Virginia Commonwealth University
College of Health Professions Building
Richmond, VA
Brent Castro, AIA
Brent is a newly licensed Senior Designer and Senior Associate at EYP in Washington, DC. Senior Designers provide creative input to project design, maintains the creative direction throughout all phases of a project, and collaborates on and supports business development and marketing efforts.
Through work in the higher education, government, and healthcare sectors, Brent has been most inspired by his clients' service to causes outside themselves. He admires how their leadership positively affects their culture and communities, and it's important to highlight those values through impactful architecture.
Likewise, he believes it's essential to invest in bettering the design and construction industry. He’s served as the elected International Vice President of the American Institute of Architecture Students, worked nationally as a member of the AIA National Diversity Council, and served eight years on the Architecture Foundation's Diversity Advancement Scholarship Jury, which he chaired from 2019-2020.
In the coming years, he hopes to continue to give back to a profession that has given him so much.
Educational Background
2012 Bachelor of Architecture / University of Tennessee-Knoxville
My Passion
“Some of my earliest memories are of telling everyone that I wanted to be an architect. I was obsessed with learning everything about design and how it impacts our world. I loved that the built environment, through a building's function, ingenuity, and beauty, could be a service to the community.
As an architect, I'm here to dream, discover, innovate, and challenge, all to be a part of a design process that pushes boundaries, creates art, and leads to relevant architecture and meeting clients' needs throughout the design process.”
Q& A
What advice can you give to graduates about career paths based on your experience?
“What we do as designers is innately difficult yet rewarding. Work diligently and with great rigor on the tasks at hand. Remember to stay positive and most importantly, have fun! None of this is worth it unless that is a huge part of your experience,”
What advice can you give to young professionals who are struggling with the traditional career path of architecture?
“Early on, remember to be patient along your path, adaptable in the process, listen intently, and learn as much as you can. But also, you are your own best advocate. You should always raise your hand and open your heart to action to create your own opportunities within the studio environment.”
Who inspires or motivates you? How do you remain motivated?
“The explorations and experiences with our design teams and clients motivate me on a daily basis. Ultimately, I love the work and the fact that architecture finds a way to speak to our hearts without asking our permission. There is great power in that.”