Nooni Reatig, AIA
Suzane Reatig Architecture
Nooni Reatig, AIA is an architect, artist, and developer. As a partner at Suzane Reatig Architecture, she oversees all in-house developments and is involved in all phases of the firm’s architect-led developments, including: feasibility and entitlements, schematic design through construction documents, construction project management, marketing, and leasing. She specializes in mixed-use multifamily urban infill projects and brings her expertise from a fine arts foundation to her work in the built environment. Reatig’s creative approach to three-dimensional thinking bridges the rational process of construction with the flexible and changing lifestyle needs of urban dwellers. Reatig specializes in integrating composition and color into the design of building skins and solving the puzzle of how to bring light and air into all spaces within a larger building mass. Her measure of success is a building that maximizes financial, social, and environmental standards to achieve an equilibrium between quantitative and qualitative value. She believes that the buildings we live and work in should be designed sustainably to the highest measure of ecology, innovation and culture, raising the standard for community, and quality of life.
As an extension of the firm’s philosophy, Reatig believes that design accountability carries beyond the home and into public space. Nooni actively lectures and participates in promoting art and architectural dialogue.
Kevin Kudo-King, AIA, LEED AP
Olson Kundig
Since joining Olson Kundig as an intern architect in 1996, principal/owner Kevin Kudo-King has played an integral role in the design, production, and management of numerous award-winning projects. In addition to private homes for multigenerational families, art collectors, and the adventurous, Kevin leads or co-leads much of the firm’s hospitality work, with active projects located across North America, Central America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
An alumnus of the University of Arizona, Kevin’s education in the Arizona-Sonoran Desert—demanding deep consideration of the surrounding landscape—continues to influence his designs. This awareness is evident in his attention to light, sound, and connections to nature within the built environment, showcasing a high sensitivity to sensory conditions and harmony with the site’s natural elements.
Kevin emphasizes the innate human need for connection to nature, experiences, and functionality in his approach to design. He creates buildings and spaces that feel rooted in place, often as small parts of a larger landscape, without overwhelming their surroundings. By acting as an armature to frame views and foster engagement, his architecture quietly defers to its environment, leading to transformative experiences for the inhabitants.
Kevin is known for his collaborative design approach, grounded in partnership with his clients and teammates, and enlivened by his signature dry humor. He approaches each project as a new opportunity for dialogue with the client in pursuit of a mutual, fully bespoke vision. Kevin’s goal for each project is that all participants are vested in a collaborative process, encouraging a diversity of design ideas that surpass what any individual could achieve alone.
Craft and materiality are core elements of Kevin’s practice, and collaboration with artists, artisans, and craftspeople local to his projects deepens connections to place, while assuring a level of intimacy. His work materializes because of this collective nature—it cannot be conceived in isolation. This deliberate expression of craft and honest materiality lends his work a sense of tactility and authenticity, linking the built environment with its cultural context.
Marlon Blackwell, FAIA
Marlon Blackwell Architects
Marlon Blackwell, FAIA, is a practicing architect in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and serves as the E. Fay Jones Distinguished Professor at the Fay Jones School of Architecture + Design at the University of Arkansas. Marlon is integrally involved in every phase of the design process, from programming through construction administration, for every project Marlon Blackwell Architects pursues. He is involved on a daily basis, working to establish the design direction and works directly with client leadership on critical issues, ensuring a successful outcome and meaningful relationship. As our references will attest, Marlon is accessible and involved. His keen attention to detail and design rigor ensure the success of every project, evident in his acclaim as an architect and educator.
The office of Marlon Blackwell Architects received the 2016 Cooper Hewitt National Design Award in Architecture and ranked #1 in Design as part of the Architect 50, a national survey of architecture firms. In 2011, Marlon Blackwell Architects was recognized as the Firm of the Year by Residential Architect Magazine. The firm has earned an international design reputation through recognition of its work in many publications, including architectural design journals and books, and receiving more than 120 design awards including state, regional, national and international awards.
Marlon is the recipient of the 2020 AIA Gold Medal, the Institute’s highest honor, which recognizes those whose work has had an enduring impact on the theory and practice of architecture. He was a 2019 Resident Fellow of the American Academy in Rome, inducted into the 2018 National Academy of Design and received the E. Fay Jones Gold Medal from the Arkansas AIA in 2017. A monograph of his early work entitled “An Architecture of the Ozarks: The Works of Marlon Blackwell” was published by Princeton Architectural Press in 2005. Marlon was selected by The International Design Magazine, in 2006, as one of the ID Forty: Undersung Heroes and as an “Emerging Voice” in 1998 by the Architectural League of New York.
Marlon was named the 2020 SEC Professor of The Year and as one of DesignIntelligence magazine’s “30 Most Admired Educators” for 2015. He has co-taught design studios with Peter Eisenman (1997 & 1998), Christopher Risher (2000), and Julie Snow (2003). Other visiting academic appointments include the McDermott Visiting Professor at the University of Texas at Austin (Spring 2016), the George Baird Professor at Cornell University (Fall 2012), the Thomas Jefferson Professor at the University of Virginia (Spring 2011), the Elliel Saarinen Visiting Professor at the University of Michigan (Fall 2009), the Ivan Smith Distinguished Professor at the University of Florida (Spring 2009), the Paul Rudolph Visiting Professor at Auburn University (Spring 2008), the Cameron Visiting Professor at Middlebury College (Fall 2007), the Ruth and Norman Moore Visiting Professor at Washington University in St. Louis (Spring 2003) and visiting graduate professor at MIT in Spring 2001 and 2002.
Evelyn Lee, FAIA
Practice of Architecture
Evelyn M. Lee, FAIA, is a multi-faceted professional who uniquely blends her architectural background with a tech-driven focus. As an architect now immersed in the tech industry, she serves as an angel investor, startup advisor, and fractional COO for SMB Architecture firms, playing a pivotal role in their growth and success. Despite her career transition, Evelyn's passion for architecture remains unshaken, fueled by a deep admiration for the professionals in the field, their dedication to serving clients, and the indelible impact they imprint on communities.
A sought-after speaker, Evelyn regularly shares her insights on the evolution of architecture practice, leadership and team development, the integration of technology in practice operations, and the exploration of alternative careers. Outside of her architectural pursuits, she is a founding advisor for Women Defining AI, championing a more inclusive and diverse landscape in artificial intelligence. Evelyn Lee's leadership and forward-thinking approach are not just about innovation and progress, they're about guiding the architectural profession towards new, uncharted directions.
