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.