Daniel DiMarco serves as a principal architect at global infrastructure firm AECOM, leading its health and science market. He has worked at AECOM for 22 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in architecture, both from Virginia Tech.

1. What made you interested in studying architecture? 

Growing up in Alexandria, I was surrounded by beautiful architecture in the Washington D.C. area. My family had a hardware store and sheet metal fabrication business in upstate New York and Syracuse, so my interest in the field is generational. During undergrad, I worked in construction in the summers. In the four years I took off between my degrees, I did construction full time. Architecture has always been of interest to me. I enjoy the creative process, being able to design a project, and then participate in the construction process. With a career in architecture, I get to have the best of both worlds.

2. Over the course of your career, what is your proudest accomplishment? 

When I graduated with my master’s, I moved west and practiced architecture in Denver for 10 years, and that’s where I met my wife. We moved to Roanoke after our son was born. My son will be graduating from Virginia Tech this spring in chemical engineering, and that is certainly a proud achievement for our family. He’s an incredible student and emerging researcher in areas that will benefit others, and our environment.

One of the first things I was able to work on with AECOM when I moved to Roanoke was final revisions to the master plan for the Riverside Center, which had been a brownfield site in Roanoke. I was the lead project architect on all the buildings that were constructed at the site, including Riverside 1 (interior fit outs), 2, 3, and 4. For Riverside 3, we toured the Mayo Clinic with Carilion leadership, and we studied their buildings to bring back some of the ideas they had, which helped us to make a healthcare environment that was adaptable and flexible, serving as a multi-specialty medical hub for the region.

I’m proud of the work I did on this project, because – and this is where it connects to my interest in GO Virginia – I enjoy seeing the transformational power that facilities can have if they’re done the right way in a good location. The decision to build this project between downtown and Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital has been incredible for the city, and the region.

3. What is your favorite part of working at AECOM? 

At AECOM, I get to work on projects all over the world. This always leads to appreciating how special Roanoke is. I’m currently working on a new school of medicine in Lima, Peru. It will be similar to what we’ve done here in Roanoke with the VTC School of Medicine, being based on a patient-based learning (PBL) model. Though it will not be located on a brownfield site, it involves urban redevelopment. I recently worked at the University of Michigan as well as parts of Europe and Asia. I get to see a lot of places, but I also get to see how vibrant Roanoke has become.

4. What projects are you currently working on at AECOM? 

We’re fortunate to be partners with Virginia Tech. We’ve just been awarded a contract to design a new dining services facility for Virginia Tech, which will be located in the Corporate Research Center and serve as a food production center for their dining halls. As an architect, I enjoy adaptive reuse of older buildings as well as designing new buildings. We recently completed the Roanoke Biotech Lab, which is now the RoVa Labs on Jefferson Street in Roanoke. We’re also working at James Madison University. We did a project for JMU in their historic core to upgrade a former residence hall that had been converted to offices in the 1970s. We added classroom space, additional office space, and flexible learning space.

5. What do you enjoy most about living in GO Virginia Region 2?  

Since traveling around and seeing other parts of the country and world, I’ve realized how special Region 2 is. It has unique qualities geographically, and it’s a great place to raise a family. We don’t have the kind of traffic and congestion you see around D.C. or other large hubs, yet we can get to big cities quickly. 

The access to nature we have here is incredible. Since COVID, I’ve noticed in our neighborhood, there are more people moving here who work remotely; they can take advantage of the region’s natural assets on the weekend, whether they are biking or hiking or just enjoying a less hectic lifestyle. There is also an opportunity for future growth here, in areas such as healthcare, research, and advanced manufacturing.

6. What are you looking forward to learning as a Region 2 council member? 

I am looking forward to getting to know the other council members and finding out more about other communities in our region. If we can build relationships across our region, those relationships, especially if they’re with other council members, will help to facilitate growth. Aligning with some of the other council people would enable me to learn more about collaboration opportunities that could support growth in our region.  

7. What is the best advice you’ve ever received? 

One bit of advice that still resonates is: “Never stop learning.” I still continue to learn in my career. It’s also important to work as a team player. There’s more than you can do working with others than you can do working alone. Teamwork is key to creating great success in whatever you set out to do. The work we do at AECOM is always team-based. People have individual tasks, but everyone is always focused on the team’s end goal.

8. What is the most memorable place you’ve ever visited? 

Big Sur, California. It’s an area that has mountains and ocean and is in close proximity to San Francisco. It’s a beautiful place with breathtaking scenery.  

9. What is a book you would recommend?  

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg explains how habits work, why they are so powerful, and how they can be changed. Using real-world business and personal examples, Charles Duhigg shows how understanding the habit loop enables individuals and organizations to replace ineffective behaviors with habits that drive long-term success. The book reinforces my belief that strong organizations—and strong regions—are built by aligning daily practices with long-term goals, and by deliberately changing the habits that no longer serve growth.