2010 Volunteer of the Year: Prince George's County

This year, the Neighborhood Design Center is proud to honor Will Cawood, an architect who made an extra effort in both the quality and quantity of the pro-bono services he provided for our Prince George's County office.

Will was chosen as our Volunteers of the Year to recognize his outstanding work on two projects.  The first project was a feasibility study for converting a former elementary school in Seat Pleasant into a non-profit incubator. He spent a great deal of time with the client to educate them about the condition of their building and prioritize their efforts to stabilize the building, which was on the verge of being condemned.  His detailed analysis of the building's condition enabled the City of Seat Pleasant to develop a phased retrofit of the building, beginning with structural stabilization and a new roof. 

His second project was to develop an interior space plan for an old bank building in Hyattsville to help the non-profit CAFÉ (Cultural Academy for Excellence) determine the feasibility of leasing space in the building.  It also allowed the City of Hyattsville to better assess the kind of non-profit groups that might be able to use the space and what would be needed to renovate the building.   Although feasibility projects might seem less exciting than a design project, they are a critical service that NDC can provide our clients so that they make good decisions and not waste resources on improvements that would not move their project forward.

Will Cawood is principal of Will Cawood Architects, an architectural firm specializing in the design of new homes, house renovations, and light commercial projects.  Will has practiced architecture since 1998, and follows a philosophy that architecture should enrich the daily life of its users.  He holds a Masters degree in Architecture and Urban Design from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, and is a member of the American Institute of Architects. In addition to volunteering with NDC, I also volunteer as a teacher for my local catholic church.

He says this regarding his volunteering for NDC, "it is always a rewarding pleasure to provide architectural services to NDC and its' clients. I volunteer for NDC because it enables me to work on community projects in areas that I do not normally practice. The connections, collaboration, experiences, and challenges of each project have been worth every minute of my time, and have been invaluable for my personal and professional development. I would urge all local professionals to give back some of their experience and knowledge to their community- you will always receive far more back than you give ".