The Texas Society of Architects is pleased to announce our 2020 Honor Award recipients. This program recognizes exceptional members, firms, individuals, and organizations for outstanding achievements in support of the profession of architecture, the built environment, and quality of life in Texas. Recipients will be spotlighted on the TxA blog and social media in the coming months. Join us in congratulating the honorees!
Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Honor of Llewellyn W. Pitts FAIA
Heather McKinney, FAIA
Nominated by: AIA Austin
The career of Heather McKinney, FAIA, is emblematic of the values and contributions celebrated by the Lifetime Achievement award. Widely acknowledged as a fine designer, McKinney has sustained trailblazing leadership and support for AIA Austin and the Texas Society of Architects since the early days of her career. She is also a key contributor to the vibrancy of her city through her longtime and substantial work on arts and community boards. And, as a mentor to generations of students and young professionals, she consistently lives and works by example. McKinney founded her own award-winning firm 37 years ago and continues to be a path-maker, role model, and leader in the field through her visionary design leadership, commitment to AIA, and contributions to the community.
Notable projects: Redbud Trail Guest House Addition, Robbs Run Residence, Hance Chapel, City Loft, McGarrah Jessee Building, Shavano Park Residence, African-American Cultural and Heritage Facility, and Ridge Oak Residence.
Architecture Firm Award
DSGN
Nominated by: AIA Dallas
Since 1992, DSGN Associates has provided architectural, planning, interior design, and graphic design services to stellar clients around the world. Their project types are diverse and include single and multi-family residential, retail and mixed-use centers, offices and work places, civic facilities, and urban planning. The firm’s work includes both new construction and adaptive reuse of pre-war and post-war historic buildings. DSGN plans and designs each commission to be a specific reflection of the goals, aspirations, and priorities of their clients and are proud to have won more than 50 design awards, not only from their peers in the AIA, but also from numerous industry, civic, and sustainability organizations.
Notable projects: Cliff House, Heights Theater, Vickery Meadow Branch Library, Imagine Community Center and Residences, MarfaShip, and Parklet Pilot Program.
O’Neil Ford Medal for Design Achievement
Mell Lawrence, FAIA
Mell Lawrence, FAIA, studied architecture at The University of Texas at Austin. After working with Charles Moore and a partnership with Paul Lamb, Lawrence started his firm in 1991. Mell Lawrence Architects was voted AIA Austin’s 2001 Firm of the Year in recognition of its consistent excellence in design and contribution to creating a unique architecture. His work has been published extensively and has been recognized with design awards at the local, state, and national level. Lawrence was elevated to Fellowship in the American Institute of Architects in 2007. He hails from Houston.
Notable projects: Balcones House, UFCU Alumni Gym, Concrete Studio, Hollowcat Wild, Lady Bird Loo, David Peese House, Baylor Street House, and Mod Cott.
Award for Community Service in Honor of James D. Pfluger FAIA
David C. Bucek, FAIA
Nominated by: AIA Houston
A champion of architectural design past and present, David Bucek, FAIA, is a preservation advocate and community volunteer working to advance preservation initiatives in Texas. As an educator, advocate, and conduit between preservation groups, he has had a profound impact on the awareness and understanding of critical preservation issues all around the state. Bucek currently serves on the boards of the Texas Architectural Foundation, Architecture Center Houston Foundation, Houston Mod, Wharton County Courthouse Restoration/Preservation, and Wharton County Heritage Partnership. He is a member of the Advisory Council at the Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park/Houston and is the designated architect and vice-chair on the Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission. He previously sat on the boards of Preservation Texas and AIA Houston, serving as the president of AIA Houston in 2016.
Award for Outstanding Educational Contributions in Honor of
Edward J. Romieniec FAIA
Bradley Bell
Nominated by: AIA Fort Worth and AIA Dallas
Bradley Bell is the director of the School of Architecture and an associate professor at The University of Texas at Arlington. He also directs the school’s Digital Architecture Research Consortium and is the founder and co-director of TEX-FAB. Through his own work and research, and through the work of his students and collaborators, Bell promotes the advancement of technological practices within architecture. He has continued to utilize his position in the university and his extensive technological research to educate not only his students, but the broader community of architects. Bell serves as a model of not only what is possible within the profession, but how architects can contribute to society through research and service. He reminds us that education does not end when you graduate, but is a daily practice for those who seek innovation and excellence.
Award for Equitable Practice in Architecture in Honor of John S. Chase Jr. FAIA
Anzilla Gilmore, FAIA
Nominated by: AIA Houston
Anzilla Gilmore, FAIA, joined Rice University’s Facilities Engineering and Planning department in November of 2006. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Prairie View A&M and a Masters of Architecture from The University of Texas at Arlington. Gilmore is a founding member of the Houston Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA). At Rice, she serves as the project manager for all Housing and Dining projects and is also a Jones College Associate. Gilmore’s leadership of NOMA invigorated the organization and spurred unprecedented growth and engagement nationwide, enhancing the professional commitment of minority architects and elevating the profession at large. As a result of her exceptional organizational skills and persuasive case for engagement, NOMA’s membership doubled by the end of her second year as membership chair. As a result, the organization’s budget grew robust enough to hire staff and greatly expand member services.
Award for Young Professional Achievement in Honor of
William W. Caudill FAIA
Adam Reed, AIA
Nominated by: AIA San Antonio
Adam Reed, AIA, is the youngest principal of the highly regarded firm of Ford, Powell & Carson in San Antonio. His projects range from award-winning adaptive reuse and restorations of commercial and industrial buildings within the urban core to large-scale corporate and campus master planning efforts. He received his Master of Architecture degree from the College of Architecture at Texas Tech University, where he graduated with honors and received his certificate in Community and Urban Development. Reed’s approach to design is influenced by both elements of human-scale as well as the larger physical and historic context in which his projects reside. His projects and clients are deeply involved in the public and private growth of the fastest growing urban center in the U.S.
Associate Member of the Year
Ricardo Maga Rojas, Assoc. AIA
Nominated by: AIA Austin
Born in Banes, in the Holguín Province of Cuba, Ricardo Maga Rojas, Assoc. AIA, possesses a genuine passion for service has allowed him to serve under various professional organizations and fundraise over $4,000 to establish The Pay It Forward Scholarship dedicated to alleviating the financial burden of architecture students at his HBCU, Tuskegee University. Maga Rojas is a dedicated and respected associate member of the AIA Austin chapter, where he serves as membership commissioner. An avid leader, he serves District 1 as commissioner on the Mexican American Cultural Center Advisory Board. In 2016, Maga Rojas was first recognized by his professional organizations as an emerging leader in the field of architecture.
Award for Excellence in the Promotion of Architecture through the Media in Honor of John G. Flowers Hon. AIA
Kathryn Holliday, Hon. AIA FW
Nominated by: AIA Fort Worth and AIA Dallas
Kathryn (Kate) Holliday, Hon. AIA FW, is the founding director of the David Dillon Center for Texas Architecture and professor of architecture at The University of Texas at Arlington. She is an award-winning architectural historian, researcher, and teacher as well as an author focused on the built environment. She has written numerous articles and essays, as well as her acclaimed book, “The Open- Ended City: David Dillon on Texas Architecture,” published in 2019 by the University of Texas Press. Holliday serves on the editorial board for and frequently contributes to AIA Dallas’ Columns Magazine. She is a member of the board of directors for Historic Fort Worth, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting the value of historic preservation. In the past, she served on the State Board of Review for the Texas Historical Commission’s National Register programs and was a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Architectural Education.
Mentorship Award
AIA Austin Leadership Collective
Nominated by: AIA Austin
The AIA Austin Leadership Collective, first launched in 2018, is a year-long, intensive, skills-based leadership training program that seeks to equip emerging leaders in architecture and related professions with the tools to make meaningful progress on issues that matter to them. The Leadership Collective defines leadership not as a role, title, or position of authority, but as an ongoing practice of navigating change, mobilizing others, and experimenting to discover what moves the needle. Thus, the Leadership Collective is not restricted to those who currently consider themselves leaders, but is open to all who are interested in building on their personal strengths, working across differences, questioning the status quo, and contributing to the growth and progress of their firms, families, cities, and community groups.
Artisan Award
Ronald L. Siebler
Nominated by: AIA Dallas
Ron Siebler of Siebler Remodeling and Historic Preservation draws upon a rich legacy of art and craftsmanship that is rooted in the training of previous generations. Before electrical power and automation, there was simply skill and knowing how to work with the materials at hand. Siebler is a bridge to that previous time, having a modern perspective and experience in the application of historic techniques. The result is an authentic approach to historic construction, an old-world command of materials, and an artistic flair for bringing it all together. (Photo by Rose Baca/Dallas Morning News.)
Citation of Honor
Parks for Downtown Dallas
Nominated by: AIA Dallas
Parks for Downtown Dallas (PfDD) promotes a more livable, sustainable center city through the championing of green space in Downtown Dallas. It is a 501(c)(3) established in 2015 to advance long-term development and support of public parks within Downtown. PfDD is embarked on a course to build four new urban neighborhood parks by year-end 2022, and in
parallel, develop a framework for maintaining and improving Downtown’s public parks. This four-park program will result in nearly 14 acres of new green space in Dallas’ urban core. The construction of the four Downtown priority parks represents one of the most exciting urban transformations in America today, reflecting both the challenges and opportunities associated with creating parks in a built environment.
Honorary Membership
Kourtny S. Garrett, Hon. AIA Dallas
Nominated by: AIA Dallas
Kourtny Garrett was named president & CEO of Downtown Dallas, Inc. (DDI) in January 2017, and has been dedicated to the revitalization of Downtown Dallas in various roles with the organization since 2002. DDI is a private, nonprofit organization serving as the primary advocate and champion for Downtown, ensuring that the area grows as a vibrant center of urban life, recognized locally and globally for the quality of its business, hospitality, entertainment, living, and cultural environments. With a resume that spans more than 20 years in the development of livable communities, Garrett’s passion for strong and kinetic city centers carries from Dallas to abroad.
Honorary Membership
Katherine D. Seale, Hon. AIA Dallas
Nominated by: AIA Dallas
Much like the historic buildings and urban fabric she cares so deeply for, Katherine Seale, Hon. AIA Dallas, has renovated the perception of historic preservation in Dallas and adapted the city’s successful Landmarks program to a new, more assertive role as both the savior of its historic resources and the shaper of future urban development. Instead of simply responding to the often-conflicting influences of modern development on historic buildings, Seale has and continues to champion new ideas and pro- grams that preserve these buildings while creating new opportunities to weave them into the evolving urban fabric. Her vision and steadfast leadership have demonstrated an attitude and ability for historic preservation that is an example for all of Texas and beyond.
25-Year Award
Dallas Museum of Art
Nominated by: AIA Dallas
The Dallas Museum of Art is located at 1717 North Harwood Street in Dallas. It was completed in three phases. The first phase was completed in 1983 and was designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes Associates, with Pratt, Box & Henderson as the associate architect. The second phase, the Reves Wing Addition, was completed in 1985 with the same design team. The third phase, the Hamon Wing Addition, was completed in 1993 by Edward Larrabee Barnes Architect, with Thomas & Booziotis as the associate architect. The building remains in excellent condition and is used for its original purpose as a public art museum. The Dallas Museum of Art was the first component of the Dallas Arts District to be constructed and set a quality standard for the entire district. Upon its opening, it was a featured project in many regional and national magazines and publications, including Progressive Architecture, Architecture, Texas Architect, and The New York Times.