Commissioners

Commissioner Frank Mahan

Frank Mahan, AIA, is a Design Principal and Adaptive Reuse Practice Leader at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), a global practice of architects, designers, engineers, and planners responsible for some of the world’s most technically and environmentally advanced buildings and public spaces. In this role, he oversees the firm’s restoration, preservation, and adaptive reuse projects.

A recognized leader in preservation and adaptive reuse, Commissioner Mahan believes architects can save embodied carbon while reviving our most cherished cultural and historic landmarks. He excels at weaving together a project’s aspirations with the history of its site, while balancing local regulatory requirements, to create designs that support healthy and vibrant cities. He begins these projects with deep research in order to understand the history of a building before shaping its next life—a method that he has applied in the redevelopment of icons like the Waldorf Astoria and the James A. Farley Post Office.

He is also pioneering an emerging type of work—the rejuvenation of aging midcentury modern buildings. With a portfolio that includes some of SOM’s own legacy projects, such as 9 West 57th Street and Lever House, this work is enhancing the vitality and sustainability of midcentury landmarks. 

Commissioner Mahan has been recognized with the AIA Young Architects Award and has been named to Building Design+Construction’s 40 Under 40 list. He is a member of both the American Institute of Architects and Docomomo International, a fellow of the Urban Design Forum, and sits on the Cal Poly Architecture Advisory Council. He received a Master of Architecture from Princeton University and a Bachelor of Architecture from California Polytechnical State University, San Luis Obispo.