EDUCATION
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute + State University, Bachelor of Architecture
EXPERIENCE
- Over 30 Years in the industry
REGISTRATIONS
- Architect VA
- LEED Accredited Professional
- Virginia Certified Construction Officer
ASSOCIATIONS
- American Institute of Architects (AIA)
- AIA Virginia, Past President
- AIA Virginia Award for Distinguished Achievement
- AIA Virginia Honors Committee - Past Chairman
- AIA Virginia Joint Legislative Committee and PAC Board of Trustees
- AIA Richmond, Past President
- AIA Richmond Marcellus Wright, Jr. Award for Distinguished Service
- Society of College and University Planners
- Virginia Association of General Contractors Industry Collaboration Committee
- Commonwealth of Virginia Capitol Square Preservation Council - Past Chairman
- Virginia Tech Marching Virginians Alumni Association, Past President
- St. Mary’s (I.B./Blue Ribbon JK-8) Catholic School, Finance Committee - Chairman, and School Advisory Board
Ed Gillikin’s 30-year-plus career as an architect spans 16 years in private practice and 14 years in higher-education facilities management, where he concentrated his efforts on designing research & learning environments for schools of medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy. While working in Higher Education, Ed budgeted, planned, and managed 2M SF of new construction and renovation projects totaling over $700M. He also served four years as Architect for the Colleges and Deputy Chief Facilities Officer at the Virginia Community College System (VCCS).
While at the VCCS, Ed provided planning & design oversight and direction for capital construction projects and multiple master plans, including approval and planning for three new campuses serving Virginia’s 23 Community Colleges—40 campuses supporting 360 buildings and over 8.8M SF of space—spanning 3,750 acres across the State. His program manager duties at the VCCS included a $400M capital construction program for Tidewater Community College, Paul D. Camp Community College, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College and Thomas Nelson Community College, and his College Architect duties supported a $1 billion capital construction program for the entire Community College System.
Prior to joining the VCCS, Ed spent 10 years as Project Manager at Virginia Commonwealth University, serving as Director of Design for Research Facilities. At VCU, he planned and managed over $300 million in capital projects for biomedical research facilities, and was Project Executive for the $158M, 200,000 SF, 12-story VCU New School of Medicine Building. Ed has significant design experience with active group learning environments and medical simulation labs which leverage state-of-the-art Audio/Visual and Information Technology. He is also a Federal peer grant reviewer for the National Institute of Health’s research lab construction and equipment grants, specializing in BSL-2 and ABSL-2 containment labs and vivarium barrier facilities.
Ed is a registered architect, a graduate of Virginia Tech, and is Past President of the Virginia Society of the American Institute of Architects. He is active in various citizen-architect activities which both support and promote the architecture profession, and serve the public interest. The Virginia State Senate Rules Committee appointed Ed to the Capitol Square Preservation Council in 2013, where he served as Chairman from 2018 – 2020. In 2015 Ed became Principal and managing partner of K.O.P. Architects in Richmond, which is now the Richmond Office of MCA Architecture. Ed continues to concentrate his practice on designing world class cultural facilities, higher-education learning environments, and biomedical research facilities from the operator’s perspective.
Did you know that …
Ed is a classically trained percussionist and has performed with both the Lynchburg Symphony and New River Valley Symphony Orchestras. His heart is in R&B and jazz, though, where he continues to perform with his variety band and architects jazz band for the past 20 years.