Modern in Context - The Architecture of Suman Sorg, FAIA

Skyon is a twenty-two-acre sustainable residential development composed of five nine- to thirteen-story buildings and one thirty-nine-story iconic tower, organised around a community green space. This slender and elegant residential tower that anchors the site's western edge is a simple composition of four stacked units radiating from a rectangular core. The organisation of the tower plan is based on the design of the Hindu symbol for good luck. This layout enables each unit to have unobstructed views in three directions. Balconies are modulated on the façade to create an undulating origami that provides visual interest and optimal shading from the sun. The minimal, sculptural form of the clubhouse is central to the calm serenity created by the design of this urban oasis in an otherwise chaotic offsite environment. Suman Sorg established her practice in 1986 and it has since become one of the largest female-owned architecture firms in the United States. As Chief Designer, Suman inspires her project teams with a strong commitment to thoughtful modern architecture that explores spatial, material, and visual experience. After careful examination of the unique characteristics of each place (site, climate, culture, community) and the programmatic requirements, Sorg Architects creates modern designs that are sculptural, and often monumental, yet geared toward the human scale. A long-standing interest in historic preservation complements Suman's modernist leanings; by combining contemporary techniques and design strategies with the innovative handling of both traditional architectural language and indigenous building materials, Sorg Architects creates architecture that relates to its extended context in a meaningful way. Suman Sorg's work has been recognized with numerous awards including 23 from the National American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Washington, DC and Potomac Valley Chapters. Suman has lectured extensively for the AIA, the National Building Museum, the Urban Land Institute, the State Department and the National Trust for Historic Preservation and is frequently called upon to serve on design juries. An avid painter, Suman s large-scale works further explore relationships between form and color. Suman Sorg is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architect and sits on the board of the Washington, DC Building Industry Association. She is a Peer Reviewer for the General Services Administration (GSA) Design Excellence Program, serves on the board of directors for the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation, and is a member of the Urban Land Institute, the Washington Building Congress, Women in Washington, and the Lambda Alpha International Honor Society. Suman began her studies at the School of Planning and Architecture in New Delhi, India and completed her Bachelor of Architecture at Howard University in Washington DC (1970). She went on to study Design and Historic Preservation at Cornell University, in Ithaca, New York.