BARBARA A. NADEL, FAIA

Principal

Barbara A. Nadel, FAIA, is principal of Barbara Nadel Architect (BNA), a New York City architectural and consulting firm. She is an award-winning architect, author, and journalist, specializing in building security, master planning, programming, and design of civic, justice, healthcare, cultural, and institutional facilities. Her professional accomplishments are multi-disciplinary, global, collaborative, and widely recognized.

Since establishing BNA in 1992, Ms. Nadel has worked with the world’s leading institutions, owners, architects, security consultants, engineers, construction managers, and over 40 federal, state, and local government agencies in the U.S. and internationally. Her experience includes transportation, critical infrastructure, corrections facilities, and specialized medical, psychiatric, educational, and commercial development projects.

Ms. Nadel is an advocate for security and design excellence in civic architecture and the built environment. She is editor-in-chief of Building Security: Handbook for Architectural Planning and Design (McGraw-Hill, 2004), for which she received the 2005 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Institute Honors for Collaborative Achievement and the 2003 Milka Bliznakov Prize from the International Archive of Women in Architecture (IAWA), for creating this security resource. She's spoken to over 70 groups in the U.S. and internationally on security and disaster planning, including for government, security, building industry, cultural, justice, healthcare, and legal organizations.

The U.S. General Services Administration appointed Ms. Nadel to the National Register of Peer Professionals in the Design Excellence Program, where she contributes to the quality of American civic architecture. Ms. Nadel represented AIA at the State Department’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) Industry Advisory Panel. She chaired the AIA 21st Century Embassy Task Force and authored Design for Diplomacy: New Embassies for the 21st Century (AIA. 2009), which provided the framework for OBO’s Design Excellence program.

Ms. Nadel testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Subcommittee on Public Buildings about federal security standards, and briefed the House High-Performance Congressional Caucus Coalition on secure and sustainable U.S. Embassies.

The White House appointed Ms. Nadel to address security for historic federal properties at the Preserve America Summit, where she collaborated with the U.S. Department of Defense, national public officials, and preservation leaders.

In recognition of her significant achievements for advancing the architectural profession in security design, national leadership, public service, professional practice, and publishing, Ms. Nadel received the prestigious 2009 AIA Edward C. Kemper Award.

As a journalist and editor, Ms. Nadel has written more than 450 articles on security, design, sustainability, public policy, and technology, appearing in over 100 magazines, newspapers, and web publications. She has contributed to several books, including Government By Example (Kyoto Publishing/Deloitte, 2010), Architectural Graphic Standards (Wiley, 2007) and Time Saver Standards (McGraw-Hill, 2001). She has been featured in over 250 global media outlets, including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Fox News, www.GlobalPost.com, and others. She serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of Homeland Security Television, and was an on-camera expert in "Standing Strong: The 25-year Quest to Design Blast Resistant Buildings," a documentary. Ms. Nadel was editor-in-chief of AIA's knowledge website, and consulting managing editor of Architectural Record's Continuing Education section. Her work was nominated for the business media's Neal Award.

Professional service and leadership have been a vital part of Ms. Nadel's career. She was 2001 AIA National Vice President, a two-term member of the AIA National Board of Directors, 2002 AIA Committee on Architecture for Justice Chair, and has held many national, state, and local positions. She was elected to the AIA College of Fellows (FAIA), and served two terms on the IAWA Board of Advisors. Her various honors and awards include the AIA New York State President’s Award, AIA NYS Del Gaudio Service Award, and others.

Ms. Nadel is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design (Bachelor of Architecture, Bachelor of Fine Arts) and the State University of New York at Binghamton (Bachelor of Arts, Pre-Architecture). She studied architecture at Cornell University, physics at Hofstra University, and management at the University of Rhode Island. She has taught design studios, and served as an academic design critic and juror for national and international design awards programs.