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Bill Hart is a towering figure in the Portland design world, not only by virtue of his design skill and longstanding work to increase diversity and equity in the industry, but also because of his mentorship of up-and-coming professionals.

Hart co-founded Portland鈥檚 Carleton Hart Architecture along with Brian Carleton in 1994, and is the complete package as a professional.

鈥淗e鈥檚 an icon at our firm and an icon in the community and the local architecture industry, for sure,鈥� said Carleton Hart Marketing Manager Robin Moodie. 鈥淚t was really just, how has he not had this recognition before?鈥�

Carleton Hart Architecture has carved out its niche in the market by focusing on affordable housing, restorations and public sector work. Notably, it has done so while also advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the architecture industry. It is in the latter area that Hart is most proud of his work.

鈥淚 really appreciate, especially being a minority architect, the opportunities I had through customers and clients and vendors through my career,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat, with issues of Black Lives Matter, racism and discrimination and the way things have happened in the traditional ways, for some it鈥檚 been a risk and probably more than they are used to. But a lot of folks who I have met through networking, the challenges were down to who I was.鈥�

Hart also has been adamant about extending those opportunities to others by making mentoring and advocacy essential parts of his work.

鈥淚 enjoy recognizing an individual and seeing if there鈥檚 a dialogue there to see where they are in their career, what their challenges are and if I would make a good mentor for them,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f there鈥檚 somebody better to help them succeed, then I have a network of professionals in the design, construction and engineering fields that I can call and start to link them up.鈥�

That goes hand in hand with one of Hart鈥檚 strongest traits, Moodie added 鈥� he鈥檚 a great observer.

鈥淚 think that describes Bill a lot,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 very focused on the community and the group at large, and it goes into his approach to projects as well as firm leadership. With everything internally at the firm, his question is 鈥楬ow is this going to impact employees?鈥� He鈥檚 advocating all the time for staff, and on projects he鈥檚 the one who looks out for the impact on the community.鈥�

That is as true now as it ever has been. With the COVID-19 pandemic transforming the way businesses operate, the impact on architecture is profound. Firms must not only adapt to new and challenging working conditions, the buildings they are now designing are starting to incorporate new concepts, materials and ideas that are centered around health, wellness and disease control.

鈥淚鈥檝e been trying to encourage those who are interested in change on the design side, with the whole thing about social distancing and how they journey from one space to the next, we鈥檙e going to need those changes in the future,鈥� Hart said. 鈥淭here is no return back. As we start moving forward we need to think about how we are living. If we stay in this model, another year at least, we鈥檙e going to have new models and I think we need younger people to help make these new models happen.鈥�

Naturally, awards like being named an Icon are the last things on his mind.

鈥淗e鈥檚 not thinking 鈥榃hat鈥檚 this going to do to my legacy?鈥欌�� Moodie said. 鈥淚n terms of awards he doesn鈥檛 have this on his radar. He鈥檚 always thinking externally about how it benefits others.鈥�