News

We are so pleased to announce that LISNER LOUISE DICKSON HURT HOME earned a Vision Award for 2024 by the The Committee of 100 on the Federal City.

The Committee recognized the Home for its outstanding collaboration with public and private sources and the community to expand its long-standing mission of caring for low- and moderate-income seniors. After a flood in 2020 rendered a portion of the historic assisted living building unhabitable, , developed a strategy to restore and improve the facility. The renovation plan features 45 handicapped-accessible private rooms and baths that will enable individuals to comfortably age in place; full renovation is scheduled for completion by mid-December 2024. Our firm also designed an adjacent new 93-unit building for affordable independent senior living that the Home is developing with Urban Atlantic. The Home’s resourceful, creative and collaborative approach serves as a replicable model for developing affordable housing throughout Washington, DC and turned tragedy into opportunity in service of DC’s low-income seniors. We are so honored to be part of this amazing community. Congratulations to all.

Congratulations to Kumi Wickramanayaka for being named 2024 Emerging Architect by AIA|DC. We are thrilled that Kumi was recognized for her leadership, mentorship, volunteer efforts, and commitment to the profession. She is a role model in our firm who continues to grow and seeks new challenges.

“Kumi is a highly valued team member within our office. Her reliability, hard work, and open approach resonate so strongly that senior leaders eagerly want her on their team. Her unwavering dedication to our profession, coupled with her remarkable contributions to design equity, community advocacy, and mentorship, make her a truly invaluable asset.” said Michael A. Wiencek, FAIA.

Way to go Kumi!

We celebrated the ribbon cutting at Seneca Creek Senior today, along with our clients Benjamin C. Miller at Wellington Development and Stephen P. Wilson at SCG DEVELOPMENT and Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. This beautifully appointed new community in Gaithersburg, MD is comprised of 111 one and two bedroom units that will serve seniors aged 62 and over, earning between 30% and 70% of AMI.
Special congratulations to our Project Manger, Temitayo Fasusi, RA, for overseeing the project through construction and working alongside James G. Davis Construction (DAVIS) to make this a terrific new home for residents in Montgomery County.

We are thrilled to announce the promotion of Kyle Schulte to Project Manager. Since joining the firm in 2022, Kyle has actively contributed to the overall success of the firm through his diligence on complex projects, his active role in our Revit user group, and willingness to take on more and more responsibilities. Well deserved Kyle.

Annually, the Maryland Affordable Housing Coalition (MAHC) spends a day in Annapolis to encourage Maryland State Senators and Delegates to support the need to fund housing that is attainable, including home ownership and rental. This year MAHC met with State leaders to encourage supporting Governor Wes Moore’s housing budget that increased funding for the Rental Housing Works program from $55mm to $110mm. These funds are desperately needed to make a dent in the housing crisis, as Maryland needs over 90,000 units of attainable housing but spends less than 0.2% of its budget to fund the Rental Housing Works program.

Thankful that Senator Mike Jackson (Prince George’s, Charles and Calvert County) was able to meet with a group of us and express his ongoing support and we saw this in almost every meeting we had. Very encouraging day in Annapolis!

Kumi Wickramanayaka, AIA,  traveled to Memphis, TN to attend the annual meeting of Young Architects Forum (YAF). The YAF promotes the professional growth and leadership development of Emerging Professionals, including early and mid-career architects and unlicensed professionals on both traditional and non-traditional career paths. The YAF is both a place to connect socially with the design community and a venue to build leadership and advocacy skills.

“Engaging with young representatives from across the US, AIA Puerto Rico and AIA International was definitely inspiring, and advocating for our profession felt meaningful in a room that was buzzing with innovative ideas and insightful thoughts. Feeling grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the Future of Architecture” said Wickramanayaka.

We are thrilled that Temi was selected to be part of this prestigious program!

The AIA|DC chapter  Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program seeks to develop, train, and nurture the next generation of leaders. The year-long program consists of nine individual half-day sessions attended by a competitively selected group of 16 emerging professionals (an emerging professional is defined as someone who has graduated from college with an architecture degree and is within 10 years of their first licensure).

The curriculum focuses on core professional skills such as entrepreneurship and firm management, working together and collaboration, the art of negotiation, client development, community leadership, industry trends, and developing your future within the practice.

For more than 10 years, Wiencek + Associates has invested in aspiring “architects” by volunteering in Washington Architecture Foundation’s “Architects in the Schools” program. This year, several of our team members partnered with Noyes Elementary School and Ms. Envangelista’s Third Grade class to create a curriculum and final project that allowed the students to design their own city. We introduced students to various architectural and design aspects, including building blocks of structures, plans, sections, and elevations. Several classes were dedicated to visualization and conceptualization to turn theory into reality. Such a fun and fulfilling time that we hope will inspire these young minds to become architects of the future.