As a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Richie Hands had a building-block moment. He’d completed an assignment for a studio class taught by James Shields, an associate professor of architecture. But this bit of feedback from Shields was different, and particularly to-the-point: “Good luck,” as Hands remembers it.
“I wasn’t giving him anything [that he could evaluate],” Hands said. “I think [his feedback] gave me a good challenge, knowing that where I was at just wasn’t up to snuff.” It inspired soul searching and a second crack at the assignment, this time winning high praise from his professor.
“That was one of those things that really stuck with me early in my career,” Hands said.
His career as an architect is not even 15 years old, but it’s already been defined by the prominent buildings he’s helped design. For example, he was job captain for the new Northwestern Medicine Bronzeville Advanced Outpatient Care Center in Chicago. Hands has also won prestigious national awards – he was one of just 30 in the nation given the Young Architects Award by the American Institute of Architects. He was one of the UWM Alumni Association’s Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) award winners in 2023.
Perhaps most importantly, he has opened doors for other architects from underrepresented groups. As the national chair of the National Organization of Minority Architects’ Project Pipeline, Hands leads architecture-themed summer camps for young people.
“Every single year, we’ve expanded the number of students involved,” he said.
Bridge work
Just 3% of U.S. architects who’ve passed the national licensing exam are Black. Hands has set out to improve that statistic. First, he had to pass the exam and get licensed himself. And now he’s opening doors for future generations of Black architects. He started as a member of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) while a student at UWM.
His first NOMA conference was powerful. “Just being in a space with hundreds of Black architects and seeing, ‘There are more of us and a lot of them are doing absolutely phenomenal things,’” he said.
As a professional, he expanded his involvement, taking the organization’s Project Pipeline to new heights. In 2015, during his first year as Project Pipeline’s program director, Hands grew its summer camp from a one-day workshop with fewer than 10 students into a four-day camp with 80 young people. Later, in 2020, he became the program’s national chair. He worked to revamp its curriculum and better connect every chapter around the country.
In the process, he met and mentored next-generation architectural leaders, like Erica Jones, then a middle-schooler at Project Pipeline’s University of Chicago site during Hands’ first year. She continued with the camp throughout high school, becoming a mentor to younger students.
When Hands was working on the Northwestern Medicine Bronzeville project, he called on Jones to help. The college student in urban planning helped throughout the design process and was crucial in getting development approval for the project.
“She was instrumental to the success of the project,” Hands said. “And she started her career in Project Pipeline, which is the best thing that could have happened.”
Award winner
By 2024, Hands had earned two architecture degrees – his bachelor’s from UWM followed by a master’s from the Illinois Institute of Technology. He’d also landed a role co-leading a studio at Chicago-based architectural firm Lamar Johnson Collaborative, which he held until the summer of 2025.
One day in 2024, Hands opened his email and was stunned. A message announced his selection for the Young Architects Award by the American Institute of Architects, the largest and most prominent industry group for architects. In addition to the buildings he’s designed – Hands was instrumental in the renovation of Horizon Therapeutics headquarters in suburban Chicago, which received a 2022 Illinois Real Estate Journal Award – the AIA lauded Hands’ work furthering the profession.
“Already, he has proven himself an exceptional leader through his commitment to diversify and advance the profession,” the AIA said in its announcement.
Hands immediately told his wife, Kelli. Next, he called his parents in Madison. Then, he saved the email.
“It’s flagged on my Outlook,” he said. “It’s going to stay there forever.”
