by Cara Battaglini
AIA Media Relations Specialist

Eugene C. Hopkins, FAIA, senior vice president, SmithGroup, Inc., became the 80th AIA president December 5 at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Hopkins succeeds Thompson E. Penney, FAIA.

In his inauguration speech, Hopkins focused on an open environment of knowledge sharing as the key to bettering both society and the profession of architecture. He elaborated that shared knowledge is the legacy of the AIA. “We are a knowledge-based profession,” he declared. “Knowledge is most assuredly the AIA’s future. Finding it, capturing it, analyzing it, and sharing it . . . indeed, knowledge is the very source of our creativity.”

Culture of sharing
To be successful, Hopkins says, architects must be vocal leaders and strive to model a culture of sharing, not only with their fellow AIA members, but also with society. He urged his colleagues to share their insight and vision with a larger audience beyond the AIA: those who are affected on a daily basis by the buildings and the cities designed by architects. It is only through a profession-wide commitment to knowledge sharing that the value provided by architects will be understood by society, he explained. “To escape the charge that our sharing is little more than self-serving, we must earn the right to be called society’s trusted advisors . . . Through the AIA, we must be advocates for sustainability, for health and well-being, for stewardship, and for informed use of the precious resource that is our land. Through the AIA, we must be advocates of optimism by our actions and by our attitudes,” he said.

Hopkins reaffirmed the AIA’s commitment to being the “voice of the profession” through advocacy as well as through mentorship of tomorrow’s architects and other emerging professionals. “We will earn the reputation of being the best friend and most reliable resource of the next generation of young architects by insisting that our members recommit themselves to mentorship and through working to bridge the gaps between academy and practice, a bridge firmly grounded on respect and empathy,” he said.

Embracing diversity
He called upon the AIA to be a welcoming home for the entire architecture community by increasing the opportunities for fellowship and by being a more inclusive organization through “embracing the growing diversity that is enriching our profession.” Hopkins also spoke of an ethical responsibility to improve livability and the health of the nation’s cities and citizens through advocacy efforts. He asked that they include in that advocacy such matters as sustainability and public well-being.

Hopkins believes that teamwork is the hallmark of the profession, and it is through building relationships, opening lines of communication, and sharing knowledge, that architects as a group can have a true, positive impact. He declared that in 2004, “the AIA will cultivate and expand existing partnerships with public health officials, educators, and neuroscientists in ways that promise to be as transformational to the profession as was the founding of the AIA.”

Seasoned leader
Throughout his career, Hopkins has served in various leadership positions at the AIA. After serving as vice president (1987) and president (1988) of the AIA Huron Valley component, Hopkins was elected secretary (1991), treasurer (1992), vice president (1993), and president (1994) of AIA Michigan. He has been a member of the Historic Resources Committee since 1985 and was a member of the national AIA Resolutions Committee (1997–98). He is chair of the AIA Government Affairs Advisory Committee and was elevated to the College of Fellows in 1997.

Hopkins received an associate degree in architectural drafting (1972, highest distinction) from Ferris State University, Big Rapids, Mich. He completed his education at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, earning a bachelor of science (1974, high distinction), and master of architecture (1975, high distinction).

In January 1999, Hopkins’ award-winning 15-year-old firm, Architects Four, Inc., merged with SmithGroup, bringing his national expertise in historic preservation to the list of services SmithGroup provides. Long-time clients of Hopkins include the Michigan State Capitol (Lansing), which won an AIA Honor Award for Architecture (1996); the Grand Hotel (Mackinac Island, Mich.); and Michigan State University (East Lansing).

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