Barry Richards, a principal and studio leader at the award-winning firm Rockwell Group, brings a multifaceted skillset ranging from architecture and interior design to products, productions and playgrounds. As Chapter President, Richards will focus his time and efforts on broadening the dialogue within the A&D community and bring in more diverse perspectives.
“I want to use my time as president to ‘broaden the dialogue’ – who we are talking to, who we are partnering with, who are we are inspiring, and who we are reaching out to,” explains Barry.
“We need to be talking to more than just to our friends and associates. It could mean a lot of different things, but it is an opportunity to expand what design is, to be more inclusive, to inspire us to do more and inspire others.”
Barry also hopes to reach a younger audience and engage students, integrating other organizations within the architecture and design fields into IIDA NY’s initiatives as well as foster more inclusion and diversity within the interior design field.
At Rockwell Group, Barry’s diverse portfolio includes Imagination Playground, a global children’s play initiative; exhibition design for the Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta and the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco; scenic design the Broadway production of Hairspray, the 2009 and 2010 Academy Awards and the film Team America: World Police; and product collections for Knoll, Stellar Works, Rich Brilliant Willing, The Rug Company, Maya Romanoff, and Jim Thompson.
He is a graduate of the University of Washington in Fine Arts and Architecture, and received his Master of Architecture from Princeton University. Honors and recognition include an Interior Design Best of Year Award for the Center for Civil and Human Rights, the Architect’s Newspaper Visionary Award for David Rockwell for Rich Brilliant Willing, and a Contract Magazine’s Best of NeoCon Award for Rockwell Unscripted.
Coinciding with Richards’ appointment, the IIDA NY has just undergone a rebrand. The refreshed look will don a new logo meant to show unification within the Chapter and a soon-to-be unveiled website that will offer a more user-friendly format.
With these new presidential initiatives and a new design to bind the design community in New York, the organization is looking forward to offering insightful panels, mentorship for students and new designers, and the continued fostering of growth amongst all who are part of the IIDA NY.
