Quinn Evans Architect Has Focused on Equitable Communities and Sustainable Strategies for Historic Buildings
Nakita Reed, AIA, CPHC, LEED AP BD+C, NOMA, an associate with Quinn Evans, has been selected by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) to receive a 2022 Young Architects Award. The national award is presented to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and made significant contributions to the profession in the early stages of their architectural careers.
An architect and project manager with a dozen years of experience, Reed has advocated for the inclusion of high-impact sustainable strategies in the preservation, restoration, and adaptive use of historic buildings. Recent projects include renovations to a series of vacant rowhomes in the 800 block of Harlem and Edmonston in Baltimore; the design of Hyacinth’s Way, a new 70-unit affordable housing community in Washington, D.C.; and the adaptive use of Baltimore’s Ambassador Theater into a vibrant community arts space.
Reed is a member of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBC) Cultural Heritage Stewardship Initiative Advisory Committee, which provides technical support and funding to HBCUs as they create campus preservation plans, assess historic resources, and craft long-term stewardship initiatives. She is the host of the podcast “Tangible Remnants,” which explores ways to expand possibilities for women and minorities within the architecture profession as well as the connections between architecture, historic preservation, sustainability, race, and gender. Reed was also featured in the Quinn Evans webcast “Exploring Race and Preservation.”
“Nakita Reed is a true leader at the innovative intersection of historic preservation, sustainability, diversity, and community equity,” the AIA stated in its announcement. “Through her many volunteer contributions and mentoring initiatives, she has helped dismantle silos between those important topics while demonstrating their deep connection to race and gender. Her work has been critical in encouraging peers to make a difference in the communities they serve.”
“As one of the few licensed Black female architects in the country who is a trained historic preservationist, Nakita is a vocal proponent of sharing knowledge and paving a path for young women of color in the design profession,” says Saundra Little, FAIA, LEED AP, NOMA, a principal and director of diversity and inclusion with Quinn Evans. “Her leadership around JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) items within the office has helped shape the way Quinn Evans discusses and engages with these issues both internally and externally.”
Reed is a member of the AIA, the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), the Association of Preservation Technology International (APT), and the Baltimore Architectural Foundation. She is on the board of Preservation Maryland and the Zero Net Carbon Collaboration for Existing and Historic Buildings; and recently served as chair of the Maryland Green Building Council, a governor-appointed position.
Reed was recently recognized as part of the Baltimore Business Journal “40 Under 40” class of 2021 and as one of the Baltimore Sun’s “25 Women to Watch.” She was the 2018 recipient of AIA/DC’s Emerging Architect Award.
Reed holds a Master of Architecture (2010) and a Master of Science in Historic Preservation (2010) from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture (2006) from the University of Virginia. She is a registered architect, a LEED®-Accredited Professional, and a Certified Passive House Consultant.
