Category: Fellowship

Ann Adams, FAIA, has been newly elevated to the College of Fellows, one of the highest honors bestowed by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). 

Congratulations to our newest Fellow, Ann Adams, FAIA! With just 66 of the national submissions being elevated this year (35%), to be singularly recognized is a conspicuous and well-deserved honor. This is AIA’s highest distinction short of the Gold Medal. The investiture ceremony at the AIA Conference in San Diego will undoubtedly be a highlight of her career. She joins a select list of 110 other Fellows from Colorado dating back to 1889.

Phillip H. Gerou, FAIA
Chair, AIA Colorado Fellows Nominating Committee

Ann Adams, FAIA, Principal at Davis Partnership, Denver, CO.

Ann Adams, Principal at Davis Partnership, is responsible for programming, master planning, design and construction of healthcare projects ranging in size from small critical access hospitals to large, multi-million-dollar hospitals. Ms. Adams has 40 years of experience in the healthcare industry completing renovations, additions and replacement facilities for hospitals throughout the country.

Prior to joining Davis Partnership, Ms. Adams practiced architecture in many different environments: She was a Senior Project Executive with a national program management firm serving as the Owner’s Representative and liaison between the owner and the design and construction teams; an Associate Vice President and Office Director of a national healthcare architectural firm serving major teaching, community and rural hospitals; and spent six years as the senior in-house architect at Memorial Hospital, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, a 364-bed hospital and was an active participate in two JCAHO surveys.

As a certified member of the American College of Healthcare Architects (ACHA), Ann strives to work towards the improvement of healthcare architecture on behalf of the public through better built environments.

[photo and bio via davispartnership.com]

AIA Fellows are recognized for their exceptional work and contributions to architecture and society. Less than 3% of AIA members hold the prestigious FAIA designation.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is elevating 78 member-architects and 11 non-member-architects to its College of Fellows, an honor awarded to architects who have made significant contributions to the profession. New Fellows will be honored at the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design (AIA26) in San Diego.

The fellowship program was developed to elevate architects who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession and made a significant contribution to architecture and society on a national level. Prospective candidates must have at least 10 years of AIA architect membership and demonstrated influence in at least one of the following areas:

• Promoted the aesthetic, scientific, and practical efficiency of the profession. 
• Advanced the science and art of planning and building by advancing the standards of practice. 
• Coordinated the building industry, and the profession of architecture.
• Ensured the advancement of the living standards of people through their improved environment. 
• Dedicated oneself to a profession that continually grows in its service to society. 
• Advanced the science and art of planning and building by advancing the standards of architectural education and training.

Fellows were selected by a 9-member Jury of Fellows. This year’s jury included:

• Sanford Garner, FAIA, Jury Chair, RG Collaborative
• Roderick Ashley, FAIA, Roderick Ashley Architect
• Margaret Carney, FAIA, Cornell University
• Julie Hiromoto, FAIA, HKS
• John Horky, FAIA, Ripples, by design
• Mitra Kanaani, FAIA, NewSchool of Architecture & Design
• Christine Mondor, FAIA, evolve, LLC
• José Javier Toro, FAIA, Toro Arquitectos
• Lourdes Solera, FAIA, M.C. Harry & Associates

AIA Colorado’s College of Fellows Nominating Committee

If you are interested in exploring the Fellowship process, the AIA Colorado College of Fellows Nominating Committee would welcome a conversation. Learn more here and contact Phil Gerou, FAIA, Chair of the Fellows Nominating Committee.

Elizabeth Hallas, FAIA, and Thomas Walsh, FAIA, have been newly elevated to the College of Fellows, one of the highest honors bestowed by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). 

Congratulations to our two new Fellows, Liz Hallas and Thomas Walsh! With just 40% of the submissions being elevated this year, both in Colorado and nationally, to be recognized is well-deserved honor for both of them. This is AIA’s highest distinction short of the Gold Medal. The investiture ceremony at Boston’s Trinity Church will be a highlight of their careers, both of which have already received numerous other accolades. They join 108 other Fellows from Colorado dating back nearly 140 years.

Phillip H. Gerou, FAIA
Chair, AIA Colorado Fellows Nominating Committee

Liz Hallas, FAIA, Principal at Anderson Hallas Architects, Golden, CO

I am deeply honored to have been selected for the College of Fellows and will continue to promote sustainable reinvention of our existing built environment, while advancing equity within our profession.

Elizabeth Hallas, FAIA

Liz is a design leader in sustainable preservation, a mentor for the next generation of preservation architects, and a thought leader in Colorado’s preservation community and nationally through her work on the AIA Historic Resources Committee.  Her strong stewardship ethos and exemplary designs for her preservation projects have benefitted the many communities and national parks in which she has worked.  Her elevation to fellowship is a well-deserved honor.

Tom Jester, FAIA, Quinn Evans, Principal, Chief Operating Officer

Thom Walsh, FAIA, Principal at Fentress Architects, Denver, CO

Thom Walsh, FAIA, is a respected professional colleague, a consummate collaborator and a globally recognized expert on the airport terminal typology.  I have known Thom for many decades and can attest that his work is emblematic of his deep understanding of our role as architects, as mentors and as advocates for the built environment.

Joseph A. Gonzalez, FAIA, Global Director of Design, Ghafari

AIA Fellows are recognized for their exceptional work and contributions to architecture and society. Less than 3% of AIA members hold the prestigious FAIA designation.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is elevating 83 member-architects and 10 non-member-architects to its College of Fellows, an honor awarded to architects who have made significant contributions to the profession. New Fellows will be honored at the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design (AIA25) in Boston.

The fellowship program was developed to elevate architects who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession and made a significant contribution to architecture and society on a national level. Prospective candidates must have at least 10 years of AIA architect membership and demonstrated influence in at least one of the following areas:

• Promoted the aesthetic, scientific, and practical efficiency of the profession. 
• Advanced the science and art of planning and building by advancing the standards of practice. 
• Coordinated the building industry, and the profession of architecture.
• Ensured the advancement of the living standards of people through their improved environment. 
• Dedicated oneself to a profession that continually grows in its service to society. 
• Advanced the science and art of planning and building by advancing the standards of architectural education and training.

Fellows are selected by a 10-member Jury of Fellows. This year’s jury included:

• Chair Carl D’Silva, FAIA, Perkins&Will
• Roderick Ashley, FAIA, Roderick Ashley Architect
• Margaret Carney, FAIA, Cornell University
• Sanford Garner, FAIA, RGCollaborative
• Julie Hiromoto, FAIA, HKS
• John Horky, FAIA, Ripples, by design
• Mary Ann Lazarus, FAIA, Cameron MacAllister
• Marilys Nepomechie, FAIA, Florida International University
• Anne Schopf, FAIA, Mahlum
• Jose Javier Toro, FAIA, Toro Arquitectos

Will Babbington, FAIA, of Studio NYL, has been newly elevated to the College of Fellows, one of the highest honors bestowed by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). 

My goal is always to enable and even expand the architectural vision and raise performance levels. Detail by detail, building by building, regardless of project type or scale.

Will Babbington, FAIA

Will Babington FAIA, PE, is the Façade Design Director and Principal for Studio NYL’s Skins Group, where he specializes in merging high performance and thoughtfully designed building enclosures.  As both an architect and engineer, his multidisciplinary and intensely collaborative approach have allowed realization of his clients’ architectural aspirations.

Will is also a leader in the advancement and spreading of professional knowledge throughout the industry.  He serves as National Chair of AIA’s Building Performance Knowledge Community, an AIA National representative on the ASHRAE’s 90.1 Energy Standard’s Envelope Subcommittee, the Co-Chair of Facade Tectonics Institute’s Special Advisory Council, and the Past Chair for the National Building Enclosure Council, a joint initiative of the AIA and National Institute of Building Sciences.

Will Babbington shares technologically-advanced strategies for architectural enclosures, enabling collaborators award-winning latitude in their design vision and advancing the Profession’s insight into sustainability and energy efficiency.

Fellows Jury Statement

As all of the recently elevated Fellows have done, Will prepared a preliminary submittal for the AIA Colorado Fellows Nominating Committee to review and provide comments and each were sponsored by a previously elevated Fellow themselves. After receiving a full endorsement from the Committee, their nominations were ratified by the AIA Colorado Board. The Committee is now soliciting submittals for 2024.

Upon reviewing Will’s preliminary submittal in 2022, the AIA Colorado Fellows Nominating Committee was enthusiastic about Will moving forward with a formal presentation to the AIA’s Jury of Fellows. We were delighted this year when Will was elevated to Fellowship. The formal ceremony for receiving the award this spring in Washington D.C. will be that formal recognition for a unique and exemplary career.  

Phillip H. Gerou, FAIA
Chair, 2024 AIA Colorado Fellows Nominating Committee

Only 3 percent of AIA’s 95,000 members hold this distinction and only 96 new fellows were inducted this year. 

The fellowship program was developed to elevate architects who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession and made a significant contribution to architecture and society on a national level. Prospective candidates must have at least 10 years of AIA architect membership and demonstrated influence in at least one of the following areas:

• Promoted the aesthetic, scientific, and practical efficiency of the profession. 
• Advanced the science and art of planning and building by advancing the standards of practice. 
• Coordinated the building industry, and the profession of architecture. 
• Ensured the advancement of the living standards of people through their improved environment. 
• Made the profession of ever-increasing service to society. 
• Advanced the science and art of planning and building by advancing the standards of architectural education and training.

Fellows are selected by a seven-member Jury of Fellows. This year’s jury included Chair Lisa Lamkin, FAIA, Brown Reynolds Watford Architects, Inc; Carl D’Silva, FAIA, Perkins + Will; Sanford Garner, FAIA, RGCollaborative; Margaret McFadden Carney, FAIA, Cornell University; Pamela Rew, FAIA, KSS Architects; Anne Schopf, FAIA, Mahlum and Lourdes Solera, FAIA, MCHarry Associates.

New fellows will be honored at the AIA Awards Gala, June 7, 2024, at the National Building Museum in Washington D.C. 

Three outstanding architects from Colorado have been newly elevated to the College of Fellows, one of the highest honors bestowed by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). 

Ron Abo, FAIA, Principal at The Abo Group, Victor Olgyay, FAIA, Principal at Rocky Mountain Instutute, and Brad Tomecek, FAIA, Principal at Tomecek Studio Architecture were recognized for their contributions to the architecture profession, and their dedication to advancing the built environment. Only 3 percent of AIA’s 95,000 members hold this distinction and only 76 new fellows were inducted this year, a historically small number. Even in a historically small group of inductees, Colorado had the largest class of new Fellows in five years! 

Prospective candidates must have at least 10 years of AIA architect membership and demonstrated influence in at least one of the following areas:

• Promoted the aesthetic, scientific, and practical ef?ciency of the profession. 
• Advanced the science and art of planning and building by advancing the standards of practice. 
• Coordinated the building industry, and the profession of architecture. 
• Ensured the advancement of the living standards of people through their improved environment. 
• Made the profession of ever-increasing service to society. 
• Advanced the science and art of planning and building by advancing the standards of architectural education and training.

Each of the newly elevated Fellows had prepared a preliminary submittal for the AIA Colorado Fellows Nominating Committee (FNC) to review and provide comments and each were sponsored by a previously elevated Fellow themselves. After receiving a full endorsement from the Committee, their nominations were ratified by the AIA Colorado Board. The Committee is now soliciting submittals for 2023, which are due by Wednesday, March 29^th. 

Ron Abo, FAIA, Principal at The Abo Group, has developed a reputation for designing innovative, sustainable, and efficient buildings that enrich the communities in which they are located. Abo is also actively involved in the community as a founding board member of NOMA Colorado and has served on the boards of several more non-profit organizations, including AIA Colorado, the Denver Architectural Foundation, the Downtown Denver Partnership, and the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts.

“I plan to retire at the end of 2023, so being elected to the College of Fellows caps a rewarding, satisfying and wonderful 50-year career as an architect.”

— Ron Abo, FAIA

“There was a perception that fellowship was reserved for signature design architects. It is a breath of fresh air that the profession is finally recognizing exceptional talent and accomplishments in the community and in support for diversity equity and inclusion. Ron has had a distinguished career enriching the lives of the Asian American community giving his time to underserved populations in our society. I was so pleased to see Fellowship given as recognition of these and other accomplishments of architects in improving the quality of life of our communities.”

— Rich Von Luhrte, FAIA

Victor Olgyay, FAIA, Principal at Rocky Mountain Institute is an architect, educator, and researcher where he is leading an initiative to encourage widespread adoption of comprehensive building energy retrofits resulting in energy savings of at least 50 percent. Olgyay is known for his groundbreaking research focused on ecological restoration and on ecosystem services as criteria for green building assessment. Recently Victor’s research has expanded into building tool application, especially for demonstrating the reduction of carbon, water, and ecological footprints.

“I am honored to have supported Victor Olgyay’s elevation to FAIA. His entire career in architecture has exhibited resolute progress and achievements toward a more climate responsible future for the built environment. The influence of his work is evident in finished projects, research, teaching, writings, lectures and in advocacy for low carbon architecture and the promotion of fundamental bioclimatic design.”

— Cheri Gerou, FAIA

Brad Tomecek, FAIA, is the Founder and Principal of the architecture firm Tomecek Studio Architecture, where he has focused on creating beautiful, sustainable, and functional designs for residential and commercial projects. Tomecek is a leader in the Denver architecture community, and has received numerous awards for his work, including the AIA Colorado Young Architect of the Year Award in 2015 and AIA Colorado Architect of the Year in 2022

“I found it insightful to take the time to critically examine a thread, within a body of work, to better understand where we have been, where we are now, and most importantly, where are we headed.”

— Brad Tomecek, FAIA

Please join us in congratulating Ron Abo, FAIA, Victor Olgyay, FAIA, and Brad Tomecek, FAIA on their elevation to the AIA College of Fellows. Their dedication to excellence in architecture and commitment to sustainability and innovation are an inspiration to us all.