The AIA has selected three individuals and two groups as recipients of the 2005 Institute Honors for Collaborative Achievement. The award, to be presented in May at the AIA National Convention in Las Vegas, recognizes and encourages distinguished achievements of allied professionals, clients, organizations, architect teams, knowledge communities, and others who have had a beneficial influence on or advanced the architectural profession.

The recipients of 2005 Institute Honors for Collaborative Achievement are:

ArchVoices
Through its Web site, conferences, surveys, e-mail newsletters, and essay competitions, think tank ArchVoices has uncovered and brought to light significant issues about the profession. The think tank says that its weekly e-mail newsletter subscription list has grown to 15,000 since it was formed in 1999. “Because the architectural internship process serves as welcoming gateways at their best—or frustrating roadblocks at their worst—to the profession, ArchVoices’ role as a ‘watchdog’ is all the more important,” said the jury. They characterized ArchVoices as “one of the most significant movements to emerge on the architectural scene in recent years. Arch Voices gives a new voice to those who were previously ‘voiceless’ in the profession: architectural interns.”

Randall Arendt
“Through more than 30 years of work as an author, educator, and site designer, Randall Arendt has combined rare sensitivities in land conservation, land planning, and site design to pioneer and advance smart growth practices in small towns and rural communities nationwide,” wrote Richard Rothman, FAIA, in his nomination letter. “His knowledge of the land, the logic of his approach to design and public policy, and the excellence of his communications skills have exerted a major influence on the way architects and others analyze, regulate, and design communities in harmony with nature. Arendt, who has conducted more than 1,000 workshops and conference presentations, is the author of Rural by Design, one of the American Planning Associations top 10 bestsellers in the last 25 years. “Randall Arendt’s work shows his true enthusiasm for the built environment and ensures that the built environment is designed in a way that saves its integrity for generations,” said the jury. “His work is impressive not only because he creates such designs, but that he generously shares his knowledge with students, other professionals, and the community-at-large.”

John James
John James’ monumental and historic investigation into the development and construction of Gothic architecture is evidenced by his prolific writing of books on the Chartres Cathedral. An Australian architect and educator, he made a three-year survey of over 3,500 churches in the Paris basin in 1969–1971, which formed the foundation for all his later research. His books include Master Masons of Chartres, Template Makers of the Paris Basin, The Contractors of Chartres, and Creation of Gothic Architecture, which is two volumes with seven more planned. “John James’ investigations, drawings, writings, and photographs contribute immeasurably to the understanding and comprehension of the design and construction of the most creative period of Medieval architecture—1100–1250,” declared the jury. “No one has given such persistence, obsession, and knowledge to this field of investigation since Violet-le-Duc.”

Barbara A. Nadel, FAIA
New York architect Barbara Nadel’s comprehensive and collaborative efforts in writing Building Security—A Handbook for Architectural Planning and Design (McGraw-Hill, 2004) was deemed a “must read for the profession,” by the jury. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, security in facilities and the built environment have been brought to the forefront of design of the built environment in today’s society. “Barbara realized the necessity of developing a single body of work on security to provide building owners, design professionals, and public officials with a user-friendly guide for improving security for their facilities,” explains nominator Terrance J. Brown, FAIA, who served as AIA national vice president with Nadel in 2001. “Barbara A. Nadel’s collaborative efforts in bringing together the expertise of more than 50 architects, engineers, planners, and allied professionals is remarkable in and of itself,” said the jury. “It is a timely response to the AIA’s goal of ‘improving the quality of the built environment;’ its relevance is obvious.”

Schoolyards to Skylines
The Chicago Architecture Foundation’s “Schoolyards to Skylines” curriculum for K–8th grade, offers an easy-to-use and comprehensive tool for educators and parents to bring the study of architecture and the built environment into traditional studies of math, science, and art. Offering 47 lessons, the 500-page book focuses on the buildings and people of Chicago to help children become aware of the importance of the built environment in their lives. Research and writing for the publication, by primary author Jennifer Masengarb and secondary author Jean Linsner, both of the foundation, began in 2000; today, “Schoolyards to Skylines” is used in 25 states and 6 foreign countries. “It’s the tool many teachers, architects, and AIA chapters have been searching for to make architecture come alive for young people. Get this tool out to the public, to home-schoolers!” enthused the jury. “Allow local AIA chapters to build all of it for local programs. A huge thanks to the Chicago Architecture Foundation for making this long-needed program available.”

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