The AIA Board of Directors on December 2 elected Norbert W. Young Jr., FAIA, president of McGraw-Hill Construction, as the 2005 recipient of the Edward C. Kemper Award. Named in honor of the AIA’s first executive director, the award recognizes individuals who contribute significantly to the profession of architecture through service to the Institute.

“Clearly, in his role as president of McGraw-Hill Construction, Norbert has advanced the goals of the profession of architecture and the AIA. More importantly, his commitment has gone well beyond his position at McGraw-Hill. His service to the profession is evident in his active involvement and leadership in the International Alliance for Interoperability, where he serves as chairman of the IAI North American Board of Directors,” wrote AIA Vice President RK Stewart, FAIA, and California directors Michael M. Hricak Jr., FAIA; Bruce A. Race, FAIA; Carl F. Meyer, AIA; and Gordon N. Park, AIA, in their nomination letter. “Norbert’s leadership throughout his career has greatly contributed both to the design and construction industry as well as the public’s appreciation of architects and the part architecture plays in the life of their communities.”

Foundation in architecture
Young joined the McGraw-Hill Companies in 1997 as vice president, editorial, for F.W. Dodge. Today he heads McGraw-Hill Construction, which comprises leading electronic and print information sources that include Dodge, Sweet’s, Architectural Record, Engineering News-Record, and a host of regional publications. Prior to joining Dodge, Young spent eight years with the internationally known Bovis Construction Group. In 1994, he was appointed president of the newly created Bovis Management Systems, whose clients included the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, Bank of America, and Sun Microsystems.

Young was a partner at Toombs Development Company, New Canaan, Conn., during the 1980s, where he managed all aspects of design and construction for the company. He started his career as an architect in Philadelphia, where he spent 12 years working on a wide range of building types. He earned an MArch from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor of arts from Bowdoin College in Maine.

In his letter of support, AIA Executive Vice President/CEO Norman L. Koonce, FAIA, summarizes Young’s most favored attributes: “His recent work includes deep and abiding commitment to embracing and leveraging the changes wrought by technological advances in modeling and design specifications. As the profession moved from pencils and paper through computer-aided design, and now to four-dimensional building models, he has been a constant and persuasive voice for understanding and using new technologies to advance the profession. Throughout his career, he has consistently conducted himself as a person of integrity, earning the respect of his colleagues and peers, constantly seeking to advance the growth and development of the profession.”

Advocate for education
Young also has been instrumental in furthering the growth of the design and construction industry through education. As an ACE Mentor Board and Executive Committee member, he has helped shape this not-for-profit organization with its focus on making high school students aware of the opportunities for future careers in the design and construction field. He also is a sitting trustee and a member of the development and buildings committees for Maine Central Institute High School Prep, a member of the Board of Overseers for the University of Pennsylvania School of Design, and a visiting committee member of the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

Also a popular spokesperson for the profession, Young delivers about a dozen speeches every year on the topics of interoperability, industry trends and dynamics, and the economy and its impact on the A/E/C industry. Recently, he has spoken at gatherings of diverse groups that include the Metal Construction Association, National Association of Women in Construction, SMPS Marketing National Business Conference, Department of the Army Geospatial Technology Symposium, AIA California Council Desert Practice Conference, and Build Boston.

Young’s professional affiliations in addition to the AIA include membership in the Urban Land Institute and the International Alliance for Interoperability. He also serves as a trustee of the National Building Museum and is the incoming chair of the American Architectural Foundation. He is a committee member of the Construction Users Roundtable, and sits on the boards of the Salvadori Center for Education and the Built Environment and the Civil Engineering Research Foundation. As a member of the Construction Specifications Institute, Young was an active participant in the development of MasterFormat 2004, the new standard for specifications and standards.

The AIA membership will celebrate Young’s leadership and dedication with him during the 2005 AIA National Convention in Las Vegas in May.

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