Lawrence Fabbroni, AIA

A dedicated professional for nearly two decades, Lawrence J. Fabbroni, AIA, has worked on designs that benefit both public and private interests, increasing project values and community capital. Active at all levels of the AIA, he has helped shape new leadership roles for the Young Architects Forum and strengthened the bonds between AIAS and other allied organizations.

Currently Fabbroni is an associate with Pittsburgh’s Strada, where he leads complex mixed-use and urban design projects while participating in the firm’s strategic marketing and business development efforts. Early in his career, as one of the youngest associates at New York’s Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects, he took the charge of the master plans for downtown Yonkers, New York, and Buffalo’s Inner Harbor. The latter created a framework for extending the city’s downtown area to the Buffalo Sabres arena, drawing water inland by retracing the original path of the Erie Canal. Now in Phase 2 of its implementation, the plan—through its inclusion of year-round outdoor activities, cultural destinations, housing, and retails spaces—is redefining what it means to live in or visit the city.

As a student at Carnegie Mellon University, Fabbroni helped bring AIAS national conference, FORUM, to Pittsburgh. This accomplishment catapulted him to a number of leadership roles in the organization, and ultimately national president from 2002–03. Fabbroni has also served as a student director on AIA Pittsburgh’s board as well as the AIA’s national board of directors.

In 2013, Fabbroni stepped into the newly created role of advocacy director for the Young Architect’s Forum. He helped design the position, develop reporting protocols for the group, and craft responses to the AIA’s repositioning efforts at the time. His push for a collaborative relationship with the Association of General Contractors of America’s Construction Leadership Council has resulted in shared online forums, reciprocal participation at events, and a stronger connection between the leadership of both groups. Last year, as the forum’s vice chair, he was a key member in planning last October’s Practice Innovation Lab, which explored radical new business models for the profession. As young architects prepare to assume greater leadership roles, Fabbroni, as the forum’s 2018 chair, plans to engage them in deep discussions about the future of the AIA.

Beyond the AIA, Fabbroni is an ambassador for architecture to a number of allied professions. With the Municipal Art Society of New York, he helped relaunch the MAS Urbanists young professionals program. Since relocating to Pittsburgh, in 2016, he has quickly risen in the hierarchy for the Urban Land Institute’s Pittsburgh District. A member of its executive leadership committee, he is co-chair of member engagement.

Humble and charming, Fabbroni has inspired countless other design professionals to pursue a path of service and leadership. His work continues to focus on the horizon as he lays the groundwork for a more effective and engaged profession.