Willis ' service to the profession are many . These include being a founding trustee of the National Building Museum , in Washington , D.C . In 1976 , Willis joined The Washington Post art and architecture critic Wolf von Eckhardt , architect Clothiel Woodward Smith , Smithsonian architecture historian Cynthia Fields , and attorney Herbert Franklin to create the National Building Museum . Housed in the former U.S. Pension Bureau 's Headquarters , four blocks from the National Mall , the museum 's mission is to “ advance the quality of the built environment by educating people about its impact on their lives . " She served on the U.S. Government delegation to the United Nations conference on Habitat I in 1976 . She was the first women to be president of the California Chapter of the American Institute of Architects in 1979 . Her last location of office is Beverly Willis Architect ( 6 Rockland Park , Branford , Conn. 06405 ) In 1995 , Willis created the Architecture Research Institute as a think-tank to develop and advocate urban policies through interdisciplinary partnerships between academics , governments , corporations and the public . The Institute sought to “ promote research in design and planning that informs public policies and strategies that create livable , compact , global cities that are eco-sustainable , walk-able and less automobile dependent . " The Institute developed and advocated urban policies to make global cities more livable . After the collapse of the World Trade Center on 9/11 , the Institute co-founded Rebuild Downtown Our Town ( R.Dot ) with Susan Szenasy , editor Metropolis Magazine . R.Dot mobilized hundreds of designers , professionals , and civilians to create a coordinated response to help guide the rebuilding effort and establish a planning framework for the city of New York
9/11
September 11 attacks
Beverly Willis