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by Heather Livingston
Dramatically backdropped against the neon bling of Las Vegas, 67 members
of the AIA and 5 architects from other nations were elevated to Fellows
and Honorary Fellows of the Institute in the midst of Las Vegas’s
beautiful, serene high desert on Friday, May 20. Visually and physically
apart from the “glitz and glamour” of Las Vegas, the Investiture
ceremony was set in the City of Henderson’s Pavilion at Liberty
Point amphitheatre, designed by Denver architect Anderson/Mason/Dale.
The natural quiet and beauty of the desert lent a solemnity to the event
as each new fellow walked the processional that marked their induction
into the College of Fellows.
Lawrence Speck, FAIA, chair of the 2005 Jury of Fellows opened the ceremony
with a welcome to the new fellows, former AIA presidents and chancellors
of the College of Fellows, members of the Fellows jury, friends, family,
and honored guests. He then introduced the officers of the College and
thanked the other eight “hardworking members of the 2005 Jury of
Fellows.”
Chancellor of the College of Fellows, Lawrence J. Leis, FAIA, observed, “You
who are about to be honored have been selected by a jury of your peers.
That honor is enhanced by the presence of your family, friends, and colleagues
who are here to congratulate and applaud your outstanding achievements.
Today’s ceremony confirms your contribution to the profession and
celebrates your receipt of the American Institute of Architects’ highest
membership honor from the Institute’s president. It will be my
privilege to receive you into the College of Fellows.”
Ever-expanding role
Prior to bestowing medals on each new fellow, 2005 AIA President Douglas
L Steidl, FAIA, welcomed the gathering and spoke about the expanding
role of architects in creating more humane and livable spaces. “Today,
we invest those members of the Institute who have been advanced this
year to the College of Fellows,” he said. “They will follow
in the footsteps of Kahn, Mies, Saarinen, and the 2,500 active members
of the College who have bestowed their creative gifts in ever-expanding
ways.
“I believe that architects use their imagination to stretch the
boundaries of the possible while evoking the wonder of delight. At a
time when the public is searching for higher values and hungers for places
that strengthen and reflect noble domestic and civil ideals, and yes,
delight, we have a great opportunity. Architects have the training and
creative gifts to engage the public in the pursuit of more livable communities.
As we unleash the power of research to develop a body of verifiable evidence
that shows precisely how design matters, and as the public begins to
understand—truly understand—the power of design to elevate
and enrich the human experience, the public will become one of our profession’s
most powerful allies in working toward a better world.”
Tying his remarks back into the theme of the convention, Steidl continued: “We
must continue to challenge ourselves to imagine our architectural legacy,
to create environments that serve the needs of our communities, so we
can transform the world through the power of architecture. [Today, we]
acknowledge 5 distinguished architects from other countries as honorary
fellows and 67 AIA members as Fellows of the Institute. We honor them
for their talent, innovation, vision, and leadership. We celebrate the
expertise they bring to our profession as together we dedicate ourselves
to work to improve the quality of life for all the peoples of the world.”
Role models and mentors
Speck then called forth in turn each new fellow. In a demonstration of
the distinguished fellowship into which they entered, each member of
the 2005 Class of Fellows was accompanied to the stage by a former
president of the AIA and escorted back to their seats by a former chancellor
of the College of Fellows. The audience, asked to hold their applause
until all fellows were invested, roared their approval upon conclusion
of the ceremony.
Leis then gave this year’s class their charge: “Fellowship
within the American Institute of Architects is one of the most important
honors an architect can receive. This achievement should not be viewed
as an end, but rather just the beginning of the contributions you will
continue to make to the College of Fellows, to your firm, to your profession,
and to your community . . . It is inherent in the work of the architect
that success is shared with the greater society. As leaders of the profession,
you are each uniquely charged to ensure that design excellence and environmental
sensibility are passed on to succeeding generations. As you go forward
today as exemplary role models and as mentors within our profession,
you represent what it means to take responsibility for excellence and
distinction in the architectural profession; to create as well as to
preserve that which is meaningful to our profession.”
Leis concluded the ceremony, asking the newly inducted to stand and
receive heartfelt congratulations from colleagues, friends, and loved
ones. Congratulations to the College of Fellows class of 2005!
Copyright 2005 The American Institute of Architects.
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2005 Jury of Fellows
Chair Lawrence Speck, FAIA, Austin, Tex.
Lee Askew III, FAIA, Memphis
Louis Astorino, FAIA, Pittsburgh
J. Delaine Jones, PhD, FAIA, Albany, N.Y.
Mark Reddington, FAIA, Seattle
Alan Schwartzman, FAIA, Paris, France
Lorri D. Sipes, FAIA, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Laurinda Spear, FAIA, Miami
Joseph Wisnewski, FAIA, Alexandria, Va.
See the complete list of 2005 Class of Fellows members. ![](../../redesign/go_on_gray_20.gif)
Contact Robin Lee, Hon. AIA, at 202-626-7390 or rlee@aia.org with
questions about the nomination process.
Contact Kelly Pickard at 202-626-7563 or kpickard@aia.org to order
a 2006 fellowship kit.
Click
on a photo to view enlargement.
Photos by Aaron Johnson, Innov8iv
Design Inc.
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