A letter reviewed by AN was sent yesterday, December 10, to Washington, D.C. architect Shalom Baranes from AIA members in regard to Shalom Baranes Associates’ cooperation with the Trump administration on the White House East Wing ballroom project. The 29 signatories urge the architect to decline the “sole source commission” and state they believe the office may be in violation of the AIA’s Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct should it stay on the project.

The AIA members, several of which are on the AIA’s Historic Resources Committee, state they do not speak for the AIA. This letter comes after another letter, dated November 21, that was addressed to James McCrery, claiming he may be in violation of the AIA’s Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct for his involvement with the White House East Wing redesign, which saw the demolition of the original historic building to pursue the construction of a larger event space.

The 29 signatories identify themselves as members of the “American Architectural Historic Preservation Community.” They are: 

Mark I. Baum, AIA
Brian Broadus, AIA
Terry H. Brooks, Assoc. AIA
George B. Bryant, Arch. (ret)
Jeffrey Bumb, AIA
Thomas Butt, FAIA
Samuel Duff Combs, AIA
Frank DiMella, AIA Emeritus
Lee Gamelsky, AIA
Robert Graham, AIA
Thomas Gray, AIA
Gene L. Greene, AIA
Jack Hillbrand, AIA
Ed Hodges, AIA
Deborah Kander, RA
Thomas Keeling, AIA
Randy Krieie, AIA
Robert C. Mack, FAIA
James Malanaphy, AIA
P. David Marshall, AIA
Mark Nardini, AIA
Nelson Breech Nave, AIA
Emily Reynolds, Assoc. AIA
Annie Sauser, Assoc. AIA
Lee Schwerin, AIA Emeritus
Paul Scoville, AIA Emeritus
Inda Sechzer, Assoc. AIA
Peter Shaffer, AIA
Robert Sotolongo, AIA Emeritus

Last week, the White House formally announced the change in architects for the ballroom project. The Washington Post reported that McCrery stepped down from the project in October. 

The December 10 letter signatories list three reasons as to why they are urging Baranes to step away from the commission: the East Wing’s demolition happened without any public input, the proposed ballroom is bigger than the White House mansion and West Wing combined and will thereby diminish the complex’s stature, and the manner in which Shalom Baranes Associate was awarded the commission breaks protocol.

“We respectfully request that [you do] what you know is right and decline this commission,” signatories state. “We wanted to give you the chance to explain your actions and/or inactions relating to this matter before pursuing any formal Ethical Complaints. Your immediate attention to this matter is hereby requested and appreciated.”

Shalom Baranes is an AIA member, therefore subject to the AIA’s rules. Subsequently, the letter goes on to say Baranes “may be in violation” of Rules in the AIA’s Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct, namely 1.101, 1.3, 1.402, 2.101, 2.1, 2.105, 2.106, 2.401, 3.101, 3.102, and 3.201.

The signatories also believe the demolition of the East Wing goes against the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. 

If proven to have violated the AIA’s Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct, Baranes may face “admonition, censure, suspension,” or “termination of AIA membership,” as the AIA states in its 2024 Rules of Application, Enforcement, and Amendment. AN emailed Shalom Baranes Associates for comment.

Bloomberg reported this week that the size and scope of the ballroom project haven’t changed, despite swapping architects. Foundations are now being poured where the East Wing once stood. Will Scharf, of the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), said that he expects the Trump administration to send NCPC design plans for the new ballroom this month.

The full letter can be accessed here.