PHL Urban Design Committee: Introduction
Hello! We are the Urban Design Committee of AIA Philadelphia. We are architects who look beyond buildings to observe the larger urban context of Philadelphia, and share stories of the incredible urban design work going on.
Erin is an architect at WRT with over two decades of practice spanning a range of building types including educational, cultural, housing, and residential projects. She has a BA in Architecture from Lehigh University and MArch from the University of Pennsylvania. Currently she co-chairs both the AIA Philadelphia Urban Design Committee and the AIA Philadelphia Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and is on the Steering Committee for the AIA + GBCA. She is also the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the Philadelphia AIA Board. She believes strongly that improvements in sustainability, diversity, equality and urban growth are important to champion in the design profession. Erin enjoys running, baking and watching movies with her husband.
Modesto Bigas-Valedon is a registered architect in practice with WRT, a multidisciplinary firm in Philadelphia. He has a professional degree in Architecture from Cornell University and a Masters in Urban Design with Distinction from Harvard University. Modesto’s strong credentials and experience as an architect and urban designer have been instrumental to the success of several high-profile projects at his workplace and contributed to a comprehensive view of issues impacting the communities he’s served. His approach to the projects he’s involved with include raising awareness towards sustainability and balancing the needs of clients and community members whether they are affordable communities, special needs, or private developments. Modesto enjoys watching anime and sports with his two boys, and working with his family to restore a historic stone house in Delaware County and its surrounding garden.
Sophia Lee is a registered architect in Philadelphia. She has a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies from University of IL at Urbana-Champaign and a Master in Architecture from University of Virginia. In addition to her professional work in higher education and high-end food retail, she has also taught technical and design courses at Jefferson University (East Falls campus) and Temple University. She cares deeply about urban issues regarding sustainability; gentrification — especially as it relates to social inequality; promoting urban environments welcoming to BIPOC, people with disabilities, WTFNB, LGBTQIA, people of different economic circumstances, immigrants, and people of different ages; increasing food and outdoor recreational access. She is on the Compost Team at Brewerytown Garden and has volunteered extensively with Bicycle Coalition of Philadelphia’s Folx n Spokes PHL program. While social distancing, she has been keeping busy making masks and gardening up a storm.
