Summary: The AIA is pleased to announce the 13 architects named Honorary Fellows of the Institute. Honorary Fellowship is bestowed upon architects of esteemed character and distinguished achievements who are neither U.S. citizens nor residents of the United States and who do not primarily practice architecture within the domain of the Institute. The AIA Honorary Fellowship program was developed as the international counterpart to the Fellowship program. Election to Honorary Fellowship not only recognizes the achievements of the foreign architect as an individual, but also elevates before the international public and the profession a model architect who has made a significant contribution to architecture and society on an international level.

The 2008 AIA Honorary Fellows are:

David Adjaye, Hon. FAIA
Adjaye Associates Ltd.
London
Recognized as one of the leading architects of his generation in the UK, Adjaye’s list of projects extends from private homes to public buildings. His designs, recognizable for their artistic flair, imaginative use of materials, and sculpting of natural light, reveal a design aesthetic that hints of African abstraction.

Stefan Behnisch, Hon. FAIA
Behnisch Architekten
Stuttgart
Behnisch, an advocate of sustainable architecture, explores ways of achieving this goal by making optimum use of natural resources and avoiding the extensive use of technical means. His buildings in Europe and the U.S. demonstrate that sustainability and beautiful, high-quality architecture are in no way contradictory.

Javier Sanchez Corral, Hon. FAIA
Higuera + Sanchez
Mexico City
The projects built by the internationally award-winning Sanchez Corral deal with issues that go beyond the architectural boundaries for a given project by creating social spaces that negotiate between the extant city and new construction, and between public and private use.

Ranjit (Randy) Dhar, Hon. FAIA
Public Works & Government Services
Toronto
Dhar’s architectural legacy goes beyond Canadian borders into the U.S. and further abroad. His career-long dedication to leading professional associations, improving project delivery, and promoting coordination within the building industry defines his contributions to the profession.

Gabriel Fagan, Hon. FAIA
Gabriel Fagan Architects
Capetown
Considered one of South Africa’s finest architects, Fagan has garnered most of the Institute of South African Architects’ awards and distinctions, including its Gold Medal in 1988. The country’s most pre-eminent architect in historic preservation, he has contributed to more than 300 projects to date.

Jan Gehl, Hon. FAIA
School of Architecture, The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts
Copenhagen
Noted author, expert on the use of public spaces, and professor of research and education, Gehl also devotes significant effort to his architecture practice, Gehl Architects, which currently has projects in Melbourne, New York City, and San Francisco.

Bernardo Gomez-Pimienta, Hon. FAIA
BGP Arquitectura
Mexico City
Recognized as an extraordinary designer, Gomez-Pimienta has brought the architecture of Mexico into the present while respecting the historic past and expressing future aspiration. He has influenced the next generation of designers through his teaching at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

Jin Kyoon Kim, Hon. FAIA
Seoul National University
Seoul
Contributing more than 30 years of active involvement to the Architectural Institute of Korea, for which he now serves as a permanent trustee, Jin Kyoon Kim, is a noted professor at Seoul National University and the planner and designer of many educational facilities in Korea.

Benjamin Mouton, Hon. FAIA
Architecte en Chefs des Monuments Historiques
Versailles
A leader in conservation design, Mouton is the inspector general of the Chief Architects for Historic Buildings of France, a group of 50 especially skilled and knowledgeable architects entrusted with the most significant cultural resources of France, including such treasures as Notre Dame Cathedral.

Choon-Soo Ryu, Hon. FAIA
Beyond Space • Group
Seoul
Choon-Soo Ryu has earned international recognition through his rare combination of architectural talent—evident throughout Asia—and popular appeal for public education of architecture. He has become a symbolic figure by expanding the role of architects and expanding the status of architecture in society.

Brigitte Shim, Hon. FAIA
Shim+Sutcliffe Architects Inc.
Toronto
Outstanding creative talents whose body of built work has integrated architecture, landscape, and design, Shim and her partner Howard Sutcliffe have created public works, parks, residences—as well as fixtures and furnishes—that grace Canada and the United States.

Nithi Sthapitanonda, Hon. FAIA
Architects 49 Limited
Bangkok
Sthapitanonda, former president and secretary general of the Council of Architects, Thailand, has devoted his career to creating a unique contemporary Thai architecture. His Rimtai Saitarn Housing project and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Building are among his best known projects.

Howard Sutcliffe, Hon. FAIA
Shim+Sutcliffe Architects Inc.
Toronto
Outstanding creative talents whose body of built work has integrated architecture, landscape, and design, Sutcliffe and his partner Brigitte Shim have created public works, parks, residences—as well as fixtures and furnishes—that grace Canada and the United States.