Shelly-Anne Tulia Scott, AIA
June 6, 2023
Originally from Trinidad & Tobago, I worked in Barbados and Trinidad and earned an Associate of Arts Degree in Interior Design at Miami International University (Formerly International Fine Arts College) and an M.Arch at Florida A&M University, where I currently serve on the Advisory Board for the School of Architecture. For my work, I have been awarded the Dorothy Spence Helping Hand Award by AIA Atlanta. Growing up in Trinidad, with a rich cultural heritage, extended family, and community, and traveling to several countries has shaped my career in architecture and molded the way I approach clients, teams, and projects. For my graduate thesis, I chose to investigate the interstitial spaces and the transformative architectural forms that respond to the specificity of place, rethinking Port-of-Spain Trinidad. I looked at all the layers of our rich cultural heritage and how that was transformed into place and the ways in which we used that space.
At Moody Nolan, I am an Associate & Project Manager and have enjoyed working on several project types from mixed-use buildings, K-12, higher education, and community development master planning studies. I love connecting the dots in and continually growing, so I am a graduate of the Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program, Grassroots Leadership and Leadership Greenville (SC). I am passionate about being a change agent in the profession and community and currently serve as the Vice President of NOMA Atlanta and the Southern Scholarship Foundation Alumni Board.
In my free time, I love hiking/ trail walks, photography, and traveling. I have also served on several professional and non-profit boards like Globalbike, Greenville Technical Foundation, AIA Atlanta, EQiA SC, WHFPA, and on the NAAB team. She also volunteers in the community and in the profession as a mentor, NOMA Atlanta Project Pipeline Camp, and studio crits. My time on the board for Globalbike allowed me the opportunity to go to Tanzania and see the work that we did in person, which was incredible to see how many lives were impacted.
Featured project: 360 Peachtree Street
This project has been a welcome challenge working with Evergreen Real Estate Group and Atlanta First United Methodist Church to push the boundaries at work on the mission to bring more affordable housing to downtown Atlanta. The project also includes two schools, retail, Church fellowship hall and support spaces. As Pastor Jasmine tells us she has a God size vision. The project is working to close on funding and continue in design.
Featured project: Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church
One of my favorite project while at Sizemore Group (prior firm) was working with the team on the Conceptual Design for Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, the oldest African American Catholic Church in Atlanta, Ga, located in the distinctive Sweet Auburn district and adjacent to the National Historic Martin Luther King Jr. King Center. The primary design goals were to focus on the cultural significance of the site and emphasize the parish’s beautiful religious and diverse culture. The overall design encompasses a “church in the round” concept with a 500-seat centralized nave, generous narthex, chapel, sacristies, music room, bride’s room, and other supporting programs around the perimeter.
Community engagement was a critical part of the design process. The design team worked extensively with parishioners, a liturgical consultant, and the building committee to ensure the design echoed the values of the church community. The team prioritized finding design solutions for five key elements: the seating layout, narthex, baptismal font, Blessed Sacrament Chapel, and fusion of African American culture. The church is currently working on the Capital Campaign to generate funding for construction. (Work Completed while at Sizemore Group | Director of Architecture; rendering by Sizemore Group)
What is your favorite place/ building and why?
My favorite building is La Sagrada Família. The attention to detail and the meaning behind every inch of the building were incredible to see and experience.