About Blair

Hometown:
Avon, NY

University Partner:
University of Virginia

Degree:
Architecture

Grant Partner:
Reed Hilderbrand

Senior Mentor:
Gary Hilderbrand, Principal

"The Steamboat Foundation has a special ability to open doors for its Scholars. To have an internship experience so tailored to my personal interests at a firm of such a high caliber was remarkable. To share similar experiences with twelve great friends was extraordinary."

Scholar Background

Blair has been seriously interested in design since high school, when an amazing learning experience at Perkins Eastman Architects in New York City solidified his plans to study architecture in college. During his college search, he traveled south from his hometown near Rochester, New York to Thomas Jefferson’s University of Virginia and was instantly hooked.  UVA’s School of Architecture has given Blair an opportunity to study Jefferson’s intellectual and architectural masterpiece, which he called the “Academical Village,” and learn from remarkable professors in architecture, architectural history, planning, and related social sciences. Through two years of design studio, Blair has worked on design projects sited in Charlottesville, Virginia; Brooklyn, New York; and Washington, DC.  He has a developing interest in urban and environmental planning, which is his minor at UVA. If design is his newfound passion, then Blair’s lifelong love has been music. He has played piano for sixteen years, classically and not-so-classically, with repertoire ranging from Brahms to Ben Folds. Blair is currently the Music Director for the Academical Village People, UVA’s most whacky and fun all-male a cappella group. 

Internship Description

During his summer at Reed Hilderbrand, Blair had the opportunity to work on an independent research project, creating a catalog of great streets in New York, Boston, and around the world. He analyzed their design attributes through photographs, plan drawings, and ultimately a series of section drawings. He also created photorealistic drawings that described the above and below-ground construction details of Reed Hilderbrand projects around Boston. Most importantly, Blair was able to experience the practice of landscape architecture, learning from leaders in the field.

Where are they now?

Blair was selected to join the Raven Society, University of Virginia's "oldest and most presitgious" honor society. Blair graduated with Honors in May 2011 from UVA's School of Architecture, receiving at B.S. in Architecture. He is currently working full-time in Washington, DC at Perkins Eastman, a multi-national architecture firm based in New York, NY.