June 2022 – In recognition of her design leadership, professional contributions, and community impact, Marissa Dionne Mead, AIA, NOMA, LEED AP, has been honored with the 2022 Women in Architecture Award from the Connecticut chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA-CT).

Mead is an Associate Principal and Director of Art Integration at Svigals + Partners, as well as a founding principal of art studio, Atelier Cue. Mead has distinguished herself in architecture and design, most notably for her work in the public realm, where she has focused on strengthening and elevating communities through robust engagement and the meaningful integration of art and architecture.

For Svigals + Partners, she recently led design and client engagement for the internationally-recognized New Haven Botanical Garden of Healing honoring victims of gun violence and their surviving families. She was also the lead designer and project manager for the New Britain Beehive Bridge, which earned the prestigious American Architecture Award from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design.

New Haven Botanical Garden of Healing. Photo credit: Robert Benson Photography.                   Hole in the Wall Gang Camp Young Adult Lodge. Photo credit: Halkin Mason Photography.

The Women in Architecture Award honors “practicing female architects in Connecticut who demonstrate design excellence, promote equitable and sustainable practice, and are affecting change in the profession.”

“Marissa’s potent and enduring commitment to creating welcoming environments has already improved the lives of the many people and communities her work has touched,” says Jay Brotman, AIA, Svigals + Partners’ Managing Partner. “Her artistic, technical, and leadership skills make her an exceptionally talented member of the profession.” Adds Brotman, “This award is truly well-deserved and we are delighted to see Marissa honored by our statewide professional community.”

A graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Architecture, Marissa is currently leading architectural projects for the Hole in the Wall Gang Fund and Mary Wade Home. She has also been instrumental as a designer and project manager for educational buildings and residences at the University of New Haven, Engineering & Science University Magnet School, and Sandy Hook Elementary.

In addition to delivering successful built environments across sectors, Mead has excelled in the creation of public artwork installations, with her many community-driven works published internationally and widely acclaimed. She has lectured on design and engagement at Yale University, the Connecticut Architecture Conference and AIA Pennsylvania, among others.

Mead was elected to the first Executive Board of Directors for National Organization of Minority Architects, Connecticut Chapter (NOMAct) and co-chairs the AIA Connecticut Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Knowledge Committee, which implemented a statewide challenge program for architecture firms. To reach students in primarily underserved communities, she also created and produced the association's first-ever K-12 remote learning series, available to Connecticut students free of charge.

Mead also co-founded Spring Forward, a neighborhood action group pursuing housing equity and zoning reform in Hamden and was recently selected to participate in the creation of model codes for the State of Connecticut.

                                                                                   Park View at University Commons, University of New Haven. Photo Credit: Robert Umenhofer

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