Interview With Vernon Woodworth, FAIA

 Below is an interview with Vernon Woodworth, FAIA about his motivations and experience as the founder of Urban Determination.

• Can you provide a bit of background on yourself and your professional experience?

I am a registered architect with an undergraduate degree in Urban Design and a Master of Theological Studies. Currently I wear three hats: 1) practicing architect and principal of a start-up architecture firm (Urban Determination); 2) Teacher (member of the faculty at the Boston Architectural College); and ‘Architectural Theologian’.  This last hat is a work in progress, involving understanding the role of the built environment in our physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

•  You've produced numerous publications and taught extensively throughout your career. What themes or principles from these works do you think will be most relevant to your work with Urban Determination?

I was lost in architecture school. I needed some guiding principle. So I went to Theology school and entered psychotherapy. A decade later I was unemployed with a degree that meant nothing in the marketplace. So I took a job as a building official. Gradually I came to understand that the underlying organizing principle of architectural practice is the governing codes. I still can’t believe that this is rarely taught in architecture programs! I absorbed the fundamental principles of life-safety and sequential review process, saw how zoning and building codes shape our built environment, and got a first-hand look at the helplessness of many architects in the face of bureaucracy. Contractors and developers are far better at expediting permits and securing variances. Upon rejoining the private sector as a code consultant I took it as my mission to facilitate approvals by documenting compliance and guiding the permit process. I also began my teaching career by focusing on codes.

•  In the course of your career, you've witnessed significant changes in architecture. As you shift towards dedicating full time to Urban Determination, what emerging trends or advancements do you see having the greatest impact on the future of your firm?

The technology shift is the biggest change, but there is also an ongoing marginalization of the architecture profession. I studied sustainability in college and saw that the future depended on changing our development patterns, but this did not become a priority for the profession for another thirty years and is still not a policy priority. However wetlands legislation, more stringent energy codes, and a growing understanding that automobiles are destructive to the central human value of community are all positive developments. A solution to the automobile-dominated lifestyle, to the housing crisis and to the commercial and social vitality of downtowns is a phenomenon known as “missing middle” housing. This consists of creating three- to four-story apartment buildings with street orientation and a maximum of six to eight units. Location is key, and walkability is the key. This approach can address empty-nester syndrome, and there is an obvious sustainability dimension as well.

•  What motivates you to take on this challenge and what do you hope to achieve? 

I see Urban Determination as a purpose-driven practice based on personal connections. We cannot live happily in a world built on economic formulas or abstract principles. This is what I set out to do in college, and despite wrong turns and apparent dead ends I have somehow arrived at my goal. Realizing that you are fulfilling your dreams is a powerful motivator.

•  Given the importance of sustainable and green architecture today, how does Urban Determination plan to integrate these principles into its designs, and how do you see this influencing the broader field of architecture?

I wrote a book that I wanted to title “Programming for Tomorrow” based on the obvious fact that we are constructing the world that future generations will inhabit. It was accepted in the midst of the pandemic and the editors changed the name to “Programming for Health and Wellbeing in Architecture”, which I am fine with because that also fits the content. But making sustainability the foundation of architectural practice has always been a priority. I was fortunate to represent the AIA on the drafting committee of the International Green Construction Code, which is now in its fifth edition. Massachusetts has led the nation in energy efficiency requirements and I have served on several sub-committees of the Board of Building Regulations and Standards involved in this work. My conviction is that a resilient community of social vibrancy is an essential component of a sustainable world. So health and wellbeing are also sustainability.

•  Can you share some of the most valuable insights you've gained over the years and how do you plan to incorporate these into Urban Determination's operations?

Humans are social animals, not productivity units or consumers. If we recognize this our whole cultural dynamic will shift. In addition to a supportive social context we require a healthy and thriving ecological context, for environmental services and emotional restoration. We cannot rely on media, no matter how stimulating, to restore the regulation of our central nervous systems. In my musings on our role in evolution I have concluded that we are intended to be stewards of living systems.  I just learned that there is a theology based on stewardship, so maybe that degree was valuable after all!

•  What is your vision for Urban Determination in the next 5-10 years? What steps are you planning to take to turn this vision into a reality?

I have been growing UD with the help of a small core of supportive and talented individuals for eight years. Our focus has been small scale residential projects, with occasional commercial and cultural projects. There is a demand for our services among homeowners and small businesses, and we can grow our brand by providing the highest level of service in these markets. With my attention directed full-time to this endeavor we can improve our delivery times and take on additional clients. I can’t predict number of employees or revenue growth, but I can sense the demand and know it will lead us to expand our impact. Slow growth has served us well, and that works for me.  A good outcome depends on the right fit of client and capacity. We can build our capacity based on demand, but also based on our sense of what we are capable of at any given time. We will add staff as the right people emerge, and I see training as my most important role for the future of the company. It is also not too early to be planning for transition. I want everyone to understand that they have a future stake in our success.