Stanley, Love-Stanley, PC is located in modest one-story building in Midtown, yet the architectural firm founders, William J. “Bill” Stanley III and Ivenue Love-Stanley, tower in significance.
Bill became the first African American graduate of the Georgia Tech School of Architecture in 1972. Ivenue is recognized as the first African American woman to graduate from the Georgia Tech School of Architecture in 1977 and to become a licensed architect in the Southeast.
Recipients of the Whitney M. Young Jr. Award from the American Institute of Architects, they were elevated as Fellows, one of the highest honors in the 90,000-member organization in the US; and Fellows in the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.
Professional experience with architect John Portman and multi-discipline firm Parsons Brinckerhoff along with an entrepreneurship spirit from their families spurred the newly married couple to establish Stanley, Love-Stanley, PC. Their architectural firm has earned numerous awards designing a diverse body of projects with Bill as lead designer and Ivenue as principal of construction administration since 1978, including the Southwest Atlanta Community Library (1990), Fort Valley State University Health and Physical Education Facility (2004), and the MLK Sr. Community Resources Center (2012).
As part of a design team, Stanley, Love-Stanley, PC has created ambitious local projects, such as the Olympic Aquatic Center at Georgia Tech (1995-1996) and the renovation and expansion of Grady Hospital in the 1990’s, yet one of their most ambitious projects lies overseas. The firm contributed design, construction administration, and funding to develop Wilberforce Community College in South Africa. The African continent and its history have influenced the firm’s designs for projects, such as the New Horizon Sanctuary (1994-1999) at Ebenezer Baptist Church and the Lyke House Catholic Student Center at the Atlanta University Center (1999).
An African meetinghouse inspired the building form for the Horizon Sanctuary, the site of the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration. African motifs embellish the building exterior and interior building form. The rock-carved Church of Saint George in Ethiopia is referenced with the building form for the Lyke House Catholic Student Center. Vast religious architecture experience and international travels of both architects will benefit their ongoing work to modernize Cascade United Methodist Church in Atlanta.
Understanding the importance of African American architects for more insightful public engagement and architectural designs in communities across the country, the Stanleys support the development of the next generation of African American architects and firm leaders. They are providing scholarships at their alma mater and mentorship for students. Ivenue says, “To whom much is given, much will be required.” Stanley Love-Stanley PC is uplifting the architectural profession through advocacy and design.
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