Quinn Evans Principal Known for Advocacy for Equitable Communities, Mentoring Black Students

Saundra Little, FAIA, LEED AP, NOMA, a principal and director of diversity and inclusion with Quinn Evans, has been elevated to the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) College of Fellows. The prestigious honor recognizes significant achievements within the architectural profession.

Little is an award-winning architect and advocate for the revitalization of the urban realm, with a focus on creating equitable communities. Little has also focused much of her career on mentorship and introducing young minorities to the architectural profession. Over the past seven years she has helped more than 200 Black students at the middle school, high school, and college levels explore the architectural field through paid internships, mentoring programs, career fairs, and community forums.

Little holds a Master of Architecture (1998) and a B.S. in Architecture and Design (1994) from Lawrence Technological University. Her leadership within the AIA has included serving as a board member with AIA Detroit and participating on numerous committees.

“Few architects have had the kind of impact on their communities and their profession that Saundra Little has,” says Alyson Steele, FAIA, LEED AP, executive vice president and chief design officer for Quinn Evans. “Her equity-focused career has fostered diversity within the architectural community and created new opportunities for minority architects. Within Quinn Evans and throughout our industry, Saundra has served as a role model for advocacy, activism, mentorship, and design excellence.”

Webcast: Creating Equitable Communities

View Quinn Evans’ webcast, Creating Equitable Communities, featuring Saundra Little at https://quinn-evans.webflow.io/webcast-blog-posts/creating-equitable-communities.

About Quinn Evans

Quinn Evans provides services in architecture, planning, urban revitalization, and historic preservation, including sustainable preservation and stewardship. Established in 1984, the firm has more than 200 professionals in six office locations in Washington, D.C.; Ann Arbor and Detroit, Michigan; Madison, Wisconsin; Baltimore, Maryland; and Richmond, Virginia. Nationally ranked in its sustainability practice, Quinn Evans is a charter signatory of the AIA 2030 Challenge and a member of the Center for the Built Environment.

Quinn Evans specializes in cultural, institutional, commercial, and educational projects, including museums, historic parks, theaters, mixed-use buildings, schools and campus facilities, libraries, and civic landmarks. Current projects for the firm include the modernization of the National Air and Space Museum and the renovation and design of undercroft space at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.; renovation of the Old City Hall and Virginia Commonwealth University’s new STEM building in Richmond, Va.; and redevelopment of Baltimore’s Penn Station. Quinn Evans was selected by Ford to design the restoration and adaptive use of the landmark Michigan Central Station in Detroit. Projects in Detroit also include the restoration of the historic Wurlitzer Building; the renovation of 985 Michigan Avenue for the U.S. General Services Administration; and the documentation of 20th-century African American civil rights sites in the city of Detroit for the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office in association with the Detroit Historic Designation Advisory Board. For more information, visit www.quinnevans.com.