Part 1 | Women in Design: Pillars of BNIM’s Legacy – Maria Maffry
This March, in celebration of Women’s History Month and 50 years as a practice, we are reflecting on legacy here at BNIM. The journey of our practice – the projects, discoveries, movements, and milestones — is a journey shaped by the passionate, dedicated team of professionals and practitioners who have helped build, guide, and inspire the firm. Among these impactful BNIMers is a group of individuals who, together, represent a long history of pioneering change at BNIM and in the industry. As true innovators, advocates of sustainable practice and policy, and leaders of our firm, BNIM’s women in design are pillars of the firm’s legacy.
We had the opportunity to sit down with several of our female leaders at BNIM who have each shaped the firm through their respective practice and leadership over the last three decades. From Maria’s pioneering work in business development and communication in the AEC industry, to Barb leading the way for females in the architectural practice, to Sarah advancing the continually evolving area of sustainability within architectural specifications, to Laura advocating for global sustainability and resilience from the beginning of the movement in the 1990s — our interviewees have long been at the forefront of innovation in practice, and each continues to shape new paths forward. We are excited to share a series of interviews with BNIMers Maria, Barb, Sarah, and Laura.
Maria Maffry, Principal – 26 years at BNIM
“We’re always looking at, ‘What is the power of ten? What is the ripple effect?’ It seems like 50 years is a really important time to reflect on that and look forward.”
MARIA MAFFRY
Maria Maffry serves as BNIM’s Chief Business Development Officer. Having started her career with BNIM 29 years ago, Maria has worked alongside BNIM’s leadership and staff to build a reputation for design excellence, sustainable practice, and thought leadership over the course of nearly three decades. Maria leads the firm’s business development initiatives and contributes her expertise in areas of strategic planning, firm management, and business oversight while serving as a source of motivation and mentorship to her colleagues.
Q: What initially drew you to working with BNIM and what continues to motivate you in your work?
A// “I came to BNIM right out of college, not having had any exposure to the built environment, to our industry, and to architecture, but I pretty quickly, within weeks, began to understand how special this place is, how mission-driven it is. That really spoke to me, and I think that is what has always kept me here.
I was fortunate enough to work with B, N, I, and M…I got to understand, not just the bigger picture of what this firm is about, but…to really know the individuals that created and helped build the firm. I understood not only the ‘what’ but also the ‘why.’ I grew up here. I learned completely about the industry from these amazing people who are very passionate about what we do, and each of them had their special areas of interest and special areas of expertise. I felt like my education about BNIM was so rich because it was so varied, but it was also so direct. It was from each of them, and it was really about understanding the intricacies and the fabric of what makes BNIM what it is.”
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS EAST CAMPUS PARKING GARAGE AND MASTER PLAN
Q: This is BNIM’s 50th year as a practice. What impact does this have? What is your view of the history and legacy of BNIM?
A// “It has changed a lot, in a lot of different facets and a lot of different ways, even the nature of what I do, which is marketing and business development. When I first started, it was really in its infancy. Now it has become a really important, sophisticated aspect of an architectural practice. Just watching this change has been very significant over the years. I feel that 50 is such a big number…it adds a significance. It lends itself to being in a place where you look back and look forward at the same time. It’s really appreciating that we’ve been around for 50 years and what has made us sustain who we are…but it’s also, ‘How do we continue to be relevant? How do we continue to be significant? How do we continue to impact the industry as a whole?’
I think that’s one of the things about BNIM. There are so many of us that aren’t just thinking about or mired in that one project or one proposal or that one thing we’re working on. We’re always looking at, ‘What is the power of ten? What is the ripple effect?’ It seems like 50 years is a really important time to reflect on that and look forward.”
Q: The Mr. K award jury noted that BNIM was a young old firm with a start-up mentality. Can you speak to how BNIM has stayed relevant?
A// “I’ve been here long enough that I’ve seen several generations and several iterations of the firm as it continues to evolve. I haven’t just seen one thing…We still think and behave like a relatively small practice, or series of small practices. We’re made up of studios in Kansas City, Des Moines, and San Diego. That’s part of it, too. Adding other offices has allowed another layer with different perspective and different ways for us to consider how we do our work, how we impact our communities, and how we can continue to move the profession forward.”
Q: What inspires you about your fellow Women in Design?
A// “Because I’ve been in the industry for so long, it has been a very marked difference in seeing women be recognized in the design industry. When I think back to the early ‘90s, I think there were two female architects at BNIM…It just seemed like at some point, you began to see more and more women in the industry. I think what women are doing is adding so much more to the design conversation. There’s the introduction of so many different ideas that I feel like are attributable to having female voices. I think seeing the female leaders that are design leaders and even women in the industry that aren’t design professionals but are still leaders and have been in the industry for a long time, is really compelling. It’s fun to watch them break all kinds of barriers.”
