Member Spotlight: Brad Benjamin, AIA, CSI, LEED AP bd+c
Brad Benjamin, AIA, CSI, LEED AP bd+c is a licensed Architect in Greenville, South Carolina, who is a passionate advocate for architecture to his clients, his profession, his peers, and his community. Ever the consummate team player, Brad concentrates on elevating his relationships with his clients with particular emphasis on complex, high-profile projects. Brad is an established leader in his community and the profession, committed to promoting the value of design to clients while mentoring the next generation of Young Architects.
FIRM LEADERSHIP
Brad is the founder of Radium Architecture, a studio providing diverse projects in architecture, planning, and interior environments to a broad range of clients seeking unique and efficient solutions to their goals and objectives. Through his practice, Brad works to bring purpose to the built environment by designing more sustainable and socially responsible places for his clients and his community.
Formed in 2011 in Greenville, South Carolina, Radium has served a variety of public and private clients with various project types. The similarity in all of his work is an unwavering commitment to a balance of design excellence, efficient project delivery, and practical building systems. Brad seeks to work in a collaborative environment where the exchange of ideas is essential to a successful process. This collaborative atmosphere not only operates within his office, but it extends to his relations with the client, the end users, the technical consultants, and the local jurisdictional authorities.
Brad graduated from Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science in Design, a Bachelor of Science in Construction Science and Management, and a Master of Architecture.
PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP
Brad has been a very active member of AIA since joining AIA Greenville while still an undergraduate student at Clemson University in 1995. A hallmark of Brad’s involvement in the AIA is his devotion to mentoring architecture students and Emerging Professionals. Brad advises and encourages our next generation of Architects to achieve their career goals by showing them how to effectively assume responsibility and control for their own careers early in their professional development.
Early in his career, Brad has won distinction as a leader in the profession on a state, regional and national scale. Brad has been recognized as one of Greenville Magazine’s “Best and Brightest 35 & Under” in 2007 as well as one of Building Design & Construction magazine’s “40 Under 40” honorees in 2012. Brad was also recognized in 2008 with an AIA-SC Presidential Citation -- the youngest AIA South Carolina member to ever receive the honor -- for “his work with the successful Emerging Professional programs and his service to the AIA as Regional Associate representative.”
Most recently, the American Institute of Architects honored Brad with the 2014 Young Architect Award. This award, now in its 20th year, is one of the highest individual honors the AIA can bestow upon a member. The award honors AIA members who have shown exceptional leadership and made significant contributions to the architecture profession early in their careers. Brad is only the second South Carolinian and the third Clemson University alumnus to have ever received the award. In addition, he is also the first AIA member to receive both the AIA’s Associate Member of the Year Award (which has since been elevated to the Associates Award) and the Young Architect Award.
In 2009, Brad served as the President for his local component, AIA Greenville, where he implemented a new Strategic Plan that helped clearly define the mission and vision for the component as well as establish several new outreach programs including a local Architecture for Humanity chapter, a Women in Architecture chapter, and an Emerging Professionals mentoring initiative titled ‘ArchiLamp’ for which he served as a Mentor. While President, Brad also served as the local co-chair for the 2009 South Atlantic Regional Conference. In partnership with the Regional Council, Brad championed another set of successful Emerging Professional-specific educational sessions and special events.
Currently, Brad serves as the Past Chair of the AIA’s Young Architects Forum. As Chair, Brad led the YAF after it’s enormously successful 20th Anniversary event, Summit25, to develop the next 5 year Strategic
Plan for the Committee based on the Summit25 outcomes. In his role as YAF Chair, Brad has served on numerous AIA task forces and committees including the Board Council of Emerging Professionals, the AIA-AGC National Joint Committee, and the Small Firm Round Table’s “Architects Practice Primer” software application due this fall.
COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP
Brad serves as an exceptional representative of his profession and firm through his activity in several areas of community service. As a result of his numerous community service accomplishments, Brad was honored in 2007 as one of Greenville Magazine’s “Best and Brightest 35 and Under”. In 2010, Brad was selected to participate in Class 37 of Leadership Greenville, a program designed and facilitated by the Greenville
Chamber of Commerce to help develop informed, committed and qualified leaders for Greenville County.
As a passionate supporter of his community, Brad established Radium as the first Greenville-based architecture firm to support Public Architecture’s “1% Percent’ program - a national program which seeks to challenge architecture firms to pledge 1 percent of their yearly billable hours to pro bono work for community non-profits. To further his pro bono support in the community, Brad was the founding chairman of the Greenville chapter of Architecture for Humanity.
http://www.radiumarchitecture.com/
contact@radiumarchitecture.com
