It is an honor as president of AIA Arkansas for 2014 to present to you this year’s AIA Design Awards, highlighting our chapter’s prestigious Design Awards Program as well as individual recipients of our Chapter Awards. Distributed statewide by Arkansas Business, the people and projects recognized herein represent the exemplary work of not just architects, but the truly collaborative work of associated consultants, engineers, contractors, subcontractors, and certainly building owners and clients across the state of Arkansas.
These awards coincide with this year’s AIA Arkansas State Convention held in beautiful Hot Springs National Park. This annual event brings together hundreds of architects, design professionals, allied members and friends involved in the construction industry. It is designed to not only educate design professionals, but to celebrate the accomplishments of those who further elevate the built environment in Arkansas.
This year, 38 entries were submitted by member firms in the Design Awards Program. The jury identified 11 finalists; three received Merit Awards, four received Honor Awards and one received a Citation Award. The jurors, all from the Nashville, Tennessee area, were Sheila Dial-Barton, AIA, EOA Architects; Price Harrison, AIA, Price Harrison Architect and Associates; and Kem Hinton, FAIA, Tuck-Hinton Architects. We appreciate the time and effort they contributed to this difficult task.
The cover of this year’s publication highlights the 2013 Members’ Choice Award winner, the CALS Hillary Rodham Clinton Children’s Library in Little Rock, designed by Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects. Selected for this honor by AIA Arkansas attendees at last year’s convention, this project was recognized both for its excellent design and for its role in creating a transformative anchor to a changing 12th Street corridor.
The Fay Jones Gold Medal Award is the highest award AIA Arkansas can bestow on one of its members. This year’s recipient is Jeff Shannon, AIA, in recognition of his exemplary vision and leadership during his tenure as dean of the Fay Jones School of Architecture at the University of Arkansas.
The Dick Savage Memorial Award is AIA Arkansas’s recognition of a member who has made notable, significant contributions to the chapter and the profession. This year’s dual award goes to Charles Witsell, FAIA, and Gordon Wittenberg, FAIA, in recognition of their tireless effort in publishing Architects of Little Rock, 1833 – 1950.
The Emerging Professional Award is intended to recognize a new professional, practicing for 10 years or less, who has expanded the role of the architect through civic participation and professional mentorship. This year’s recipient is Jonathan Optiz, AIA, who certainly exemplifies these attributes.
We hope you enjoy this publication and its celebration of architecture in Arkansas. If you have any questions about how AIA and its architect members can assist you, please contact AIA Arkansas.
Wesley R. Walls, AIA
President
AIA Arkansas
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