+1 RI ADU Design Competition

Kyle Barker, AIA, NCARB, Primary Projects, Founder, Harvard Graduate School of Design, Design Critic in Architecture

Kyle Barker, AIA, NCARB, is the founder of Primary Projects, an architecture firm dedicated to more sustainable, affordable, and communal design. He’s interested in diversifying housing models, reducing embodied carbon, and communicating clearly. 

Kyle is a Design Critic in Architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design and has taught housing studios, seminars, and workshops at RISD, Northeastern, and MIT. He is the author of the Communal Housing Design Guidelines, a book collecting his Rotch Scholar research, during which he traveled across Europe, Australia, and Japan to study collective housing models. In 2023, he received the Boston Society for Architecture’s (BSA) Earl R. Flansburgh Young Designers Award. He holds an MArch from MIT, a BSID from the University of Cincinnati, and is licensed in Massachusetts, New York, Maine, and Michigan. 
 
Outside of practice, he serves as the Board Secretary for the Boston Society of Architects, a member of the Design Advisory Council for the National Cohousing Alliance, the Secretary of the Rotch Traveling Scholarship Committee, and a design mentor for the Greater Boston Affordable Housing Design Competition. 

Anthony A’Vant, Assistant Director of Design and Construction, RIHousing

Anthony A’Vant has served as RIHousing’s Assistant Director of Design and Construction since 2015. He joined RIHousing in 1992 as a Design and Construction Specialist and later served as Design and Construction Manager. 

Throughout his career with RIHousing, Mr. A’Vant has been instrumental in all aspects of construction and design, from a project’s start to finish. He ensures that all construction guidelines and procedures comply with agency, local, state, and federal policies and has received extensive training and certifications in construction-related best practices. 

As Assistant Director of Design and Construction, Mr. A’Vant oversees approximately $1 billion in construction contracts for RIHousing. He also leads the agency’s efforts to promote energy efficiency and sustainable building practices in funded developments, recognizing that energy-efficient housing can make homes more affordable. 

Mr. A’Vant holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Rhode Island.

Amanda Eggers, AIA, IIDA, Studio Operations Director, Ezra Lee Design + Build

As Studio Operations Director at Ezra Lee Design + Build, Amanda oversees project operations while contributing to the design and delivery of custom residences. Licensed across the Mountain West, Southwest, and Texas, and a Registered Interior Designer, she brings a multidisciplinary background in architecture, interior design, and project leadership, with experience spanning single-family residential, multifamily housing, commercial, and mixed-use projects. 

Prior to joining Ezra Lee, Amanda practiced architecture in New York City, where she worked with institutional clients and led complex projects requiring close coordination among owners, public agencies, consultants, and diverse stakeholder groups. Her experience includes education, justice, and civic projects, as well as multifamily and mixed-use development in Texas. Working across both institutional and residential environments has shaped her approach to design as both highly personal and highly practical, with an emphasis on thoughtful planning, durable details, and spaces that respond to the way people actually live. 

At Ezra Lee, Amanda brings this perspective to residential design, combining technical rigor and project leadership with a collaborative, client-focused process from concept through construction. 

Amanda holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture and a bachelor’s degree in interior architecture from Auburn University, as well as an MPA from Baruch College. 

Kevin Marblestone, AIA, Architect, Ruhl | Jahnes Architects

Kevin Marblestone is an architect at Ruhl | Jahnes Architects and specializes in custom residential design. His work focuses on creating thoughtful, highly functional homes that respond closely to the needs of their occupants, with particular interests in accessibility, adaptability, and long-term livability. 

Licensed in Massachusetts, Kevin has worked on residential projects ranging from renovations to new construction, navigating the technical, regulatory, and construction challenges inherent to residential design across New England. His approach combines careful planning with an interest in finding practical, cost-conscious ways to deliver high-quality design. 

Kevin has a particular interest in accessory dwelling units and the role they can play in expanding housing options while allowing people to remain connected to their families and communities. His work specifically explores how principles of universal design can be integrated into residential architecture without sacrificing character or design ambition. Kevin and his team at Ruhl | Jahnes were recently recognized with the “Exceptional Accessible Design” award for their entry in the Massachusetts ADU Design Challenge. 

Kevin holds a Master of Architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Bachelor of Design from the University of Florida. 

Emilee Wilson Hamm, AIA, LFA, Senior Associate, Hastings Architecture

Emilee Wilson Hamm is a Senior Associate and project manager at Hastings Architecture, where she has overseen some of the firm’s largest and most impactful civic projects. She brings extensive experience in the design and construction of these complex projects, as well as a track record of successful collaboration with multiple city and community organizations. Among her most notable are the 24,000-square-foot Donelson branch of the Metro Nashville Public Library; Peabody Plaza, which transformed a surface parking lot into a pocket park and 290,000 square feet of office space; and the Asurion Gulch Hub, a 550,000-square-foot, mixed-use complex that includes a new greenway link to the North Gulch area.

Prior to practicing architecture, she ran a critical home repair program with Habitat for Humanity of Castle Country, Utah. Since returning to her home state of Tennessee, she has served on the Nashville Promise Zone Affordable Housing Committee, conducted a research grant examining affordable-housing policies and housing typologies from across the country, and chaired the Affordable Housing Committee for Edgehill Neighborhood Partnership. She has led panels on the topic for AIA TN Conference on Architecture and the Appalachian Studies Conference.

Emilee is a LEED Green Associate and Living Future Accredited through the International Living Future Institute. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Tennessee College of Architecture + Design.