Architecture is a rich and vital discipline—one that deserves a far greater number of magazines dedicated to its exploration and celebration than it has. At Hanley Wood, parent company of residential architect, we’ve been doing our part to add to the mix. Nearly 14 years ago, we launched this magazine devoted to architects who love housing—and it has grown to encompass a website, e-newsletters, and a symposium. Several years ago, we also started a magazine called architect, to provide a horizontal look at the profession and a special emphasis on larger-scale commercial and institutional work.
There are those who think Hanley Wood is a latecomer to the architecture field. Not everyone realizes that architect contains, through acquisition, the DNA of several magazines that preceded it, including Architecture and Progressive Architecture (P/A). We have some previous staff members from those venerable publications as well, including architect’s editor-in-chief Ned Cramer, who worked at Architecture, and architect’s founding publisher Pat Carroll, a veteran of P/A.
I also worked a temporary gig at Architecture nearly 20 years ago between full-time jobs. At the time, it was the magazine of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and located in Washington, D.C., where I live. I left Architecture when I got my first position at Hanley Wood. I thought there was some kismet there because Mike Hanley and Mike Wood had once been publishers of the AIA Journal. Prior to that, Hanley worked at P/A and Wood at Architectural Record.
My mother, Sarah Booth Conroy, was delighted to see me follow this path because she covered architecture for more than 40 years—most of them as editor of The Washington Post’s home and design section. For her dedication to the field, the AIA granted her Honorary AIA membership in 1978, the same year Philip Johnson won the institute’s Gold Medal Award. She went to the AIA National Convention in Dallas that year to collect her honor (I have on my office desk her well-worn “Hon. AIA” ID card). But, ever the hardworking journalist, she returned home with in-depth articles on Philip Johnson and local hero O’Neil Ford.
She was so proud when I was promoted to editor of residential architect. And I know if she were alive today, she’d be thrilled to see it become a magazine of the American Institute of Architects. I’m thrilled, too, that the AIA has selected us, architect, and our other sister publications, EcoHome and Eco-Structure, as partner publications. I’m optimistic this new relationship will help us grow and deepen our service to our audience. But what gratified me the most to see during the partnership vetting process was the AIA’s acknowledgement that residential architecture is vitally important to its membership. So much so, it also sought affiliation with our other residential magazine, EcoHome.
More magazines covering more of what architects love to do—including dedicated spotlights on residential work. Our magazine has always served as a bridge among different groups of residential practitioners. Now it’s in our official job description. We look forward to more collaborations that strengthen ties among residential architects and that convey your concerns to a broader audience.
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