Chapin of Svigals + Ptrs. named to leadership role with the American Institute of Architects for 2020-2021

New Haven, CT According to Svigals + Partners, project architect Katelyn Chapin, AIA, has been selected for a national leadership role with the American Institute of Architects (AIA), to serve as the 2020-2021 community director for the prestigious young architects forum’s advisory committee. 

In her role, Chapin will lead the formation of strategic alliances and partnerships with like-minded professional groups and organizations serving emerging professionals in architecture, both within the AIA and across the broader design and construction communities. 

A program of the AIA and its College of Fellows, the Young Architects Forum (YAF) addresses issues of particular importance to recently licensed architects.

“Our firm is extremely proud to see Katelyn chosen for this unique national leadership role.” says Jay Brotman, managing partner, Svigals + Partners. “Given her perspective and the energy she exhibits in her work, I am extremely confident she will advance the goals of the AIA to elevate and mentor emerging architects.”

During the two-year term, among other tasks, Chapin will be responsible for developing resources and tools that connect varied YAF groups and leaders throughout the AIA, and identifying special projects that serve to promote the next generation of architects. She will also act as a voice of the Young Architects Forum externally to the profession, peers, and the public.

The Community Director for the AIA Young Architects Forum works alongside seven other Advisory Committee members from across the country who — along with the AIA College of Fellows liaison, AIA Strategic Council representative, and 19 Young Architect Regional Directors — make up the Leadership Committee of the Young Architects Forum.

“I am very excited and honored to take on this challenge,” says Chapin. “Young architects are confronted with a variety of issues when they start their careers, some of which are profession-wide. Other topics, however – such as exploring changing business models, understanding what it takes to start your own firm, and addressing how the profession needs to evolve well into the future – are of particular interest to those in the development stage of their profession. I look forward to helping create the relationships and structures where these young architects can explore these and any issues that may be on their minds.”

Katelyn Chapin, AIA, has been a project architect with Svigals+Partners since 2010. During that time, she has displayed a passion for new building projects in the education sector and has played an instrumental role in high-profile projects including Sandy Hook Elementary School and the University of New Haven’s Bergami Center for Science, Technology and Innovation. Chapin is a member of the Connecticut chapter of the AIA, joined its Emerging Professional Committee in 2012, serves as the Women in Architecture Committee’s mentorship chair, and has earned various leadership positions and recognition for her volunteer participation. In 2014, Chapin won the AIA Connecticut’s Emerging Architect of the Year Award, and from 2018 through 2019 she served as the Young Architect Regional Director, or YARD, for the New England region.