Spotlight
BNIM expands East Coast presence in new Washington D.C. office
WASHINGTON, DC (January 19, 2024) — BNIM has established a new office in Washington D.C. to expand project initiatives and strengthen the firm’s local presence on the East Coast. Ryan McCabe, AIA, and Carleigh Pope, Assoc. AIA, NOMA, are leading the firm’s studio expansion in the D.C. area to bring high-performance, human-purposed design to the Mid-Atlantic Region.
BNIM has been recognized regionally and nationally for design excellence and sustainable leadership, including the 2011 AIA National Architecture Firm Award, and has studios in Kansas City, MO, Des Moines, IA, and San Diego, CA. On the East Coast, the firm has expanded its work and developed strong collaborations and partnerships with clients and industry peers. Among the firm’s notable projects in Washington D.C. is the REACH Expansion at the John F. Kennedy Center, completed in 2019 with Steven Holl Architects. The firm has worked with organizations including the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations and General Services Administration on numerous task order projects nationally and internationally demonstrating design excellence. In BNIM’s D.C. studio, the firm will continue to build upon its partnerships and work in the D.C. area. As a leader in the sustainable design movement, BNIM’s locale in Washington D.C. also presents the opportunity to help inform and advocate for U.S. building decarbonization and sustainable design policy.
Ryan McCabe will serve as the Studio Director of the D.C. office and a local point of contact for BNIM’s clients. McCabe is a registered architect in Missouri, Maryland, and Washington D.C. and maintains a significant portfolio of design excellence within the governmental, civic, residential, development, and higher education sectors. He is recognized among clients and colleagues for his ability to seamlessly navigate all phases of the design process through a strategic, attentive, and creative design approach. McCabe’s recent work includes the Kansas City International Airport Parking Garage, Missouri State University Roy Blunt Hall, Kirk Family YMCA, BOK Financial banking and office space, and Greenline KC, a 10-mile walk/bike loop concept study in Downtown Kansas City, MO. McCabe has also held an integral role in the renovation of the U.S. Embassy in Kampala, Uganda, which seeks to elevate employee wellness and showcase tenets of eco-diplomacy.
Carleigh Pope is a designer in BNIM’s Washington D.C. studio who has contributed to several significant projects at BNIM, including the addition and renovation to Missouri State University Blunt Hall and the adaptive reuse and redevelopment of former Charity Hospital in New Orleans, LA, the West Bottoms Flats in Kansas City, MO, and the Ladd School Redevelopment project. Carleigh embraces BNIM’s core purpose and values the opportunity to advocate for people and enhance the human condition through the projects she works on. She is a champion for growing diversity in the field of architecture, leading with a spirit of empathy and a determination to shape the AEC industry. In addition to her work at BNIM, Carleigh is an active member of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA).
“We are excited and proud to have Ryan and Carleigh representing BNIM in the D.C. region. Both are key leaders of our firm culture and project work, elevating the quality of design from early concept through the construction process. Their experience, knowledge, and commitment to our core purpose make them the perfect leaders in D.C.”
– Laura Lesniewski, FAIA, BNIM Principal
Header Image: The Reach at the Kennedy Center in collaboration with Steven Holl Architects. Photo by Richard Barnes.
