Anthony J. Cissell, AIA

Principal of Cissell Design Studio, Anthony J. Cissell founded the Charleston-based firm in 2023. He previously held roles as principal of urban planning at Lessard Design, chair of architecture and urban design at SCAD, and architect and urban designer at Sottile & Sottile. Spanning civic design, architecture, master planning, and graphic design, Cissell’s work is greatly informed by historical research, urban analysis, and community engagement. He graduated summa cum laude from SCAD where he earned a master of architecture and received the Bronze Alpha Rho Chi Medal — a prestigious honor from the national fraternity for architecture and the allied arts. In 2019, he was recognized with the Emerging Professional Award by AIA Georgia. That same year, he left his full-time practice to lead the SCAD architecture department, pioneering successful architectural education in the virtual environment and expanding student access to expert-level design and collaboration tools. Cissell has served as a pivotal influence on more than 40 award-winning projects, recognized with National Honor Awards for Urban Design and Architecture from the American Institute of Architects; Charter Awards from the Congress for the New Urbanism; Americas and Global Awards for Excellence from the Urban Land Institute; and other accolades from the American Planning Association, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, and AIA Georgia and AIA South Atlantic Region.