Marlon Blackwell (born November 7, 1956) is an American

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

and university professor in

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

. He is a Fellow of the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...

. He is founder and principal at Marlon Blackwell Architects, a design firm established in 1992 in

Fayetteville Fayetteville may refer to: *Fayetteville, Alabama *Fayetteville, Arkansas ** The Fayetteville Formation *Fayetteville, Georgia *Fayetteville, Illinois *Fayetteville, Indiana *Fayetteville, Washington County, Indiana *Fayetteville, Missouri *Fayette ...

. Blackwell is the

E. Fay Jones Euine Fay Jones (January 31, 1921 – August 30, 2004) was an American architect and designer. An apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright during his professional career, Jones is the only one of Wright's disciples to have received the AIA Gold Medal (19 ...

Chair in Architecture and a Distinguished Professor in the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the

University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States. It is the Flagship campus, flagship campus of the University of Arkan ...

in Fayetteville.Marlon Blackwell
University of Arkansas Fay Jones School of Architecture

Early life and career

Marlon Blackwell was born November 7, 1956, in

Fürstenfeldbruck Fürstenfeldbruck () is a town in Bavaria, Germany, 32 kilometres west of Munich. It is the capital of the district of Fürstenfeldbruck. it had a population of 35,494. Since the 1930s Fürstenfeldbruck has had an air force base. Geography F ...

, Germany. He grew up near Air Force bases in the Philippines, Alabama, Florida, Colorado, and Montana. He received a Bachelor of Architecture from

Auburn University Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 26,800 undergraduate students, over 6,100 post-graduate students, and a tota ...

and a Master of Architecture II from

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...

(in

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

, Italy). During college, he spent five summers in the rural South as a Bible salesman for the Thomas Nelson Publishing Company. After completing his undergraduate degree, he practiced in firms in Lafayette, Louisiana, and Boston, Massachusetts. Following his graduate degree, he was a visiting professor at Syracuse University. He has taught at the

in Fayetteville since 1992. He co-founded the University of Arkansas Mexico Summer Urban Studio at the Casa Luis Barragán in

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

and taught in the program for many years beginning in 1996. He served as head of the architecture department from 2009 to 2015. In 1992, he founded Marlon Blackwell Architects (originally Marlon Blackwell Architect). He authored the book ''An Architecture of the Ozarks: The Works of Marlon Blackwell'' (Princeton Architectural Press, 2006). This monograph of his design work features nine built residential and commercial projects and three residential prototypes. The book includes essays by

Juhani Pallasmaa Juhani Uolevi Pallasmaa (born 14 September 1936 in Hämeenlinna, Finland) is a Finnish people, Finnish architect and former professor of architecture and dean at the Helsinki University of Technology. Among the many academic and civic positions ...

, Dan Hoffman and David Buege. In 1994, he married Meryati Johari. They live in Fayetteville with their two children. Meryati Johari Blackwell is an architect, principal and co-owner at Marlon Blackwell Architects.

Notable career achievements

Honors and awards

Blackwell is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the 2020

AIA Gold Medal The AIA Gold Medal is awarded by the American Institute of Architects conferred "by the national AIA Board of Directors in recognition of a significant body of work of lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture." It is the Ins ...

, the 2020

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...

Professor of the Year, and the 2016

National Design Award The American National Design Awards, founded in 2000, are various awards funded and bestowed by the Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. There are seven official design categories, and three additional awards when applicable. Any supplement ...

for Architecture Design from

Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is a design museum at the Andrew Carnegie Mansion in Manhattan, New York City, along the Upper East Side's Museum Mile. It is one of 19 Smithsonian Institution museums and one of three Smithsonian facili ...

. In 2014, he was named a

United States Artists United States Artists (USA) is a national arts funding organization based in Chicago. USA is dedicated to supporting living artists and cultural practitioners across the United States by granting unrestricted awards. Mission The organization' ...

Ford Fellow (in Architecture and Design). In 2012, he received the Architecture Prize from the

American Academy of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, Music of the United States, music, and Visual art of the United States, art. Its fixed number ...

. In 2023 Blackwell was elected as a member to the

American Academy of Arts & Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other F ...

. Blackwell was inducted into the National Academy of Design in 2018. He was the William A. Bernoudy Architect in Residence at the

American Academy in Rome The American Academy in Rome is a research and arts institution located on the Gianicolo in Rome, Italy. The academy is a member of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers. History 19th century In 1893, a group of American architect ...

in 2018–2019. He was elected to the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows in 2009. In 1998, the Architectural League of New York selected him as an "Emerging Voice" in architecture. Sixteen projects by Blackwell's firm have been recognized with national awards by The American Institute of Architects (AIA), including the AIA Honor Awards for Thaden School (with EskewDumezRipple and Andropogon Associates) (2023), The Lamplighter School Innovation Lab (2021), Shelby Farms Park (with James Corner Field Operations) (2019),

Vol Walker Hall Vol Walker Hall (earlier Vol Walker Library) is a building on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It contains the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design. The structure was added to the National Register of Historic P ...

-Steven L. Anderson Design Center at the

(2018), the Crystal Bridges Museum Store at

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is a museum of American art in Bentonville, Arkansas. The museum, founded by Alice Walton and designed by Moshe Safdie, officially opened on 11 November 2011. It offers free public admission. Overview ...

(2015), the Little Rock Creative Corridor (2014), St. Nicholas Eastern Orthodox Church (2013), and the Ruth Lilly Visitors Pavilion at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (2012). He has won AIA Housing Awards for Graphic House (2017) and L-Stack House (2008). The Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church in

Springdale, Arkansas Springdale is a city in Washington County, Arkansas, Washington and Benton County, Arkansas, Benton counties in the U.S. state of Arkansas. The city had a population of 84,161 at the 2020 census, making it the List of cities and towns in Arkan ...

, received the 2011

World Architecture Festival The World Architecture Festival (WAF) is an Architecture, architectural and design event held annually and considered to be one of the most prestigious events dedicated to the architecture and development industries. It was founded by Paul Fin ...

, Best Civic and Community Building. It also won the 2012 American Institute of Architects (AIA) National Small Project Award. Other awards and distinctions include several American Architecture Awards from the Chicago Athenaeum for Harvey Pediatric Clinic (2017), University of Arkansas School of Architecture Addition and Renovation (2014), Fayetteville Montessori Elementary (2014), Ruth Lilly Visitors Pavilion at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (2012), and Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church (2011). In addition, the Harvey Pediatric Clinic in Rogers, Arkansas, received the 2017 Healthcare Design Award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Academy of Architecture for Health. The Gentry Public Library in Gentry, Arkansas, received the 2009 National AIA / ALA Library Design Award. The University of Arkansas School of Architecture Addition and Renovation in Fayetteville, Arkansas, also received a 2016 American Architecture Prize (Educational Buildings, Platinum), a 2016 National AIA — CAE Education Facility Design Award of Excellence, and the 2012 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Technology in Architectural Practice, Building Information Modeling Award for Exemplary Use of BIM in a Small Firm. The Reels Building at Thaden School in Bentonville, Arkansas, received a 2022 National AIA — CAE Education Facility Design Award for Merit. The Lamplighter School Innovation Lab in Dallas, Texas, received a 2020 National AIA — CAE Education Facility Design Award for Design Excellence. The Fayetteville Montessori Schools (Elementary and Primary) in Fayetteville, Arkansas, received a 2016 American Architecture Prize ducational Buildings, Gold Fayetteville High School, Phase 1+2 in Fayetteville, Arkansas, received the 2016 National AIA — CAE Education Facility Design Award of Merit. The Little Rock Creative Corridor (with the University of Arkansas Community Design Center) in Little Rock, Arkansas, received the 2014 American Society of Landscape Architects Honor Award for Analysis and Planning. The Moore Honeyhouse in Cashiers, North Carolina, received the 2003 AR+D Award from ''The Architectural Review''. His work was exhibited in "Building:Community" at the 2016 Venice Biennale in Venice, Italy, alongside the work of the University of Arkansas Community Design Center. The Keenan TowerHouse, in Fayetteville, Arkansas, was featured on the cover of the February 2001 issue of ''Architectural Record''. The St. Nicholas Eastern Orthodox Church, in Springdale, Arkansas, was featured on the cover of the November 2011 issue of ''Architectural Record.'' His firm was named the 2011 Firm of the Year by ''Residential Architect'' magazine. Blackwell was selected as an ID Forty: Undersung Heroes by ''The International Design Magazine'' in 2006.

Academia

Blackwell has taught at the University of Arkansas since 1992, and he has also held visiting teaching positions at several universities. During his tenure at the University of Arkansas, he was named by DesignIntelligence magazine as one of the "30 Most Admired Educators" for 2015. He has co-taught design studios with Peter Eisenman (1997 and 1998), Christopher Risher (2000), and Julie Snow (2003). Other visiting academic appointments have included the McDermott Visiting Professor at the University of Texas at Austin (2016), the George Baird Professor at Cornell University (2012), the Thomas Jefferson Professor at the University of Virginia (2011), the Elliel Saarinen Visiting Professor at the University of Michigan (2009), the Ivan Smith Distinguished Professor at the University of Florida (2009), the Paul Rudolph Visiting Professor at Auburn University (2008), the Cameron Visiting Professor at Middlebury College (2007), the Ruth and Norman Moore Visiting Professor at Washington University in St. Louis (2003), and a visiting graduate professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (2001 and 2002).

Major works

Residential

* Graphic House, Fayetteville, Arkansas (2016) * Srygley Pool House, Fayetteville, Arkansas (2014) * L-Stack House, Fayetteville, Arkansas (2006) * Porchdog House Prototype, Biloxi, Mississippi (2009) * Arkansas House, Johnson, Arkansas (2004) * Keenan TowerHouse, Fayetteville, Arkansas (2000) * Moore HoneyHouse, Cashiers, North Carolina (1998)

Commercial

* Crystal Bridges Museum Store, Bentonville, Arkansas (2011) * Harvey Pediatric Clinic, Rogers, Arkansas (2016) * The Fulbright Building renovation, Fayetteville, Arkansas (2007) * Blessings Golf Course Clubhouse, Fayetteville, Arkansas (2005) * Srygley Office Building, Fayetteville, Arkansas (2004)

Institutional

* Thaden School (with EskewDumezRipple and Andropogon Associates), Bentonville, Arkansas (2019) *

Fayetteville High School (Arkansas) Fayetteville High School is a public high school located in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The school is administered by the Fayetteville Public Schools headed by Dr. John Mulford. The district, and by extension, Fayetteville High's attendance boundar ...

(2014) *

Ruth Lilly Visitors Pavilion Ruth (or its variants) may refer to: Places France * Château de Ruthie, castle in the commune of Aussurucq in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département of France Switzerland * Ruth, a hamlet in Cologny United States * Ruth, Alabama * Ruth, Ark ...

Indianapolis Museum of Art The Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) is an encyclopedic art museum located at Newfields, a campus that also houses Lilly House, The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park, the Garden at Newfields and more. It is located at the corner of No ...

(2010) * Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church, an Eastern Orthodox church in

(2010) * Gentry Public Library,

Gentry, Arkansas Gentry is a city in Benton County, Arkansas, Benton County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 3,790 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city was founded in the Ozarks, Ozark Mountains in 1894 along what would become th ...

(2008) * Northwest Arkansas Free Health Center, Fayetteville, Arkansas (2013) * All Saints Episcopal Church, Bentonville, Arkansas (in design development) * Montessori Elementary and Primary Schools, Fayetteville, Arkansas (2012, 2014) *

renovation, incorporating the Steven L. Anderson Design Center addition,

, Fayetteville, Arkansas (2013) * The Lamplighter School Innovation Lab and Barn, Dallas, Texas (2017)

Urban

* Creative Corridor (with University of Arkansas Community Design Center), Little Rock, Arkansas (2012) * Buildings at

Shelby Farms Shelby Farms is a public park located in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, in East Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis. It is one of the largest urban parks in the US and the world, at a size of and covers more than five times the area of Centr ...

Park (with James Corner Field Operations, landscape architect), Memphis, Tennessee (2016)

Images of works

References

External links

Marlon Blackwell Architects website