Thomas L. Kerns, FAIA, of Kerns Group Architects in Falls Church, Virginia, has been honored with the Edward S. Frey Award from AIA’s Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art and Architecture (IFRAA) Knowledge Community.
Kerns was chosen from a pool of highly-qualified individuals for his commitment to religious architecture and design talent across interfaith projects. Congratulations Tom!
Biography:
Tom Kerns is honored to receive this prestigious award for contributions to religious architecture. He accepts it on behalf of his colleagues at Kerns Group Architects and the clients who have made this body of work possible. Since founding Kerns Group Architects in 1974, Tom has guided the firm in completing several hundred religious projects. He was elevated to the AIA College of Fellows in 1989 and in 2007 received the Noland Medal, the highest award given to an individual architect in Virginia. The firm has received over sixty AIA design awards and several IFRAA awards. In 2001, the firm received the AIA Virginia David Fitz-Gibbon Firm Award for consistently producing distinguished architecture.
Tom strives for excellence within a collaborative group atmosphere and is attentive to his clients’ needs, desires, and limitations. His designs exceed his clients’ goals with thoughtful spirituality and inspirational beauty. By sincerely taking the time to understand each unique community of faith. Tom has shepherded clients from different religious traditions through new construction, major renovations, and additions. He is quite active in his own church, Immanuel Church –on-the-Hill, in Alexandria, Virginia, and enjoys capturing the essence of significant churches in plein-air watercolors.