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On
a bright and splendid June evening, the "heroes and heroines"
of the Puget Sound design community gathered with AIA 2003 President Thompson
Penney, FAIA, and Gretchen Penney AIA, at Seattle's Weyerhaeuser Corporate
Headquarters building (recipient of the 2001 AIA Twenty-five Year Award),
to celebrate recipients of national and local honors.
On behalf of the Institute, the Penneys delivered
greetings to the assembled company and helped bring home the medals to
those recognized with national honors this year. Their observations of
the local design culture, based on brief but intense exposure, as Gretchen
Penney noted, incorporated a "view of what makes Seattle such a great
place to live and work. There is a vibrant spirit here that is evidenced
in your architecture, your diverse culture, and the beauty of your surroundings."
The
Penneys conveyed the congratulations of AIA President Gordon H. Chong,
FAIA, to two Washington State architects inducted into the AIA College
of Fellows, allowing these honorees to share the glorious moment with
"the home team." In his thoughts on celebrating heroes and heroines,
Thom Penney expanded on a quote from the great jurist Oliver Wendell Holmes,
noting, "It's not enough to think good thoughts; you must have the
focus, dedication, energy, and courage to act!"
Thom Penney characterized the evening's honorees
as exceptional "doers," who "shake up the status quo around
them." As he called them forward to receive applause, James R. Merritt,
FAIA, and Michael E. Smith, FAIA, offered their observations on receiving
this national recognition, among a group of some 125 colleagues, friends,
and family members. As 2001 CACE Executive of the Year, this author acknowledged
the joy of finding a place in the AIA Seattle community, and shared pride
in the teamwork of assembled family and friends.
The
Home Team
The festive assembly also celebrated recipients of local honors, including
2002 AIA Seattle Medalist David Hoedemaker, FAIA. This highest honor recognizes
a lifetime of contributions to the culture of design excellence that has
shaped not only the Pacific skyline but one of the nation's largest and
most successful design practices, Seattle-based NBBJ. "My greatest
pleasure in receiving the AIA Seattle Medal is your recognition that my
partners and I have achieved some success in our ambitious struggle for
design excellence in large-scale work, and that our passionate search
in design, process, and technology has had a positive influence on the
architectural culture of the Pacific Northwest," Hoedemaker said.
"I am delighted to receive the 2002 AIA Seattle Medal, and honored
to take my place among the very distinguished architects who have received
this award in the past."
Tributes
and applause also honored Environmental Works, recipient of the 2002 Allied
Organization Award in recognition of 30 years of nonprofit design practice
bringing excellence to community facilities. S. Keli Hagen, Assoc. AIA,
received the 2002 Community Service Award, acknowledging her work with
native youth and her effort to give back to the community of her origin
based on the empowerment she has found in her design career.
John Nesholm, FAIA, chair of the Honors Nominating
Committee, presented AIA Seattle Honorary Membership to three members
of a generation of the Bullitt family, whose distinct and shared generosity
to communities throughout Washington has brought vision and grace: Harriet
Bullitt, Stimson Bullitt, and Priscilla Bullitt Collins. Engineer Jon
Magnusson, of Skilling Ward Magnusson Barkshire, accepted recognition
for the firm's inspired contributions to landmark structures including
the World Trade Center as well as notable local projects, and for his
clear communication about the engineering achievement that saved lives
in the immediate aftermath of the attacks of September 11, 2001. Mary
Randlett, whose brilliant photographs over a career of 50+ years have
documented people, places, and the rich spectrum of Pacific Northwest
culture, also received the recognition of AIA Seattle Honorary Membership.
As the evening drew to a close, AIA Seattle President
Steven N. Arai, AIA, and Fellows/Honors Council President Roger Williams,
FAIA, called the "Honor Roll," connecting those recognized this
year with those who have accepted honors in the past.
And the grand finale
. . .
To mark the occasion in memory, the Emerald City company rose for a traditional
closing circle, joining hands to sing "Penneys from Heaven,"
before departing in a spirit of shared achievement.
Penneys
from Heaven
Every time it rains, it rains penneys from heaven.
Don't you know each cloud contains penneys from heaven?
You'll find your fortune is falling all over the town.
Be sure your umbrella is upside down.
Trade them for a package of sunshine and flowers.
If you want the things you love, you must have showers.
So when you hear it thunder don't run under a tree.
There'll be penneys from heaven for you and me.
(Adapted without permission from the original,
by Johnny Burke & Arthur Johnston.)
Copyright 2002 The American Institute of Architects.
All rights reserved.
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Reference |
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To read more about the AIA Seattle awards, click
here.
To visit the chapter's Web site, click
here.
The Council of Component Executives named AIA Seattle Executive
Vice President Marga Rose Hancock, Hon. AIA, their "2001 CACE
Executive of the Year," citing: "With an unlimited capability
to foster open, honest dialogue, as well as her irrepressible enthusiasm
and commitment to a more diverse and inclusive AIA, Marga brings
to the Institute and its members both a vision of and a roadmap
for achieving a truly diverse and inclusive AIA. Her leadership
has been a key factor in focusing the collective energies of AIA
leadership, members, and staff on creating a vibrant AIA in which
all are welcomed and embraced."
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