Every Woman Her Own Architect: Author Talk with Kelly Hayes McAlonie

As America's first professional female architect, Louise Blanchard Bethune broke barriers in a male-dominated profession that was emerging as a vital force in a rapidly growing nation during the Gilded Age. Yet, Bethune herself is an enigma. Due to scant information about her life and her firm, Bethune, Bethune & Fuchs, scholars have struggled to provide a complete picture of this trailblazer. Using a newly discovered archival source of photographs, architectural drawings, and personal documents, Kelly Hayes McAlonie paints a picture of Bethune never before seen. A comprehensive biography of the first professional woman architect in the United States, who was also the first woman to be admitted to the American Institute of Architects, Louis Blanchard Bethune: Every Woman Her Own Architect serves as an important addition to New York and architectural history.

Kelly Hayes McAlonie, FAIA, LEED AP is the Director of Campus Planning at the University at Buffalo. Her work involves overseeing the implementation of the university’s Comprehensive Master Plan and the strategic planning for UB’s three campus environments. Kelly has dedicated her career to educational architecture and educating the public. She is a member of the Association of University Architects. In 2011, Kelly and colleague Despina Stratigakos collaborated with Mattel on the design and launch of Barbie I Can Be…Architect.

Kelly has also been very active in the American Institute of Architects, serving as the 2008 President of AIA Buffalo/WNY, the 2012 President of AIANYS, and the 2016-2019 Regional Representative of the AIA National Strategic Council. She recently served a three-year term on the National Architectural Accrediting Board, as Treasurer. She also serves on the Steering Committee for the Trailblazing Women of Western New York, an initiative of the Erie County Commission on the Status of Women to place monuments to women in our public realm.

Roxanne Button, AIA, CSI/CCS, LEED/WELL/LF AP is an Architect and Sustainability Consultant working in her own practice, Design Synergies Architecture, in Buffalo, NY. Her work is infused with a commitment to integrated project design and multi-disciplinary collaboration, working on a variety of projects in both new and historic buildings. The thread that ties together her three decades of diverse experience is a consistent focus on the interconnections between architectural and interior design, materials and occupant health, and building envelope and energy conservation. Roxanne is a longtime volunteer with AIA, USGBC, and the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), where she has advocated for continuing education and knowledge sharing across disciplines. Roxanne founded the Committee on the Environment for AIA Buffalo/Western New York, and currently serves on the Board of Directors as President-Elect.

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