"Each theme session of the convention has attempted to lift us a mile high," explained AIA President John D. Anderson, FAIA, as he introduced Saturday's theme session. "So far, we have focussed on context; now, we get down to…the architecture," he said of the "Design Arts and Implementation" session, which featured architect-engineer-sculptor Santiago Calatrava as the keynote speaker (Click here to read the story).

The session also served as the venue through which conference-goers honored this year's Edward G. Kemper Award winner for service to the profession and the Institute, Charles Harper, FAIA, Witchita Falls, Tex. Anderson outlined Harper's "disaster recovery career, which spans recovery over four decades in 75 cities," and said he offered the native Texan "my great respect."

"I've never been as humbled or as nervous as I am right now," Harper confessed.
He said that no man is an island and that many people shared his award, including his family, his wife of 47 years, business associates (especially his partner, Bob Perkins), his church, and his clients—who allowed his projects to be late when he had to undertake a disaster project. But mostly, he said, he needed to thank all the architects who worked with him on more than 100 relief projects and who "through their tenacity helped in the rebuilding of communities."

Also on the agenda . . .

AIA Presidential Medals Awarded: "Creating community is a cause, a mission, a challenge that is truly global," Anderson said as prelude to awarding this year's AIA Presidential Medals. Dialog and mutual respect are requisite, he said, and our common language is service. Anderson presented medals to:
• Utz Purr (Architects' Council of Europe)
• Palaniappan Kasi (Architects Regional Council of Asia)
• Edward R. Haysom, FRAIA (Royal Australian Institute of Architects)
• Mauricio Rivero Borrell, Hon. FAIA (Panamerican Federation of Architects Associations)
• Manuel Barclay Galindo (Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana)
• Diarmuid Nash, FRAIC (Royal Architectural Institute of Canada)
• Milan Raonic (Architects' Council of Central and Eastern Europe).

Vassilis Sgoutas (International Union of Architects) and Taoufik El Euch (African Union of Architects) were honored in absentia.

Legacy Project: Session attendees were privileged to hear from James Paull, AIA, Slater-Paull Associates, who is heading Denver's legacy project, a new K-8 educational facility at the Mount St. Vincent Home for abused children. The legacy project is a joint effort among constructors, engineers, and architects (in addition to Slater-Paull, Anderson Mason Dale; Klipp Colussey, Jenks DuBois; and RNL Design are working on the project). Paull presented a video of the work in progress, which emphasizes green architecture, daylighting, and fire egress safety for the children.

Sister LaVonne Guidoni of St. Vincent's home thanked the Colorado chapter for taking the project on and spoke of her eagerness to have the children occupy the new building. We need to let more of that sunshine come in," she said. She complimented the architects on their generosity: "You have 400 Sisters praying for you every day," she told the audience.

Young Architects Honored: AIA College of Fellows Chancellor Harold Roth, FAIA, presented the 2001 Young Architects Awards to:
• J. Scott Busby, AIA
• P. Thomas M. Harboe, AIA
• Jeffry Lee Kagermeier, AIA
• Elizabeth Chu Richter, AIA
• George A. Takoudes, AIA.

2002 Convention: AIA First Vice President Gordon H. Chong, FAIA, invited participants to regroup for the 2002 AIA national convention, to be held in Charlotte, N.C., "one of the most dynamic urban environments today." Chong explained that we will dig deeper into the context of being a knowledge-based profession when we reconvene next year. He introduced National Convention Committee Chair Robin Ellerthorpe, FAIA, who said that the theme of the 2002 gathering will be "Design! Design!" and examine ways to leverage our centuries-old design techniques and methodologies into the 21st century.

This will be the first time a convention is hosted by two state chapters: North Carolina and South Carolina. Ellerthorpe introduced the local convention cochairs, Barbara Milan Price, AIA (AIA South Carolina president), and Bobby Patterson, AIA (AIA North Carolina president), who enticed convention-goers with a video of the upcoming venue of Charlotte.

Copyright 2001 The American Institute of Architects. All rights reserved.