AIA Virginia Honors may be bestowed on non-member individuals or organizations that have inspired, influenced, or complemented the architecture profession in Virginia through practice of an allied profession, research, education, planning, legislation, architectural writing, the arts, or crafts. AIA Virginia Honors recognizes the broader community and its members who contribute to the capabilities of architects to design equitable, healthy, and resilient environments.
Hamilton Glass is a nationally recognized artist who blends community and art through his paintings and his public advocacy. Found in both interior and exterior environments, his murals have enhanced public and private schools, community centers, corporate offices and public/private walls. For more than a decade, Glass has focused his attention on client and community engagement to ensure that all parties involved are engaged during the process.
Using his background in architecture, Glass creates images that reference architectural drafting practices, which are represented in the sharp lines, scale, and balance of the piece. As his nominator noted, “Trained as an architect, Hamilton approaches his work with a thoughtful intention that reflects a deep understanding of scale, proportion, and the power of a line.”
In response to the community unrest following the death of George Floyd, Glass created the groundbreaking public art project, Mending Walls, in the summer of 2020. The project aimed to use art to stimulate social and racial justice conversations that manifest empathy and connection. Mending Walls paired 30 artists of different backgrounds and ethnicities to discuss their experiences and perspectives. In total the project has created 23 mural collaborations across Richmond, Va.
Previously recognized with the 2022 AIA Blue Ridge Honor Award for his service to the Roanoke community and advocacy for its important causes, Del. Sam Rasoul has been committed to building a stronger, safer, healthier and more equitable community for its citizens. Rasoul has led the development of numerous programs that advance equity and foster diversity and inclusivity for all. His leadership and advocacy is providing many benefits across what Rasoul considers “the triple bottom line of social, economic, and environmental values.”
Among his successes on behalf of those he represents are House Bill 753, which increased teacher pay and supported capital investments to make schools safe and equipped for 21st-century learning. HB 753 also requires the Virginia Department of Education to develop effective implementation of social and emotional learning in public schools. He has also championed policies that improve housing opportunities, criminal justice and family care.
Rasoul is a co-sponsor of Virginia’s Green New Deal Act, which lays the groundwork for intersectional policies that will lower energy bills, create 200,000 jobs and improve the quality of life for every community in Virginia. The program advances climate justice at the intersection of economic justice, racial justice, health care justice, and worker justice. As his nominators noted, “his work on behalf of families, businesses, education, the natural environment and individuals is helping our area achieve its aspirations as a healthy and resilient place to live, work and visit.”
These valuable partners will be recognized at the Visions for Architecture event on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, at the Hippodrome Theatre in Richmond.
A committee of esteemed architects chaired by Ray Calabro, FAIA, will judge the entries for AIA Virginia’s 2023 Awards for Excellence in Architecture. Joining Calabro on the jury are Jennifer Devlin-Herbert, FAIA; Omar Gandhi, FRAAC; and Karen Lu, AIA. These annual awardsrecognize outstanding design, built and unbuilt, from the past seven years. Also known as the Design Awards, the program is open to all categories of building as well as interiors projects. The awards program is currently open for submissions. Each entry will be judged on how successful the project is in meeting its individual requirements. Consideration is given to aesthetics, social impact, innovation, context, performance, and stewardship of the natural environment — with particular emphasis on the Framework for Design Excellence. Deadline for entries is5 p.m. on June 28, 2023.
About Ray Calabro, FAIA
Calabro is a principal of the Pennsylvania firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson. Educated at Virginia Tech (B. Arch., 1994), he began his career there as a lecturer in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies. Since joining Bohlin Cywinski Jackson in 1995, Ray’s project experience spans academic, cultural, commercial and residential projects in the continental U.S. and Canada. In 2014, he was elevated to the College of Fellows.
About Jennifer Devlin-Herbert, FAIA
Devlin-Herbert, of San Francisco’s EHDD, was the firm’s first woman partner, and is now its first woman CEO. She is a distinguished design leader for evolving trends in learning environments across multiple project types, from educational spaces to science centers and libraries. Throughout a career spanning 30 years, her rich portfolio includes projects that reflect an unwavering commitment to her clients. Her work has been recognized with a National AIA Honor Award for Design.
About Omar Gandhi, FRAAC
Gandhi is the Principal of Omar Gandhi Architects, a Canadian architectural practice with small teams in both Halifax and Toronto. He was chosen as one of the Architectural League of New York’s ‘Emerging Voices’ of 2016 and in 2018 was appointed the Louis I. Kahn Visiting Assistant Professorship in Architectural Design at the Yale School of Architecture. Gandhi was made a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Association of Canada in 2022.
About Karen Lu, AIA, NOMA
Lu is an Associate Principal at Snow Kreilich Architects in Minneapolis. Her commitment to design excellence and to positively impacting future generations of architecture professionals and global citizens is evident in her professional work and service to the AIA and her community. She is currently the AIA Strategic Council Minnesota Representative and a board adviser to MSP NOMA.
Entries to the 2023 Design Awards program are now being accepted. AIA Virginia’s Awards for Excellence in Architecture (also known as the Design Awards) recognize outstanding design, built and unbuilt, from the past seven years. The program is juried by a team of esteemed practitioners from outside of the region.
Each entry will be judged on how successful the project is in meeting its individual requirements. Consideration is given to aesthetics, social impact, innovation, context, performance, and stewardship of the natural environment — with particular emphasis on the Framework for Design Excellence.
Each entry must include a completed Framework for Design Excellence Project Information Form as page one of their submission. Note: Entrants should not feel obligated to respond to every measure within the Framework — only those that apply to the project being submitted. It is understood that every project is different and may not respond to each measure within the Framework. The jury will consider each design holistically and within context.
No specific number of awards is set, and the program is open to all categories of building as well as interiors projects. The location of projects is not restricted, but any built works submitted for consideration must have been completed on or after Jan. 1, 2016. Enter online.
Entries are due by 5 p.m. on June 28, 2023.Note: You should be prepared to submit your concealed ID and project submission upon entry.
Entry fees
AIA VirginiaMembers: $190 for the first project $160 for each additional project The Small Projects Category has a reduced entry fee of $100 Note: The entrant must be a member of AIA Virginia to be eligible to receive the member discount. The submitting AIA Virginia member must be a contributor to the design team.
Non-members of the AIAVA (must have an office located in Virginia): $245 for the first project $220 for each additional project The Small Projects Category has a reduced entry fee of $200
Developed by members of the AIA, the Framework for Design Excellence, represents the defining principles of good design in the 21st century. It’s intended to be accessible and relevant for every architect, every client, and every project — regardless of size, typology, or aspiration.
The 10 measures that make up the Framework are intended to inspire progress toward a zero-carbon, equitable, resilient, and healthy built environment. They represent standards of excellence as defined by members of the AIA. These measures align with the AIA’s core values which are collectively defined by members across the country.
The completed Framework for Design Excellence Project Information Form is required and shall be page 1 of each submission. The remaining 6 pages of each submission may be designed and defined by the entrant.
Use the Project Narrative section to describe how the design aligns with the Framework for Design Excellence. Entrants are encouraged to address all applicable measures.
We recognize every project is different and may not respond to every measure within the Framework. The jury will consider the design holistically and within context.
Data may not be available for some metrics on the form, or the client may prefer to keep certain metrics confidential. If this is the case, space is provided on the form to provide an explanation.
Entrants are encouraged to call out extraordinary responses to specific measures in the remaining 6 pages of their submission as well.
Do you have a colleague who deserves recognition? Is there a firm with a great culture that consistently produces incredible work? Is there a building that has captured your heart? Consider nominating them for an award in AIA Virginia’s 2023 Honors Awards program.
The Honors program recognizes the best efforts of Virginians who — by profession or avocation — have made creating, preserving, and enhancing Virginia’s communities an important life commitment.
Nominations
Nominations must be submitted online. Nominations should be submitted as a single PDF up to 20 pages (not including letters of support) and no larger than 15 MB.
Nominations for all AIA Virginia honors may be made by individual members, by chapter honors committees, by AIA Virginia committees, or by the Board of Directors itself.
Current AIA Virginia Board members and Honors Committee members are not eligible for any award. Members of the Honors Committee may not be used as a reference or adviser or be solicited by the candidate or the candidate’s advisor.
The deadline is Friday, June 16, 2023, at 5 p.m.
Eligibility
Eligibility criteria and submission requirements vary by award. Click on the awards listed below for additional details and to review past recipients.
The William C. Noland Medal, as the highest award bestowed on a member architect, is intended to honor a distinguished body of accomplishments, sustained over time, that spans a broad spectrum of the profession and that transcends the scope of normal professional activities. Only one medal may be bestowed each year.
The T. David Fitz-Gibbon Virginia Architecture Firm Award, as the highest honor bestowed by AIA Virginia to a Virginia-based architecture firm, recognizes a firm that has consistently demonstrated outstanding and continuous contributions to design, the profession, and to the community for at least ten years.
The Virginia Emerging Architect Award recognizes the accomplishments of an emerging leader in Virginia for their contributions to the profession in any of the following: design, research, education, service as a “citizen architect,” service to the profession, service to the community, or initiatives to advance social justice, equity, diversity, or inclusion.
*NEW FOR 2023*The Virginia Associates Award recognizes the accomplishments of individual Associate AIA members for being outstanding leaders and creative thinkers for significant contributions to their communities and the architecture profession.
The Award for Distinguished Achievement recognizes either a singular achievement by an architect or the work of an entire career in any of the following: design, practice, education, service as a “citizen architect,” service to the profession, or initiatives to advance social justice, equity, diversity, or inclusion.
The Test of Time Award recognizes architectural design of enduring significance. The structure should be in Virginia and must be no less than 25 years old. Building use may change over time if the overall design is cherished as a significant contribution to the community and the built environment.
Public Awards
The Architecture Medal for Virginia Service is AIA Virginia’s most prestigious public award, honoring an individual or organization that has made an unusually significant contribution to Virginia’s built environment or to the public’s understanding and awareness of the built environment. Only one medal may be bestowed each year but may be given simultaneously to more than one person.
Honorary Membership is bestowed upon a person of esteemed character who is not eligible for membership in the AIA Virginia but who has rendered distinguished and exemplary service, over a sustained period of time, to architecture and the built environment within the domain of AIA Virginia.
AIA Virginia Honors may be bestowed on non-member individuals or organizations that have inspired, influenced, or complemented the architecture profession in Virginia through practice of an allied profession, research, education, planning, legislation, architectural writing, the arts, or crafts. An individual who has previously been elected an Honorary Member of AIA Virginia is ineligible to receive AIA Virginia Honors.
Resiliency is the ability to quickly recover from disruption. But, how quickly can our buildings and systems bounce back from natural or man-made disasters? Can our infrastructure rapidly adapt to changing environmental, social, and economic conditions?
Join AIA Virginia in collaboration with AIA Hampton Roads for an exploration of resiliency in the built environment and discover why investing in resilient solutions can help protect us all.
Monday, April 17th @ noon–1 p.m. Shoreline Restoration and the Elizabeth River Project Sam Bowling, AIA | Architect & Project Manager, Work Program Architects Luisa Black | Resiliency Manager, The Elizabeth River Project Living Shorelines and shoreline buffers help protect against erosion, restore wildlife habitat, and help mitigate tidal flooding. Using the Ryan River Lab as a case study, learn how buildings can be a model for protecting both the ecosystem and humans as sea levels rise. WATCH RECORDING
Wednesday, April 19 @ 3-4 p.m. Decarbonization and the Built Environment Michael Lenox, Ph.D. | Taylor Murphy Professor of Business Administration, Senior Associate Dean and Chief Strategy Officer, University of Virginia Learn about the urgent imperative to address carbon in the building sector and understand how policy changes and emerging technologies can help accelerate the transition. WATCH RECORDING
Friday, April 21 @ 1:30-2:20 p.m. Master Planning for Resiliency
Paula Loomis, Ph.D, FAIA | Director of Research, Senior Architect, Senior Planner, Urban Collaborative Meet the challenges of a rapidly changing climate. Learn how we can protect our structures, systems, and natural spaces by working in collaboration with designers, citizens, and policy-makers to build climate-resilient communities. WATCH RECORDING
This series is organized by AIA Hampton Roads in collaboration with the AIAVA Outreach Advisory Council.
The 2023 AIA Virginia Prize competition kicks off the spring semester by offering students the opportunity to win a $2,000 prize. Three additional $300 “Best of School” prizes will also be awarded. The competition is a design charrette that engages students enrolled in accredited architecture programs in Virginia over the weekend of Feb. 10-13, 2023.
AIA Virginia is pleased to announce the 2022 Design Awards. These honors celebrate projects no older than seven years that contribute to the built environment and are clear examples of thoughtful, engaging design. Within each of the award categories, consideration was given to sustainability, affordability, social impact, innovation, durability, addressing the natural and built context, and meeting the specific needs of the client.
From a field of 155 entries, only 16 were selected by the jury for recognition. These few projects stood above the rest as particularly notable. Awards of Merit are presented to those project worthy of recognition and an Award of Honor is reserved for those projects deemed by the jury to be truly exceptional. Consideration is given to aesthetics, social impact, innovation, context, performance, and stewardship of the natural environment — with particular emphasis on the Framework for Design Excellence.
The work of retrofitting, renovating, adapting, and remodeling existing buildings accounts for almost half of U.S. architecture billings. This award celebrates design interventions upon existing buildings that help achieve carbon reduction through creative reuse and adaptation.
Award of Honor
Arts and Letters Creative Co. (Richmond, Va.)
Image courtesy of ARCHITECTUREFIRM. Photos by James Ewing, James Ewing Photography.
Architecture Firm: ARCHITECTUREFIRM Owner: Arts & Letters Creative Co. General Contractor: DPR Construction Structural Engineer: Engineering Solutions MEP Engineer: AKF Group LLC Photographers: Kate Thompson, Palindrome Creative Co. and James Ewing, James Ewing Photography
Jury Comments: This creative workplace displayed a clear attitude toward reuse. The simple, white objects are juxtaposed against the raw, patinated, existing container — allowing you to understand both in a new way. It’s a clear and well-executed renovation strategy that simultaneously preserves and repurposes the building for its next life.
Award of Merit
Assembly (Norfolk, Va.)
Images courtesy WPA. Photos by Yuzhu Zheng Photography.
Architecture Firm: Work Program Architects (WPA) Owner: Assembly (Drew Ungvarsky) General Contractor: Clancy & Theys Construction Company Interior Design: Campfire+Co. Photographer: Yuzhu Zheng Photography
Jury Comments: This coworking facility is organized around a new, open stairway that provides connection between a variety of work settings created on all levels of the historic building. The procession up and through the building is celebrated, while simple, light-filled interiors breathe new life into a former department store.
In the ARCHITECTURE category
The jury considers aesthetics, adherence to the client wishes, proven and projected building performance, and concept development during its deliberations.
Awards of Honor
Arthur J. Altmeyer Social Security Administration Building (Woodlawn, Md.)
Image courtesy of HGA. Photos by Kendall McCaugherty.
Architect of Record: HGA Design Architect: Snow Kreilich Architects Owner: General Services Administration General Contractor: Hensel Phelps Façade Consultant: Studio NYL Landscape Architect: OLIN Civil Engineer: Sorba Engineering Structural Engineering: Woods Peacock and HGA Structural Mechanical Engineer: HGA Mechanical Electrical Engineer: HGA Electrical Fire Protection Engineer: Summit Fire Protection Acoustics/AV/Building Security: Polysonics Blast & Site Security: Hinman Cost Estimating: Toscano Clements Taylor (TCT) LEED Consultant: Sustainable Design Consulting, LLC Enclosure Commissioning: WDP & Associates: Photographer: Kendall McCaugherty, Hall Merrick McCaugherty Photographers
Jury Comments: A remarkable transformation of an unremarkable government building into a 21st-century workplace. The curtainwall system is well considered, beautifully detailed, and reductive — creating wonderful daylit spaces out of what was previously a warren of dark anonymous hallways. The exterior expression is subtle but engaging, creating a gradation when seen from the distance, and experienced as a slow and engaging change when approached on foot.
Architecture Firm: HGA Owner: Capital One Financial (Barry Mark, Representative) General Contractor: The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company Photographer: Alan Karchmer
Jury Comments: A sophisticated performing arts facility inserted into a complex urban site. The public spaces and the “house” are warm and wonderfully detailed. The limited material palette provides cohesiveness to what is a very large building. The powerful pleated façade begets a striking reciprocal interior ceiling that together act as a counterpoint to the refined wood and steel jewel box that is the theater. The public rooftop park and garden are a wonderful bonus gift to the city.
R|refuge (Leonardtown, Md.)
Images courtesy of Page/. Photos by Anice Hoachlander.
Architecture Firm: Page/ Owner: withheld General Contractor: J. Johnson Enterprises Inc. Structural Engineer: Springpoint Structural Civil Engineer: Soltesz Photographer: Anice Hoachlander, StudioHDP
Jury Comments: This private residence reveals a clear, processional experience in which the remarkable waterfront view is gradually revealed to the visitor. The integration of the home into the landscape is impressive and extends the generative logic into the site. The sequence of the plan and site is tightly woven with the ecological program. Each design decision seems to be multivalent, performing multiple duties with minimal wasted effort. The material palette is restrained and durable without feeling cold, and the material choices help reinforce the clarity of the plan and the sustainability goals of the project.
Awards of Merit
AC Hotel by Marriott (Washington, D.C.)
Images courtesy of WDG Architecture. Photos by Joseph Romeo Photography.
Architecture Firm: WDG Architecture Owner: OTO Development General Contractor: Lend Lease (US) Construction, Inc. Photographer: Joseph Romeo Photography
Jury Comments: This urban infill project uses an ingenious unitized enclosure system to activate the street wall and mediate between two disparate neighboring buildings. The result is something at home on the street but surprising and engaging. The emphasis on single window units subtly telegraphs the interior program to the exterior.
Edneyville Elementary School (Hendersonville, N.C.)
Images courtesy of Clark Nexsen, Photos by Mark Herboth.
Architecture Firm: Clark Nexsen Owner: Henderson County (John Mitchell, Representative) General Contractor: Beverly-Grant Inc. / Barnhill Civil Engineering: WGLA Engineering, PLLC Landscape Engineering: Siteworks Studios Structural Engineering: Kloesel Engineering, PA Interior Design: Division 12 Design Studio Photographer: Mark Herboth, Mark Herboth Photography
Jury Comments: This elementary school is simple and direct – inserting a splash of color without being patronizing. The clear, well-organized plan makes good use of the site, creating a variety of inviting learning environments at many scales. It harvests natural light from multiple sources in nearly every space, both direct and borrowed. The building’s performance is particularly commendable.
Virginia Beach Sports Center (Virginia Beach, Va.)
Photo by Dave Chance Photography.Photo by Yuzhu Zheng Photography.Images courtesy of Hanbury
Architecture Firm: Hanbury and Clark Nexsen Owner: City of Virginia Beach Public Works (Tom Nicholas, PE, Representative) General Contractor: MEB General Contractors Photographers: Dave Chance, Dave Chance Photography and Yuzhu Zheng Photography
Jury Comments: This very simple, direct, rigid-frame building creates a set of large, open, daylit recreation spaces. The spaces and framed views make theater of the activities taking place every day. The design “moves” are limited but focused. The result is maximum effect with very limited means.
Architecture Firm: HDR Owner: Virginia Commonwealth University Health System (Shirley Gibson, Representative) General Contractor: Hourigan Structural Engineering (parking/envelope): Walter P Moore MEP Engineer: WSP Civil Engineer: Draper Aden Assoc. Curtain Wall: Ventana Photographer: Dan Schwalm, HDR and Quentin Penn-Hollar, QPH Photo, LLC
Jury Comments: This large, programmatically complex building utilizes very simple variations in the curtainwall to express the individual program elements. These create subtle but engaging differences in the surface qualities without fracturing the character of the shape. The limited palette of materials and well-proportioned composition create a cohesive form at home in its context. The golden mesh is a comprehensive design move that accomplishes multiple goals. It covers the garage, defines and makes a grand entry, and creates a surprising ethereal surface quality.
In the HISTORIC PRESERVATION category
The historic preservation category focuses specifically on excellence in strategies, tactics, and technologies that advance the art, craft, and science of preserving historically significant buildings and sites. The jury takes into consideration adherence to local, state, and national criteria for historic preservation.
Award of Honor
Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall (Washington, D.C.)
Images courtesy Quinn Evans. Photos by Ron Blunt Photography.
Architecture Firm: Quinn Evans Owner: Daughters of the American Revolution (Stephen Nordholt, Representative) General Contractor: Christman Company MEP Engineering: Greenman Pedersen Inc. and Loring Consulting Engineers Historic Paint Finishes Specialist: Artifex Ltd. Structural Engineer: 1200 Architectural Engineers Theatrical Lighting and Theater Planning: Schuler Shook Lighting Design (Phase 1): Gary Steffy Lighting Design Acoustical Consulting: Jaffee Holden Life Safety Engineering: GHD Photographer: Ron Blunt Photography
Jury Comments: This restoration of a large historic meeting space seamlessly integrates lighting and mechanical systems to preserve the building and create a modern meeting venue. The historic spaces are brought back to “like-new” condition with a lighting strategy that transforms them into something entirely new.
Award of Merit
Antler House Restoration (East Hampton, N.Y.)
Images courtesy of Two Street Studio. Photos by Ashok Sinha.
Architecture Firm: Two Street Studio Owners: Chris Fisher and Blair Moritz Contractor: CCI Construction Consultants Interior Designer: Logan Killen Interiors + Blair Moritz Photographer: Ashok Sinha
Jury Comments: A truly quirky and weird home had been stripped of its character by decades of ill-fated “improvements.” This restoration returns the home’s “hippie-coolness” in a very unapologetic fashion and creates a sympathetic addition. The interiors are consistent with the spirit of the home.
In the INTERIOR DESIGN category
Interior design projects are judged on mastery of composition, functionality, material and color palettes, and well-integrated adherence to the highest levels of accessibility, health and safety, environmental, and occupant-comfort considerations, standards, and regulations.
Award of Honor
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library (Washington, D.C.)
Images courtesy of OTJ Architects. Photos by Trent Bell.
Executive Architect: OTJ Architects Design Architect: Mecanoo Owner: District of Columbia Public Library General Contractor: Smoot Construction and Gilbane Building Company Photographer: Trent Bell and Robert Benson Photography
Jury Comments: This interior reconsiders the Miesian masterpiece. The design identifies the existing building’s strengths and weaknesses and takes it into the present and the future. The addition of the sinuous stairs is a bold celebration of the inhabitants and a subtle criticism of the existing structure. Some of the original lighting and material strategies are maintained and extended to link the new
Award of Merit
Bill Richards Center for Healing (Rockville, Md.)
Images courtesy of Gensler. Photos by Halkin Mason Photography.
Architecture Firm: Gensler Owner: Shady Grove Adventist Hospital Foundation General Contractor: Deerfield Construction Group, Inc. Photographer: Halkin Mason Photography
Jury Comments: This small, flexible interior accomplishes a lot by employing a limited set of tactics. The serpentine wood wall ties the interior together, shapes the public procession, and functionally screens equipment and clutter. Simple ceiling manipulations further subdivide the space and the use of indirect lighting gives a sense of breadth.
In the RESIDENTIAL DESIGN category
Aesthetic appeal and functionality are two long-established criteria for home design, as are affordability and resource efficiency. The jury looks at each submission in its totality toward meeting those goals.
Award of Honor
StoryBoard (Washington, D.C.)
Images courtesy of KUBE architecture. Photos by Anice Hoachlander.
Architecture Firm: KUBE architecture Owner: Warmington Oppenheim Development General Contractor: Warmington Oppenheim Development Photographer: Anice Hoachlander
Jury Comments: This urban infill project ingeniously reinterprets the bay window to create a truly unique expression – at once sympathetic and new. The decision to recess the entries on both sides allows the façade to be disconnected from its neighbors, while clearly continuing the street wall. The new bay windows can be occupied, adding character to the interior spaces, and framing exterior views.
In the SMALL PROJECTS category
Design excellence can be achieved, no matter the size or scope of a project. These awards celebrate projects with modest budgets that have a substantial impact. Small Project Awards are given in three categories, offering opportunities for recognition to a wide range of project sizes and budgets. All projects must demonstrate design achievement, including how the project fits into its environment and how the project connects to the Framework for Design Excellence.
Award of Honor
Heirloom Farm Studio (location withheld)
Photos courtesy of Bushman Dreyfus Architects. Photos by Virginia Hamrick Photography.
Architecture Firm: Bushman Dreyfus Architects Owner: withheld Owner’s Design Representative: Ivy Naté General Contractor: Element Construction Photographer: Virginia Hamrick Photography
Jury Comments: This simple, almost archetypal structure is clad in a dark wooden exterior clearly juxtaposed against both the minimal white interior and the surrounding landscape. All the design decisions are focused and disciplined, resulting in something simultaneously abstract and familiar. A well-proportioned and beautifully crafted piece of work at home in the shadows beneath the tree line.
Award of Merit
Studio 6420 (location withheld)
Images courtesy of Robert M. Gurney, FAIA, Architect. Photos by Anice Hoachlander.
Architecture Firm: Robert M. Gurney, FAIA, Architect Owner: withheld General Contractor: Peterson & Collins, Inc. Interior Design: Baron Gurney Interiors Landscape Architect: Campion Hruby Landscape Architects Photographer: Anice Hoachlander
Jury Comments: This small studio space and landscape employ a restrained set of tactics to shape both the exterior and interior space. A common material palette ties the composition together. The car in the garage is likely more expensive than the garage that contains it – but equally as beautiful. A straightforward, well-detailed example of complex simplicity.
A career motivated by passion to preserve and advocate for historic black communities anchors the architect’s nomination
Burchell “Burt” Pinnock, FAIA, has been recognized with the William C. Noland Medal by AIA Virginia for his exceptional career and commitment to preserve and celebrate historic black communities and create opportunities for future generations within and beyond those communities. As the highest honor bestowed by AIA Virginia upon an architect, the Noland Medal is intended to recognize a distinguished body of accomplishments, sustained over time, spanning a broad spectrum of the profession, and transcending the scope of normal professional activities.
For more than 30 years, Pinnock was a voice for responsible design in many urban landscapes of Virginia, especially Richmond. His passion is found on a variety of cultural, master planning, residential, and adaptive reuse work for clients such as the City of Richmond, Black History Museum and Cultural Center, the Virginia Civil Rights Memorial Plaza, and the Richmond Slave Trail Commission. This important work and meaningful community impact led him to the appointment of the City of Richmond’s co-chair for the Richmond 300 Advisory Council.
Pinnock, seeing the opportunity to make a difference in Richmond’s urban neighborhoods, co-founded Storefront for Community Design, a nonprofit design center that works to create human connections, foster quality community development, and strengthen the legacy of Richmond’s urban areas. Richmond residents still live with the effects of inequitable planning practices and this volunteer-based collaborative draws on the talents of young architects and designers and city leaders to facilitate projects. Pinnock, a board member, also directly volunteers architectural services through dozens of pro-bono design sessions and helped facilitate large-scale community engagement workshops.
In his nomination letter, Professor of Humanities at the University of Richmond, Edward L. Ayers, recalled Pinnock’s remarkable skills while working on the university’s Burying Ground Memorialization Committee. The work required Pinnock to learn the complex history of the site, instruct the University of other work done in other places, translate design principles into language widely understood by non-designers, and win the trust of the descendants who were outraged and hurt by the university’s actions in the past.
Pinnock, says Ayers, accomplished all of the goals while also leading the committee’s members from the beginning to the end of its complex proceedings.
“Others can talk about the remarkable structures Burt has designed and overseen. I can testify to the remarkable sense of community and common purpose Burt created among people who shared little before he joined us,” Ayers noted in the nomination letter.
The honor is in memory of William C. Noland, FAIA, one of the founders of the AIA in Virginia, its second President, and Virginia’s first member to be elevated to AIA Fellowship.
Jeanne LeFever, AIA, and John Mott, FAIA, will be recognized with the Award for Distinguished Achievement this year by AIA Virginia. The award recognizes either a singular achievement by an architect or the work of an entire career in any of the following areas: design, practice, education, service as a “citizen architect,” service to the profession, or initiatives to advance social justice, equity, diversity, or inclusion.
Jeanne LeFever, AIA, has dedicated much of her career to leadership and mentorship within the profession. During her 35-years in practice, LeFever promoted inclusive professional development, strong values and policies, and thoughtful engagement throughout architecture and among architects. This cohesive and forward-thinking approach was demonstrated at her firm, Glavé & Holmes Architecture (G&HA), which transformed the culture, staff retention, and talent acquisition. When LeFever became a principal at G&HA in 2004, she had already forged a successful career as a strong architect, manager and leader. As a principal, LeFever understood the importance of sharing her experiences with young architects and being a role model to others hoping to make a difference in her footsteps.
LeFever’s leadership within the AIA began with the AIA Richmond Board of Directors where she served seven years in various roles. She helped to establish the Richmond Women in Design and the group continues to flourish eight years later. Volunteering on behalf of AIA Richmond over the years, and serving as its President from 2013-2014, LeFever strengthened the strategic position of both the chapter and AIA Virginia to enrich their membership, advocacy, professional development, and governance efforts.
LeFever’s experience led her to create a network of like-minded firms who discuss issues or draw from each other’s experiences. This mindset built bridges and connections between firms allowing more collaboration and openness to help each other. LeFever feels that connecting people and working together only makes firms and the profession stronger and more able to achieve goals that will strengthen our membership, communities, firms, and the future of the profession.
Through his 50-year career, John Mott, FAIA, shares a deep knowledge of architecture, preservation, and culture with clients, colleagues, young architects, and the public through mentoring and serving on numerous boards. Mott began his career in Arkansas where his professional interests evolved toward historic buildings and preservation. He moved to Washington, D.C. for George Notter in 1993, and later joined John Milner Associates (now MTFA Design + Preservation) to establish a successful office in Alexandria. Mott’s commitment to preserving our nation’s history and some of the most iconic American buildings spans 19 states, and he has led teams on over 200 preservation projects around the nation. More than 85 of them have been National Landmark or National Register buildings, including the Washington Monument, Stratford Hall, Ford’s Theater, Jefferson Memorial, and Lincoln Memorial.
Approximately 50 of his projects have been completed across 11 states, including Sage Chapel at Cornell University, Weiss Pavilion at the University of Pennsylvania, and Varsity Hall Rehabilitation at the University of Virginia. His projects have received 40 local, state, regional and national design awards. Yet, as a seasoned and accomplished architect, Mott’s extensive experience and knowledge never impeded his curiosity and eagerness to listen to new ideas and alternate possibilities. He believes that finding ways to make existing buildings useful in today’s marketplace is one of the most important ways the architecture and preservation community can contribute to the overall goal of sustainability for our shared planet.
