Influential Akridge Executive Bob Schofield Dies At 56
Bob Schofield, a developer who helped shape D.C.'s built environment during two decades with real estate firm Akridge, has died.
Akridge created a memorial page last week honoring Schofield. An Akridge spokesperson confirmed to Bisnow that he died last week at the age of 56. The company hasn't announced his cause of death.
"The entire Akridge family is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Bob Schofield — our partner, colleague and mentor," the memorial page reads. "He was a devoted father and caring friend."
The memorial page said that Schofield contributed his expertise to every project Akridge has developed over the last 20 years. He joined Akridge in 2000 and served as senior vice president of development.
"Bob's passion for architecture and great places was infectious and an inspiration to all of us," the page said. "He established high expectations and pushed all around him to continually stretch to achieve the highest design and execution standards."
Hickok Cole Senior Principal Yolanda Cole, one of more than 30 people who has left a comment about Schofield on the memorial page, told Bisnow Monday that his passion for design was exemplified by one project the firms worked on together: 1701 Rhode Island Ave. NW.
A transformation of a YMCA building into trophy office, Akridge leased the entire building to WeWork and then sold it in July 2019 for $105.7M. The $1,016/SF sale price made it one of D.C.'s priciest office building sales ever.
Cole said that the team traveled to Italy during the design process to look at a style of copper shingles that it incorporated into the building. She said he was "very proud" of the building and intent on giving it the best design he could.
"He will always be remembered by our firm as the client who popped in unannounced to hunt down team members about a new idea he was bursting to share with us, or to spend the day wandering around checking every corner of our project in VR goggles," Cole wrote in a post on Schofield's memorial page. "His boundless energy and passion was contagious, even if at times exhausting, as our teams can attest from their sprints around Europe to explore urban design principles or their late night visits to a local pub."
Additional projects Schofield worked on in D.C. include Gallery Place, 1201 Eye St. NW, 900 Seventh St. NW, Carroll Square, 700 Sixth St. NW, 7550 Wisconsin Ave. NW, 1200 Seventh St. NW and the planning for Burnham Place, according to his NAIOP biography.
Schofield last year served as a board member for NAIOP's D.C./Maryland chapter, and in 2013 he served as president of the chapter. He was also involved with the American Society of Civil Engineers and Urban Land Institute. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Bucknell University.
Outside of work, Schofield had a passion for sailing. He was named a member of the 2007 U.S. Sailing Team and competed in trials for the 2008 Olympic Games. In an April 2007 interview with Bisnow, Schofield said he uses a similar skill set in sailing as he does in development.
"In both cases you have to be very detail-oriented," Schofield said. "The details that may seem trivial at first are usually the ones that get you into trouble later on."
