conservation, Bronx, NY (2010)
  • American Society of Civil Engineers, Engineering Excellence Awards, Alice Tully Hall/The Juilliard School, New York, NY (in collaboration with Diller Scofidio + Renfro) (2009)
  • New York Construction Magazine, Cultural Project of the Year, Alice Tully Hall, New York, NY (2009)
  • Society of American Registered Architects, Alice Tully Hall, New York, NY (in collaboration with Diller Scofidio + Renfro) (2009)

Institutional Affiliations

  • Member, American Library Association
  • Member, Society for College and University Planners
  • Member, American Association of Museums
  • Member, Friends of Fort Tryon Park
  • Board Member, Board of Trustees and Executive Committee of Dickinson College
  • Board Member, Board of Directors for the Design Trust for Public Space
  • Board Member, Board of Directors of Storefront for Art and Architecture
  • Member, Advisory Council of the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation
  • Member, Advisory Board of the Yestermorrow School
  • Former chair, Fellows Committee of the AIA New York Chapter
  • Former chair, Dean’s Advisory Board of the Univerisity of Virginia School of Architecture
  • Kea Distinguished Professor, University of Maryland’s School of Architecture