AIA Baltimore mourns the loss of two Emeritus members, Laurin B. “Monk” Askew, FAIA and Leon Bridges, FAIA. Members of the AIA Baltimore Fellows remember them as pioneers, role models, and mentors whose talents and contributions will live on.
Laurin B. “Monk” Askew Jr. FAIA, worked for The Rouse Company for 30 years before establishing MONK LLC, a multi -disciplinary design consulting firm in Baltimore. Committed to collaboration among architects, Monk was a trusted partner in the development process. An Instagram post by The Village of Cross Keys stated, “It is with sadness and tremendous reverence that we share the passing of Laurin B. “Monk” Askew, a longtime tenant of The Village of Cross Keys, and the former director of design for The Rouse Company, the original developer of Cross Keys. For over three decades at Rouse, Monk helped shape the design of shopping centers, town centers, planned communities (including Columbia), and mixed-use projects across the country, while championing the premise that great development begins with great design. He was a cherished member of the senior management team at The Rouse Company. After retiring from Rouse, he founded Monk, LLC and continued advising on urban design and redevelopment, with his office located at Village Square. Many of the photographs that you find in the hallways of the redeveloped project were made available by Monk from his archives.” A celebration of life has been planned for May 16th. For more information, visit www.monkandtheda.com.
Leon Bridges, FAIA Member Emeritus, NOMAC Emeritus was the founder and president of The Leon Bridges Company in Baltimore, an architectural and planning firm established in Baltimore after relocating his practice from Seattle in 1972. In 1984, he became the first African American architect in Maryland to be elevated to the AIA College of Fellows. Bridges’ service extended beyond architecture, having served as a Board member of Greater Seattle and Greater Baltimore YMCA, Baltimore Urban League, NAACP, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Baltimore ACTSO Program, and more. His professional honors include receiving the AIA Whitney M. Young, Jr. Award in 1998. Bridges served as the 1st elected Black Director of a Regional AIA Board of Directors, as an elected National Vice President of the AIA, President of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), Co-Founder and Chairman of the AIA Minority Scholarship Fund, Organizing member of the AIA Task Force on Social Responsibility, and Charter Member of BmoreNOMA. Leon semi-retired from active practice in 2005 and became a beloved Professor in the Morgan State University School of Architecture and Planning until 2019.
To learn more about Leon Bridges and his career, watch Trailblazing Architects, Leon Bridges, FAIA, NOMA.
