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2018 AIA Fellowship This cover section is produced by the AIA Archives to show information from the online submission form. It is not part of the pdf submission upload. 2018 AIA Fellowship Nominee Ronald J. Tomasso Organization US Department of State Location Washington, DC Chapter AIA Washington DC Category of Nomination Category Four - Government Summary Statement Ron Tomasso makes accessibility synonymous with diplomacy. Through strategic thinking and leadership, Ron ensures that international facilities for staff and visitors in U.S. Embassies worldwide are accessible. Education The Catholic University of America, School of Architecture, Washington, DC. Master of Architecture 1983 (2 year program completed part time); Bachelor of Science in Architecture 1979 (4 year program) Licensed in: District of Columbia (ARC4252) Employment U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO), 26 years (1992 to present) U.S. Transportation and Barriers Compliance Board (The Access Board), 2 years (1991-1992) Wentworth Associates Architects, 3 years (1988-1991) David M. Schwarz Architectural Services, 5 years (1984-1988) Leo A. Daly Architects, 4 years (1981-1984) Ron Tomasso makes accessibility synonymous with diplomacy. Through strategic thinking and leadership, Ron ensures that international facilities for staff and visitors in U.S. Embassies worldwide are accessible. Ron Tomasso’s work in accessibility has contributed to over two thousand accessible buildings, located in 275 U.S. diplomatic posts, in every region of the world. These facilities serve hundreds of thousands of staff and visitors. Ron is internationally recognized for his accomplishments in making accessibility a natural extension of U.S. Public Diplomacy. Many U.S. diplomats and their visitors now experience culturally sensitive accessibility at U.S. Embassy facilities around the globe. U.S. diplomatic buildings, designed and constructed to be timeless and long lasting, are largely accessible as a consequence of Ron’s efforts, which will have lasting impact. His work has influenced other professionals in the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) at the U.S. Department of State, and the many prestigious architects with whom he collaborates. Ron definedPolicy for the Department, and ensured that it was applied in Practice in the design of U.S. Embassies. Policy Practice Ron is credited with increasing the Applying his expertise in international percentage of substantially accessible architectural design, Ron reconciles the complex diplomatic facilities from 30 to 75 percent issues of culture, locale, and accessibility needs. within 20 years. Upon beginning his public service Ron’s vision for accessibility incorporates an appropriate with OBO in 1992, Ron recognized a challenge: Many and coherent composition consistent with local norms U.S. diplomatic buildings were not being designed and cultures. He negotiates accessibility needs with to be barrier-free and accessible to people with local officials in many countries to develop accessible disabilities. To address this challenge, Ron founded connections to community and transit via the roads the OBO Barrier-Free Accessibility Program, with the and walkways that extend seamlessly beyond property long-term goal of consistently creating fully accessible lines. Ron bridges U.S. standards with local and regional buildings. Ron not only developed the Department’s practice, often resulting in custom provisions that exceed accessibility policy, but also developed accessibility those standards. Finding the right balance, while still design standards for new construction, renovation supporting security and life safety requirements is part of projects, and barrier removal in existing buildings. his passion in ensuring accessible diplomatic facilities. Ronald J. Tomasso, AIA / 2018 AIA Fellowship Submission 2.0 Accomplishments / Policy Eroding attitudinal barriers… competition for scarce resources recreational buildings, with within the Department. Many differing issues for each type. Since 1992, Ron has coordinated facilities are leased, and International laws for non- the design phase of many modifications may not be discrimination based on disability U.S. diplomatic projects for supported by the landlord. OBO frequently require reasonable the State Department. His took the position, at that time, judgment in the absence of work encompasses a wide that physical security superseded specific legal provisions. Further, range of building design issues. accessibility requirements. Lastly, though proposed, there does From the start, Ron recognized the Department had not reconciled not exist a common international that the Department lacked U.S. accessibility requirements Ron Tomasso, AIA agreement on what constitutes a comprehensive strategy for for U.S. foreign buildings. an accessible environment. implementing accessible facilities, in the 1950s, and still in use, and had no staff trained in the The Government Accounting Office retained many physical barriers. Taking a broad perspective, issue. Many projects were (GAO) had recently issued a report, When the Department’s Chief Ron identified the accessible not being fully designed and Accessibility for the Disabled, Architect received complaints from design issues specifically constructed to be accessible. April 1991, citing the Department disabled U.S. citizens residing relating to U.S. embassies, for inadequately providing abroad, OBO requested that Ron initiated policies and procedures There are a number of issues accessibility in diplomatic projects. review the situation and provide to guide barrier removal, that may have accounted for the a strategic plan to address these documented noncompliance, lack of compliance. Accessibility As a former staff architect for concerns, based on his experience. and began to implement improvements need to be the U.S. Access Board, Ron was guidance to specifically address reconciled with myriad issues knowledgeable about and sensitive Ron appreciates the complexity accessibility in new construction, including physical security, life to the issue of accessibility. Despite of including accessibility in renovation projects, and barrier safety, and many other U.S. and the existence of long-standing embassy projects since OBO removal in existing facilities for host country codes. Overseas federal accessibility laws, Ron designs, constructs, and maintains each type of OBO building. Buildings Operations (OBO) found that a majority of hallmark an array of building types, to projects are often subject to U.S. embassy facilities constructed include office, residential, and Attitudinal barriers also posed challenges, which Ron addressed “ Ron Tomasso’s almost thirty years of work at the State Department has truly changed the way that we by engaging senior managers to address accessibility issues in our multitude of buildings around the world. I first worked with Ron in better inform them about the need 1992 at our Embassy in Ljubljana. Thanks in large part to his persistence, creativity, and leadership, and importance of accessibility and to demonstrate that I have seen dramatic changes over the years, both in attitudes of our officials, and in the designs of attention to accessibility did not conflict our buildings. As a registered architect myself, I appreciate the enormity of this accomplishment.” with other departmental goals. Danny Hall, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy Beirut Ronald J. Tomasso, AIA / 2018 AIA Fellowship Submission 2 2.0 Accomplishments / Policy Ron was also persistent with his The success of Ron’s efforts has peers, providing guidance and become apparent over time as direction on accessibility, not just OBO architects and engineers now in the European region in which are routinely citing accessibility he works, but across the full issues to be appropriately resolved spectrum of projects implemented in embassy projects. For example, by OBO around the world. security colleagues recognize the need for accessible security doors and hardware. The design of the new Consulate in Istanbul also served as a catalyst for future accessible projects. (See Exhibit 3.6) The synthesis of this work is Ron’s OBO Barrier-Free Accessibility Program, a multi-faceted program OBO Barrier-Free Accessibility Ron (left) with U.S. and Norwegian architects to address all accessibility aspects at dedication of U.S. Embassy Oslo in 2017; inherent in the Department’s Program Managers 1 Paul King, AIA, principal designer (center) overseas facilities. The program has multiple parts: Policy, Diplomatic Missions OBO manages thousands of projects Criteria, Survey Documentation, 275 of different types and sizes. Realizing Project Application, Funding, that he could not directly address Education, and Research. Department of State Employees each one of these, Ron identified two Ron continues to guide and 75,000 important groups that also advocate develop the program, now in * accessibility, the Architectural its 25th year. (See Exhibit 3.1) Owned and Leased Property 123 million GSF and the Facilities Management * Gross Square Feet Divisions of OBO. Every diplomatic Putting tools in place… post has a Design Manager in A typical embassy facility may type. Because of the unique security Washington and a resident Facility As Ron became the in-house contain office, residential, and operational requirements for Manager. By coordinating these expert for accessibility issues, recreational, utility, and storage U.S. Embassies, Ron customized two groups, Ron found
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