The Architecture of Change: Representation Matters

Feeling like you don’t fit in. Feeling like you would not be good at anything. LTU changed all of that for Tiffany Brown.

It All Began in an Auditorium

Sitting in the middle row in the middle of the auditorium at Northwestern High School in inner-city Detroit, one young woman heard all she needed to hear to change her life. While fellow students weren’t paying any attention to the Lawrence Technological University recruiter who visited that day, Brown heard about “built environments and the spaces around them.”

Brown loved to draw and was drawn to the idea of becoming an animator for Disney. “Something about that [recruiter’s comments] piqued my interest. With the way that I grew up and the spaces that I experienced at school, I knew it should have been better, more nurturing to my creative juices.

I wanted to learn more about that. I’d never been exposed to architecture before that time. And that played a huge part in the way my career unfolded.”

“At LTU, I realized my voice. I had no confidence. I finally was able to come out of my shell.”
– Tiffany Brown

From Student to Distinguished Alumni

“At LTU, I realized my voice. I had no confidence. I finally was able to come out of my shell. When I started at CoAD (College of Architecture and Design), I found a friend group in my design studio. That’s when it felt like home,” Brown said.

Brown graduated from LTU with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture in 2004, a Master of Architecture in 2007, and a Master of Business Administration in 2015.

CoAD recognized Brown as its 28th Distinguished Architecture Alumni (DAA) Award recipient for her professional accomplishments, dedication to community service, and support of the college.

She’s become a role model for young women in architecture. Because she feels representation matters, Brown founded and is CEO of 400 Forward | Girls Toward Architecture & Design, which launched in 2017 as a comprehensive program to introduce girls to architecture, provide scholarships and wrap-around services to college students, and pay for study materials and licensing exams for African American women in architecture.

She also serves as executive director of the National Organization of Minority Architects, founded in 1971 to address the lack of minority representation in the profession of architecture. Today, there are nearly 4,000 members representing multiple races and ethnicities.

Before transitioning to association leadership, Brown built over 15 years of experience in architecture and construction administration as a project manager in SmithGroup’s Detroit office, where she led multidisciplinary teams on complex design projects. She also spent 11 years at Hamilton Anderson Associations, contributing to a wide range of urban planning, civic, and institutional developments, gaining expertise in project delivery, stakeholder coordination, and the integration of equitable design practices.

Building a More Representative Future

As DAAA selection committee member Tracy Sweeney said, “One of several things that set Tiffany apart from the rest of the nominees was the depth of her commitment to providing resources, mentorship, and exposure to young African American women following her into the profession. Many of us recognize the challenges and talk about the need to improve the pipeline, but I’m not aware of anyone who has taken more direct action towards specific, actionable solutions than Tiffany. Her personal professional achievements are worthy of recognition on their own, but her impact is amplified by the difference that she has made for these future architects, and by extension, for the entire profession.”

Brown has also been recognized by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) with their President’s Medal for Distinguished Service. In its citation, NCARB said, Brown “has been an expert advocate for improving representation in the design industry, raising awareness of NOMA’s efforts to draw minority students into the architecture profession.”

She was part of a documentary produced by Target, showcasing successful African American women. As an African American in architecture, “I encourage students to attend Lawrence Tech the way I did. I’m here to let them know it’s possible to be successful in the field of architecture. The resources are there.” With her MBA from LTU, she’s been able to connect the design world to the world of business. “Everything is design,” she asserted. But the MBA discipline contributes to business creativity, learning how to create a team and be successful in a management role.

“I know that LTU has made my life possible, which has made my daughter’s life possible as well.”

Brown is an associate member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). From 2017 to 2025, Brown was an adjunct professor of architecture at her alma mater.

“She represents the very best of what it means to be an LTU architecture graduate. She’s a leader in her field, a powerful advocate for equity in architecture, and a role model whose work exemplifies the kind of impact our graduates can make on both the profession and society.”
– Lilian Crum, interim dean of CoAD

“Tiffany Brown is the epitome of an LTU architecture graduate,” said Lilian Crum, interim dean of CoAD. “She represents the very best of what it means to be an LTU architecture graduate. She’s a leader in her field, a powerful advocate for equity in architecture, and a role model whose work exemplifies the kind of impact our graduates can make on both the profession and society.”

Brown delivered a lecture titled “The Architecture of Change,” and formally received the DAA Award on October 20, 2025, in the Lear Auditorium on the Lawrence Tech campus.