Posted on July 21, 2025
REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers presented Ross Allen, U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville architect with its Architect of the Year award in June for his contributions in the architectural field.
Allen is recognized as a subject matter expert for the Centers of Standardization – Facilities. COS-F includes a cache of Army facilities including Soldier Performance Readiness Centers (SPRC), Physical Fitness Facilities (PFF), and Soldier Fitness Training & Testing Facilities (SFTTF).
Huntsville Center is one of nine Centers of Standardization established by the Director of Military Programs in 2006 to be the Army’s life cycle manager for assigned facility types.
Allen received his Registered Architect (RA) in the state of Alabama in 2019. He said receiving his RA has been his proudest moment in his 20-year career with USACE.
“That is the major milestone for an architect,” Allen said. “You finally get to put Registered Architect by your name.”
Allen said he knew he wanted to be an architect from an early age.
“I always had an interest in drawing,” Allen said. “My grandparents introduced me to architecture with books and magazines on well-known projects and architects.”
Allen, a native of Arab, Alabama, began his career with USACE after graduating high school in 2004. He attended Auburn University in 2004 and graduated in 2009. He began his career at Huntsville Center in 2005 as a student.
However, Allen said there were times that he doubted his choice of architecture as a career.
Allen said while attending Auburn, he was struggling with architecture classes and long hours and even debated changing his major.
“My parents had my high school basketball coach talk to me,” Allen said. “He said, ‘Son you’ve got champagne dreams and if you switch your major, you are going to end up on a beer budget. Nobody is going to be happy doing that.’”
Allen said the encouraging words reaffirmed his commitment to becoming an architect.
“I have always remembered that and had a good laugh at his comments.”
Allen’s work COS-Facilities is focused primarily on projects directly affecting Soldier fitness.
“Knowing that our work is directly helping Soldiers always makes me proud,” Allen said.
“It is greatly overlooked how architecture can influence the day-to-day lives of its building occupants, and how architecture can be used as a means of directly influencing processes conducted in a facility.”
Allen’s supervisor, Jelani Ingram, Huntsville Center Architecture Branch chief, nominated Allen for the award has known Allen since 2008.
He said Allen is a shining example of a dedicated professional who has grown in the architectural field and is constantly learning more about the field and applying that knowledge to improve how Huntsville Center cares for its customers.
“I got to see him grow from a young designer while attending college to one of our very own licensed architects,” Ingram said.
“Some may not know who he is, but they know his work.”
From developing Range Standard Designs for Huntsville Center’s Range and Training Land Program to Medical Space Templates for the Defense Health Agency to stepping up to become the subject matter expert for the Centers of Standardization, Ingram said Allen has a huge role in the Center’s architectural efforts.
“I was proud to submit him and see win this prestigious award,” Ingram said.
