AIA 150 Champions Recognized

Summary: George Miller, FAIA, chair of AIA 150 Oversight Committee, and Tony Costello, FAIA, chair of the Blueprint for America Committee, on May 5 at the AIA National Convention, honored the AIA150 Champions who have volunteered their time and $9.2 million in financial support to work with local officials and citizens to support AIA 150 initiatives.

Miller thanked representatives from the AIA150 initiative and the Council of Architectural Component Executives for their collaboration in donating their time and expertise with local officials and citizens nationwide to help local communities. “All together we have done exceptional work,” said Miller. “I think you see here all the work that is being done with our ongoing Blueprint for America, which is an exceptional piece of collaboration. Congratulations to all of you for contributing so much for making AIA150 such a special event. It is a pleasure and an honor to be in front of you today. It is a special moment.”

Miller also congratulated Costello, pointing out that, in addition to America’s Favorite Architecture, the Blueprint for America initiative is the key to AIA150. “This project has been successful due to the thousands of people taking part—and will take part—in this project,” Costello said. ”I think the champions are making this process real and are the most important people to recognize.”

Architects as civic leaders
Costello noted that the champions themselves and the thousands of citizens and community partners they work with, are a notably diverse group. He also stressed that the community projects are equally diverse, ranging from urban centers to neighborhood revitalization.

“I want to recognize our thousands of community partners. This is why we are engaging our fellow citizens in improving their communities and helping with problems that they told us they want us to engage. The key is that we have asked them to tell us how we can best help their communities. The range of projects is just phenomenal. Thank you all for stepping out and being what I like to call architects as civic leaders.” Costello also thanked 2005 AIA President Douglas L Steidl, FAIA, for having confidence in him in taking on the project.

Kudos to McGraw-Hill Construction, Autodesk
McGraw-Hill Construction representative Norbert Young, FAIA, the honorary AIA150 national co-chair, was also on hand and was recognized for his company’s $1 million donation to the AIA150 initiatives. “It is an investment that has rewards,” Young said. “One of the key drivers that made it easy for us to contribute is the Blueprint for America. Our heart and soul is in the local markets, and this dovetails well with our strategy. We are proud to be here.”

Autodesk as well was recognized for its $1 million contribution to AIA150. “We are proud to be part of AIA150,” said Autodesk Vice President Phil Bernstein, FAIA. “We want to align ourselves with what the AIA does.”

—Russell Boniface