Hillier College Welcomes New Board Members to Advise on Direction

Hillier College welcomed new advisory board members Kim Vierheilig ’99 ’00, Robert "Bob" Fritz ’88, and Jordan Hillier Adams.  

Each brings new perspectives to the vision and leadership that the advisory board has provided to the college since its inception.

Vierheilig, who holds dual degrees in architecture and business, is vice president and regional business line leader at AECOM, an infrastructure consulting firm. Fritz, who holds a Bachelor of Architecture, is senior vice president and built environment practice leader for North America at Mott MacDonald, a global engineering firm. Adams, who earned a Master of Architecture in 2019 from University of Pennsylvania, is an associate at CBRE, the world's largest commercial real estate services company.

The new board members shared their perspectives on the role of designers in shaping the future of the built environment while addressing larger societal issues, what it takes to lead in these roles and how to navigate the continuum from student to alumni while developing one's professional career path. As the youngest member of the board, Adams hopes her role in an advisory capacity will reflect the reality of what it means to be a young practising architect today.

According to Vierheilig, it is no longer a matter of thinking outside the box. “The box is gone. From what I see in practice with my clients, project teams are becoming much more interdisciplinary. It used to be just architects and engineers. Now the team may include a business team leader, change management consultants, and economic advisory roles," she said. “Architects are being asked to do and think of things that ordinarily they might not, like business transformation, or issues of equity and environmental justice. We think differently, holistically, and we see the value in bringing all these voices together collectively.”

Adams believes that junior architects cannot be complacent about their place and value in the early planning stages of a project. She learned such lessons early on, as part of the Hillier family for which the college is named. She sees creative opportunities in tasks that may seem pedestrian to a student who has a portfolio of beautiful drawings and now has to draw a plan for a convenience store.

“Maybe you are designing a Wawa. You can make contributions to the development of the site plan, and ask why is it going there, what will that street look like?” Adams observed. "When you are dealing with corporations that have to worry about the bottom line — there's not a lot of room for the abstract.”

Adams would like to see students given the opportunity to explore subspecialties. For students who are early in their careers and grounded in the construction side of the practice, adding a real estate certificate can make a difference in terms of opportunities. 

All three touched on the need to be well-rounded as a student and to recognize areas of strength and weakness. Fritz said, “Students need the foundations. Our junior-level architects follow a project through from start to construction. To do well they need to be integrated with the engineering side of construction, to know Autocad and Revit, and have some familiarity with building systems.” 

At the same time, there is room in the practice of architecture for those who may be less interested in construction and who excel at visualizing designs. 

“Our practice is going more toward reality,” says Fritz. “We are doing more visualization and ‘experience’ videos for clients and planning boards. People expect more than a two-dimensional drawing when trying to understand how a project may impact them over the course of its two- to five-year completion process. We have a whole digital network to do drawing animations and walkthroughs.” 

Vierheilig agrees that having diverse skills will serve students well as they move into their careers.

“I never thought I would be where I am now. In school I was the person in the back of the room that would never raise their hand," Vierheilig explained. "Now I track the [key performance indicators] of a project while simultaneously trying to achieve design excellence. Soft skills are really important too. How do you communicate and have the emotional IQ to read people? It takes hard work and practice.”

Vierheilig, who is co-chair of this year’s NJIT alumni virtual fundraising event Celebration of Hope, is clear that being part of a network makes a difference. “Being connected to the school and the alumni body has been incredibly important at all stages of my career. I’ve always been engaged in professional organizations. I sit on the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey board, the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce board and the Board of Architects overseeing licensure in New Jersey. At every point in my career, having these touchpoints helps me show my teams and clients that I can be a trusted partner,” she explained.

Being part of the network of peers, alumni and friends of the college can without question provide valuable opportunities. Fritz and Vierheilig met their spouses during their time
at Hillier. They both noted the School of Architecture axiom, “Architects never leave the building!"