We are pleased to announce the Texas Society of Architects’ 2024 Honor Awards! These awards recognize 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 recognized at our upcoming 85th Annual Conference & Design Expo on October 3–5 in Houston.
Congratulations to all the honorees!
Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Honor of Llewellyn W. Pitts, FAIA
Jim Susman, FAIA
Austin
A giant among the profession’s leaders in Texas, Jim Susman, FAIA, has dedicated his career to strengthening the interwoven elements of architecture, creating a vision for improving the world around him, and tackling the details with a calm can-do spirit that turns ideas into reality. Susman is a senior principal of STG Design, which he has led from a six-person startup to an award-winning 90-person firm with offices in three states. STG has been a key driver of some of Austin’s most transformational projects, including Block 185 (Google Tower), the Thinkery children’s museum, and the Seaholm Power Plant redevelopment. Over the past four decades, numerous community organizations in Austin have benefited from Susman’s influence and leadership, as has the AIA: he has served as AIA Austin president, on numerous local and state committees, and as interim executive vice president of TxA during the pandemic, providing a steady hand in an uncertain time.
Architecture Firm Award
Perkins&Will Dallas
Dallas
A local presence with a global impact, Perkins&Will Dallas leads numerous studios out of their office, including Healthcare, Civic, Higher Education, K-12, Interiors, and Transportation. The firm, whose credo is steeped in sustainability and putting community at the center, has led the industry toward exceptional environmental performance for decades, showing that high design, healthy work environments, and carbon-neutral operations can be integrated into a singular vision. Recent award-winning projects in Texas include Lubbock City Hall; the Princeton Municipal Complex; El Paso’s Eastside Regional Recreation Center; and the Baylor Scott & White Health Administrative Center, Richards Group Headquarters, Pittman Hotel, and Singing Hills Recreation Center in Dallas. Perkins&Will Dallas also demonstrates a deep commitment to social purpose, with a dedication to placemaking, numerous pro-bono projects completed over the past decade, and a staff invested in the betterment of the industry and their community.
Cornerstone Award
George B. Hernández Jr.
San Antonio
George B. Hernández Jr. is the president and chief executive officer University Health, the public hospital district for Bexar County. For more than 40 years, Hernandez has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to shaping an equitable and sustainable healthcare future for San Antonio. He has worked tirelessly to make University Health a nationally recognized healthcare organization, always keeping a clear focus on the needs of underserved areas of the city. Through projects such as the Robert B. Green Hospital expansion, completed in collaboration with Overland Partners, and the Women & Children’s Hospital by Marmon Mok|ZGF, Hernandez’s leadership has resulted in beautiful, efficient spaces that celebrate the communities they serve. The projects are not only LEED-certified, but integrate art as a healing component in the built environment, bringing dignity and joy to those struggling to regain their health.
O’Neil Ford Medal for Design Achievement
Sinclair Black, FAIA
Austin
Visionary architect, urban designer, planner, educator, and author Sinclair Black, FAIA, is principal of Black + Motal, formerly Black + Vernooy, and professor emeritus at the University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture. For more than 50 years, Black has contributed significantly to the breadth of the built environment in Central Texas through a body of work that collectively blurs the boundaries between architecture and urban design. Among his many notable projects are the Great Streets Master Plan, Cedar Street Courtyard, State Theatre renovation, Texas Commission for the Blind, and Nature Center in Austin; work on San Antonio’s River North Master Plan; and his founding and leadership of Reconnect Austin. Black has been a relentless advocate for the public good throughout his career, always working to educate residents, developers, and city councils about the bigger picture. As a collaborator with other architects on the urban scale, he has promoted the big ideas that ultimately provide a framework for placemaking: buildings, outdoor spaces, and connections for people celebrating and preserving the particulars of the region.
Award for Community Service in Honor of James D. Pfluger, FAIA
Steve Fitzpatrick, AIA
Tyler
Steve Fitzpatrick, AIA, founder of Fitzpatrick Architects, is the embodiment of the “citizen architect.” For the past 30 years, he has been advocating for improved quality of life in his hometown of Tyler, using his talents, training, and experience as an architect to help the city evolve in a positive way. Fitzpatrick has led numerous local efforts, including Reset the Center, which envisioned a revitalized downtown; the Rose Rudman Trail System, a hike-and-bike trail on a former neighborhood drainage path; and a campaign to promote public transportation by designing and constructing bus stop prototypes. He has also served on the boards of various community organizations and demonstrated a commitment to mentoring the next generation of architects.
Award for Equitable Practice in Architecture in Honor of John S. Chase Jr., FAIA
Nicki Marrone, AIA
San Antonio
Nicki Marrone, AIA, is a principal at Alamo Architects and served as TxA president in 2023 with a platform centered on representation. Over the past decade, Marrone has championed knowledge sharing and opportunities for recognition for those working to diversify the profession. She was instrumental in AIA San Antonio’s formation of a Latinos in Architecture committee and later supported a similar network for Women in Architecture. She also participated in and later led the EDI Task Force at TxA, where she instituted the John Chase award for equitable practice and initiated implicit bias trainings for chapters across the state. Marrone regularly shares her personal experiences related to challenges and barriers to success as a minority in the field with with both students and industry professionals, and has demonstrated a deep commitment to developing the pipeline of future professionals.
Award for Outstanding Educational Contributions in Honor of Edward J. Romieniec, FAIA
Rafael Longoria, AIA
Houston
Rafael Longoria, AIA, is ASCA Distinguished Professor of Architecture at the University of Houston and principal of LONGORIA+. He serves as advanced studies coordinator and director of the Atrium Press at the UH College of Architecture and Design. Longoria’s work focuses on contextual architecture and sustainable design at all scales, with a focus on Latin America and parts of the US settled by Spain. In his 36 years at UH, he has made outstanding contributions in the areas of community collaboration and international teaching; academic service and community outreach; and disseminating scholarship and design work. Longoria is a founding editor of AULA: Architecture and Urbanism in Las Américas and has served on the boards of numerous publications and organizations. He was elected as president of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture in 2004.
Award for Early Career Professional Achievement in Honor of William W. Caudill, FAIA
Aline Yoldi, AIA
San Antonio
Aline Yoldi, AIA, a senior associate and Central Texas Higher Education market leader at Stantec, has distinguished herself as an architect and in service to the profession. Yoldi has generously shared her time and talent with AIA San Antonio, holding numerous positions on the organization’s board of directors, including chapter president. She also founded and chairs the chapter’s Women in Architecture network and has worked tirelessly to spotlight the work of both women architects and emerging professionals. At TxA, Yoldi currently serves as a chapter director on the board and a member of the Design Committee. Over the past 20 years, she has led and managed a wide range of projects, including several academic buildings and facilities for St. Philip’s College.
Associate Member of the Year
Kate Sector, Assoc. AIA
San Antonio
Kate Sector, Assoc. AIA, is an emerging leader in sustainability. A design performance manager for Lake|Flato Architects, she has led significant investigative work on embodied carbon and climate resiliency. She has also written two publications on the subject and shared her knowledge extensively at conferences and universities. Sector has been a leader in AIA San Antonio’s Committee on the Environment and started a COTE Top 10 Student Competition at UTSA that inspired the start of a student COTE chapter. She has also partnered with the Office of Historic Preservation to bring various events to the community.
Associate Member of the Year
Leslie Tijerina, Assoc. AIA
Brazos
Leslie Tijerina, Assoc. AIA, has made exceptional contributions to her firm and the professional community early in her career. As an associate and project manager at BRW Architects, Tijerina has distinguished herself through her mentorship and in her innovative approach to public facility design. She has served as a member of the National Associate Committee at AIA; state associate representative for TxA; and Architecture in Schools coordinator, EP director, and executive committee member for AIA Brazos. In addition, she has been active at Texas A&M University as a studio guest lecturer, studio review juror, and AIAS speaker and panelist.
Mentorship Award
AIA Austin Women in Architecture
Austin
Founded in 2017, the Austin Women in Architecture has a mission to promote, validate, and illuminate the role of women within the architectural field through fostering community, fellowship, education, and outreach. Expanding their offerings every year, the program’s activities include a dinner series roundtable; networking meetups; site tours by women-led project teams; promotion of local women in the AEC industry on social media; virtual panels, conferences, and tours, and financial support and scholarships.
Award for Excellence in the Promotion of Architecture through the Media in Honor of John G. Flowers Honorary AIA
David Preziosi
Dallas
David Preziosi is the president and CEO of the Texas Historical Foundation and previously served as the executive director of Preservation Dallas. For nearly 30 years, Preziosi has used his media-savvy advocacy to engage the public on the importance of preserving historic architecture. Through countless articles, lectures, exhibitions, videos, magazines, books, and other media, he has demonstrated an exceptional ability to spark conversations about the built environment in Texas. His writing masterfully weaves together rich histories and timely insights, making complex topics both relatable and intriguing.
Artisan Award
Casci Ornamental Plaster
Dallas
Casci Ornamental Plaster is a leader in the design and execution of detailed ornamentation. The artisans at Casci work on classical architectural structures in both new construction and restorations. They have contributed their superlative workmanship to numerous buildings in Texas, including projects at Old Parkland Campus and Old City Hall in Dallas; River Oaks residences and a school auditorium in Houston; the Driscoll Hotel renovation in Austin; and the Adams Building renovation in Port Arthur.
Citation of Honor
Centro San Antonio
San Antonio
Established in 1982, the nonprofit placemaking organization Centro San Antonio is committed to growing the culture and economy of the city’s downtown, primarily in the Public Improvement District. Programs include Art Everywhere, which has added more than 200 murals by local artists on downtown buildings; Peacock Alley, which has hosted 180 activations in a previously neglected alleyway; and Park(ing) Day, a collaboration with AIA San Antonio and other organizations to show how parking places could be transformed into tiny parks.
Honorary Membership
Katie O’Brien
Dallas
The founder of Trinity Public Affairs, Katie O’Brien has provided public policy and community relations consulting in the Dallas area since 2016. With a background as a senior policy analyst in the Texas Senate, O’Brien has become a trusted advisor and advocate for public green spaces in the region, including the Circuit Trail and Southern Gateway Park. A long-time consultant to AIA Dallas, O’Brien has helped the chapter craft a more engaged and effective advocacy program and has developed multiple initiatives to better inform members on critical issues while building relationships with key decision-makers.
Honorary Membership
Maggie Parker
Dallas
Maggie Parker is managing partner and founder of Innovan Neighborhoods, a people-centered development and consulting firm with a mission to advance community-anchored real estate development. Innovan partners with local organizations to support catalyst projects in DFW—from joint ventures for affordable single-family homes to phased, master-planning development efforts in transitioning neighborhoods. Prior to forming Innovan, Parker was director of the Real Estate Council Community Fund, which provides access to capital and technical assistance for real estate projects serving low-to-moderate income neighborhoods.
25-Year Award
Church of the Incarnation
Dallas
Completed in 1985 and designed by Duane and Jane Landry, the Church of the Incarnation at the University of Dallas is considered one of the most significant works of ecclesiastical architecture in North Texas. Sitting in the middle of the O’Neil Ford-designed campus, it fits seamlessly into the landscape and acts as a beacon, or heart, for the university. Exquisitely crafted, the building was a true collaboration between the architects and local craftsmen, with several UD professors involved in the design of the furniture, altar, and sculptures.
Architectural Landmark Award
Huston-Tillotson University
Austin
Chartered in 1877, HBCU Huston-Tillotson University is the oldest institution of higher learning in Austin. The campus, which consists of 16 buildings added to the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district in 2022, is a major part of the rich heritage of East Austin. The architecture embodies a narrative of empowerment and determination. Some of the buildings were designed by Kuehne, Brooks, & Barr and iterations of that firm, while others were envisioned and constructed by the very individuals who would come to inhabit and enrich them—the students.