Robert Traynham Coles, FAIA, (1929 - 2020) was a first in many aspects: first African American to be awarded the Rotch Traveling Scholarship by Boston Society of Architects, first African American Chancellor of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), first AIA Vice-President for Minority Affairs, founding member of National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), and in 1963, opened his firm in Buffalo, New York MAKING IT THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN ARCHITECTURE FIRM IN NEW YORK STATE AND NORTHEAST IN AMERICA. He was an advocate in issues of equity and access and pushed on all fronts that include education at various levels, diversity within the profession, and advocacy through local and national community engagement. Many of these issues are still pertinent today. The aim of the Coles House Project is to continue this legacy in shaping the future.
