Marshall Purnell


Marshall Purnell is a prominent African-American architect and 2008 president of the American Institute of Architects.

Life

Born in Toledo Ohio, and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Marshall Purnell is the second son of the late Lelia Purnell and the late long-time professional jazz saxophonist Curtis Purnell. After attending Ottawa Hills High School and playing point guard on its state high school championship winning basketball team, and being recruited by the Boston Red Sox, he chose not to pursue sports and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Architecture & Urban Planning, a Master of Architecture from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Architecture from the Boston Architectural College, BAC. Purnell taught design in 1973 at the University of Maryland. He is thought to be one of the first African American architects to hold a faculty position in the ACC. From 1974 to 1978, Purnell worked at The American Institute of Architects headquarters in Washington, DC where he was one of three members of the executive office. He entered private practice with the late Paul S. Devrouax, FAIA in 1978 and co-founded the firm Devrouax & Purnell Architects and Planners, PC.

CareerMarshall E. Purnell, FAIA, NOMAC

BS, M Arch, : D Arch, JIA, KIRA, MFA, RAIA, RCIA
Marshall E. Purnell, FAIA is considered one of the most accomplished architects in America today. He is a former national President of The American Institute of Architects and the National Organization of Minority Architects. He served as Design Principal of Devrouax & Purnell Architects Planners for thirty-five years. More than twenty million people a year live, work, play, or otherwise move through spaces and structures his firm designed. Firm projects include; the $850 million Washington Convention Center, the $700 million Washington Nationals Baseball Park, the Washington NBA and NHL venue Verizon Center, PEPCO Energy’s corporate headquarters, FreddieMac corporate Headquarters The National Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, several projects for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority, a New Town in Turkey, modernization projects at U.S. Embassies in Moscow and the former Yugoslavia, Cabinet drawing updates for 86 different Ambassadorial Residences world wide, a marina, restaurant, luxury housing, and golf course in the Bahamas’; and many mix use residential, institutional, educational, industrial, transportation, and commercial projects on both the east and west coasts. The firm has won AIA Design Awards at the local, regional and national level. Additionally, at the same time, Mr. Purnell was a Principal of the graphics design firm Design Communications for over ten years.
Mr. Purnell earned BS and M Arch degrees from the University of Michigan where he served as President of the College of Architecture and Planning Alumni Association Board of Governors and a member of the University of Michigan Alumni Association Executive Committee. In 2007, he received the University of Michigan Distinguished Service Award and Michigan’s College of Architecture Service Award where upon he presented the Commencement Address. In 2009, he received an honorary Doctorate of Architecture from the Boston Architectural College.
He has lectured extensively abroad including locations such as Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Korea, and Mexico. In the US, he has lectured at the University of Maryland, the University of Michigan, the University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, University of Virginia, Howard, Florida A&M, Morgan State, Montana State, Prairie View, Tuskegee, and Yale University. Mr. Purnell has testified before Congress on numerous occasions and been interviewed and quoted by professional magazines and newspapers such as: Architectural Record, Building Design and Construction, Interiors, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal.

Awards & Affiliations

The American Institute of Architects, AIA, ,
The American Institute of Architects Fellow,
The American Institute of Architects, DC Chapter, AIA/DC
The American Institute of Architects DC Chapter Centennial Medal
The American Institute of Architects Potomac Valley Chapter Paul Kea Medal
The American Institute of Architects, Legacy Foundation
The American Institute of Architects National Design Award
Japan Institute of Architects, JIA
Korean Institute of Registered Architects, KIRA
Mexican Federation of Architects, MFA
National Organization of Minority Architects, NOMAC, National Organization of Minority Architects Counsel
National Organization of Minority Architects
National Organization of Minority Architects, Founder Washington, DC Chapter
National Organization of Minority Architects, Founder Detroit, MI Chapter
National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, NCARB
Royal Architectural Institute of Australia, RAIA
Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, RAIC
Commencement Address Boston Architectural College 2007
Commencement Address University of Michigan College of Architecture
University of Michigan Distinguished Alumni Service Award
University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture & Planning Distinguished Service Award
Honorary Doctorate of Architecture: Boston Architectural College
Washington, DC Hall of Fame
Grand Rapids Michigan Sports Hall of Fame
Omega Psi Phi fraternity
Member, US Delegation: UNESCO Conference on the Environment,, Tbilisi, Georgia
Organizer: AE Federal Programs Conference, Miami Beach, FL , COFPAES
Organizer: AE Federal Programs Conference, San Francisco, CA, COFPAES
American Institute of Architects Scholarship Committee
American Institute of Architects Housing Committee
DC/AIA Education Committee
DC/ AIA Treasurer
DC/AIA Chairman, Fellows Committee
DC/ AIA Vice President
District of Columbia Preservation League
District of Columbia Urban League
Episcopal Diocese Architectural Review Committee
Montgomery County Salvation Army Board of Directors
United States Presidential Design Awards Jury
Studio Theatre
City First Bank of DC
The Cultural Alliance Board of Directors
University of the District of Columbia
United Way Campaign, District of Columbia
University of Michigan College of Architecture & Planning Alumni Board
University of Michigan Alumni Board
M. Purnell, “The Federal Market Place: Are you Prepared?”
M. Purnell, L. Spiller, “A Directory of Minority Architectural and Engineering Firms”
In 2014, Purnell joined the College of Design at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. He took the position of Professor of the Practice, Teaching Professional Practice, Design Studios, IDP Coordinator, AIAT Board Member, AIAS representative and Advisory Board Coordinator.