After four decades of groundbreaking work and forward-thinking design, Principal Adam Gross, FAIA, will retire from Ayers Saint Gross this fall. Since his earliest days with the firm, Adam has served as a creative leader, bringing endless energy and commitment to his work. His enthusiastic leadership and relentless pursuit of excellence has been an inspiration for many, and he has helped to lay the foundation for a new generation of interdisciplinary designers who will carry the firm into the future.
Early Inspiration
Adam’s interest in architecture and design was sparked at a young age thanks in part to early creative influences. The son of a book publisher and a prominent graphic designer, Adam was included in conversations with authors and artists while growing up. After taking his first architecture class as a high school student, he realized how impactful designing buildings could be. He knew he had found a career path where he could be challenged and inspired every day.
As a college student at the Syracuse University School of Architecture, and through time spent studying in Florence and at the Architectural Association in London, Adam became interested in how urbanism connects with architecture. This attitude is embodied in the work of the great Renaissance architect and urbanist Leon Battista Alberti who said, “The city is like a great house, and the house in its turn a small city.” This concept of thinking globally to act locally became the foundation for Adam’s approach to design, leading to his belief that architecture and urbanism are linked and cannot be considered without the other.
In 1976, Adam had an opportunity to work for the architect Richard Meier in New York City. There, he crossed paths with numerous architectural mentors through time spent at the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies, a salon started by architect Peter Eisenman which focused on architectural theory and design. This was a place known to gather the most progressive and influential architects of the time. While watching these individuals show their work and spar with their colleagues, Adam learned the power of pushing the envelope to create ever better design solutions.
After graduating from Syracuse University in 1978, Adam moved to Boston to work for Perry Dean Rogers Partners. In 1983, the firm was invited by Baltimore-based Ayers Saint to team on renovations of the Enoch Pratt Free Library. As part of the project, Adam was assigned to work with Kelsey Saint and Richard Ayers. Richard subsequently invited Adam to join the then-eight-person firm as a partner. With this exciting opportunity in hand, Adam moved to Baltimore in 1984. The following year, the firm’s name was changed to Ayers Saint Gross.
Adam working at his desk in 1984
Growing the Firm
From his earliest days at Ayers Saint Gross, Adam has shaped the firm’s design philosophy, strategy, and ethos. In the mid-80s, he played an important role in shifting the firm’s focus to primarily higher education projects. Through the ‘90s and 2000s, he helped to recruit many talented architects and planners who have become firm and industry leaders. He also worked to establish new studios within the firm, fostering an environment of interdisciplinary collaboration that has established Ayers Saint Gross as one of the country’s premier interdisciplinary design firms.
Throughout his tenure, Adam has spearheaded transformative projects. He has worked with his Ayers Saint Gross colleagues to complete over 150 campus planning assignments with clients including: the University of Virginia, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Emory University, Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University – Allston Campus, Haverford College, The Ohio State University, Purdue University, the University of Arizona, UMass Boston, and The George Washington University. Some of his memorable architectural projects include the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Physics and Astronomy Building, the Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center and Smith Education Center at Monticello, the Edward St. John Learning and Teaching Center at the University of Maryland, a new 650,000-square-foot research facility for Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and multiple projects for Wexford Science and Technology, including The Pearl in Charlotte, N.C., which is a 700,000 square foot mixed-use district that will be home to the Wake Forest School of Medicine.
Adam’s visionary yet implementable urban plans have directly impacted cities across the country including Charlotte, Miami, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Providence, and St. Louis. Adam’s work has had a particular effect on Baltimore City, thanks to his contributions on projects including the Inner Harbor Master Plan, the Pratt Street Redevelopment, the Harbor Point Master Plan, the East Baltimore Redevelopment Plan, the University of Maryland Baltimore Master Plan, and a comprehensive master plan for the Johns Hopkins East Baltimore Medical Campus.
Inspiration images from Adam's desk include pictures, quotes, and messages from mentors and colleagues.
Inspiration images from Adam's desk
Inspiration images from Adam's desk
Inspiration images from Adam's desk
Inspiration images from Adam's desk
A Long Legacy
As his career has progressed, Adam has continued to take a curious and intellectual approach to design, gathering and sharing wisdom as a firm leader and educator within the field. He has written and lectured extensively on urban design, collegiate architecture, and master planning, and has taught at several architectural schools.
Adam’s influence extends beyond his designs. His friendly, engaging demeanor has helped foster many long–standing client relationships across the country. Within the firm, he has been a mentor to colleagues, imparting wisdom and fostering a culture of collaboration and excellence.
Firm president Luanne Greene said she counts Adam as both a mentor and a friend.
“Adam has set an example for me and many others because of his creativity and his endless passion for design,” she said. “He has a unique ability to communicate design in a way that engages people and draws them in, and his legacy inspires us to embrace new challenges.”
Looking back on his career, Adam says he has been lucky to work with extraordinary clients and colleagues, and that he has learned from every experience.
“It has been an uncommon honor to have worked with so many incredible individuals over the last 40 years,” said Adam. “Throughout this time, I have always tried to not accept the obvious solution, but rather to push the envelope to engage people and places to create designs that enrich the world.”
In the future, Adam plans on staying involved in the industry and offering wisdom or guidance as counsel within the firm and for clients.
“I know that I leave the firm in extraordinarily talented hands,” he said. “I am so proud of the leadership transition that has occurred within Ayers Saint Gross, setting it up to continue to be one of the finest design firms in the world.”
Adam Gross and Lindsay Story look at a book in the Ayers Saint Gross Baltimore office.
