Davis Architects has been an instrumental part of 113 years of Alabama architecture, and their next chapter is another to be celebrated. The talented Courtney Pittman, AIA, has just been named president of the historic firm. For Pittman, this honor is deeply personal.

She pulls from an early memory to illustrate the impact: “At my high school career day, there was a gentleman who spoke for architecture. He looked at the women in the room and said, ‘Ladies, you need to be in the interior design meeting. Architecture is a man’s profession.’ That stuck with me. Now, some years later, I’m leading the oldest architecture firm in Alabama. That is very humbling.”

Pittman shares that she feels fortunate to have avoided that limiting attitude professionally. Throughout her career, she has been supported and surrounded by people who valued both her perspective and autonomy. “I’m glad that the world has evolved since he made that statement,” Pittman notes.

She credits much of her encouraging experience to her time at Davis. Pittman recalls one formative moment with the firm’s former matriarch that continues to resonate with her: “When I came to Davis, I was so thrilled to meet Neil Davis’s mother, Helen Sellers Davis; she was the first registered architect in the state of Alabama.”

Pittman first met Davis as she entered her eighties, yet was continuing to work on projects and maintain not only her licensure but a strong spirit. “She was outspoken and not afraid to tell us what she thought. And that was really an inspiration for a young architect to meet someone like that. To see her as the matriarch of this firm. To see how she influenced Neil and what the firm stood for.”

The success of the firm can be credited in many ways to the family legacy that has endured throughout generations. These two themes, legacy and longevity, are a throughline across the architecture firm’s many projects. “We look at buildings that last decades and centuries, and we realize that those buildings are going to outlast us. So we are collaborative with our clients because we want to make sure that what we’re designing for them fits their values and is going to sustain them for whatever length of time they need,” shares Pittman.

She also credits strong relationships and the intentional desire to design with purpose and meaning as keys to the company’s longevity. There have been a number of projects that have become much more than spaces for her. “I feel like I’ve been blessed to find great meaning in just about every project that I’ve worked on. We do projects that improve and change lives—whether it’s a performing arts center where someone has their first performance, or a museum where someone’s mind is changed about something, or even a training center for an athlete to hone their craft. These buildings help them make their lives better.”

Pittman also finds herself in the process of working on projects that honor the past while creating spaces to be enjoyed well into the future. “We renovated Foster Auditorium at The University of Alabama to host women’s volleyball, but it was also the site of the Stand in the Schoolhouse Door. And part of that project evolved into doing the Malone Hood Plaza,” shares Pittman. “They were challenging projects, but projects that really brought meaning not only to me but to many other people. I’m always excited about the next project and how I can use the lessons that I have learned to continue to change lives and benefit the community.”

When looking to the future, Pittman exudes excitement over what is on the horizon at Davis. In addition to her role as president, two other female colleagues will be stepping into new positions. Gabrielle Fuller, AIA, was promoted to senior vice president, architecture, and Stephanie Pope, IIDA, was promoted to senior vice president, interior design. Accordingly, the firm is currently pursuing certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE).

“Neil Davis’s connection to this milestone is especially meaningful, as his late mother, Helen Sellers Davis, was Alabama’s first licensed female architect in 1936. The architecture firm’s transition to woman-led leadership is not only a company milestone but also a deeply personal, full-circle moment that honors her legacy,” the Davis team shares.

Pittman is primed to carry Alabama’s oldest architecture firm into the next era of industry while staying true to the company’s roots and recognizing those who came before. “Professionally, to be a leader of the firm and try to continue the legacy of Ms. Davis and her husband, Charles Davis, is humbling and overwhelming, but very exciting. I’m excited for what the future holds.”