AIA SA Walk with a Fellow

Architecture is built not only of brick, steel, and glass, but also of memory, collaboration, and mentorship. In fall 2024, AIA San Antonio launched Walk with a Fellow, a first-of-its-kind mentorship series pairing emerging professionals (EPs) and young architects with Fellows of the American Institute of Architects (FAIAs). The program marks a deliberate step toward cultivating deeper intergenerational ties within the profession.

In early 2025, Walk with a Fellow was awarded a grant from the AIA College of Fellows, giving the initiative a boost and allowing it to extend its reach beyond San Antonio’s city limits.

The format of each session is simple: EPs are invited to step into the lived history of one of San Antonio’s fellows while walking alongside them through the sites, stories, and spaces that shaped their careers. Within this structure, each fellow’s individual approach has had a transformational impact. No two sessions have been alike, with every gathering becoming as unique as the fellow guiding it.

At its heart, Walk with a Fellow underscores the profession’s responsibility to shape more than buildings—it is about cultivating community, culture, and resilience. Each session illuminates the human side of practice, reminding us that architecture is not only about technical mastery, but about carrying forward a set of values and principles. 

The inaugural 2025 session at Ruby City set the tone. Led by Mike McGlone, FAIA, and Irby Hightower, FAIA—both of Alamo Architects—the walk uncovered the unlikely partnerships and civic vision that brought to life two transformative San Antonio landmarks: Ruby City, the contemporary art center founded by Linda Pace, and the revitalization of San Pedro Creek. The two fellows illustrated how design excellence can merge with ecological restoration and public space to create a legacy that extends far beyond drawings or contracts.

Following the Ruby City session, Rick Archer, FAIA, of Overland Partners guided young architects through the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, weaving lessons of stewardship and sustainability into the conversation. He reminded participants that architecture is a practice rooted in relationships, and that sometimes a client can become the guiding light and the foundation of an entire career.

In the next session at Confluence Park, Tenna Florian, FAIA, of Lake Flato Architects, spoke about collaboration and collective vision. She shared her path, describing what inspired her to keep moving forward even when clarity was elusive. Her message emphasized that architecture is never achieved by one person alone but through a network of trust and collaboration.

Most recently, a session at Pease Park featured a dialogue between landscape architect Christine Ten Eyck, who is a fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects,  and Brian Korte, FAIA, on the transformative impact that landscape collaboration can bring to architecture. This marked the first session to feature an allied practitioner. The vision for Pease Park would not have been possible without the partnership between architecture and landscape architecture, and attendees gained firsthand insight into what such a carefully nurtured process can produce.

As the architectural profession faces increasingly complex challenges—like climate urgency, evolving technologies, and the pursuit of greater equity and representation—mentorship is not a luxury; it is a necessity. For AIA San Antonio, Walk with a Fellow is not a one-off event but the beginning of an ongoing mentorship series. Upcoming sessions will continue to feature diverse voices, projects, and lessons—curated not only to honor past achievements but also to prepare future leaders for the challenges ahead.

In this way, the program becomes a living archive of Texas architecture: a tapestry woven of personal anecdotes, civic commitments, and professional milestones. It is mentorship not confined to lecture halls or office cubicles, but alive in the streets, plazas, and buildings of the city—laying the foundation for a future of citizen architects.