National American Institute of Architects Elevates Six Local Architects to the College of Fellows

The 2012 Jury of Fellows from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) elevated six AIA members to its prestigious College of Fellows, an honor awarded to members who have made significant contributions to the profession. This is the largest number of Fellows named in one year from AIA Seattle. They are:

Ross Chapin FAIA
Jane Hendricks FAIA
Lorne McConachie FAIA
Robert Miller FAIA
David Tomber FAIA
Scott Wolf FAIA

“The unprecedented number of new AIA Fellows successfully nominated from the AIA Seattle Chapter as 2012 Fellows is a testimony to the depth and impact that architects in our region make and having been making for decades.” Said Susan Jones FAIA, chair of the AIA Seattle Fellows and Honors Committee. “Our region, chapter and all of the new Fellows for 2012 are to be heartily congratulated.”

The work of these Fellows demonstrates the power of architecture to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges, such as stewardship of our water resources, community transformation, and international innovation in education.

The 2012 Fellows will be honored at an investiture ceremony at the 2012 National AIA Convention and Design Exposition in Washington, D.C.

The Fellowship program was developed to elevate those architects who have made a significant contribution to architecture and society and who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession. Election to fellowship not only recognizes the achievements of architects as individuals, but also their significant contribution to architecture and society on a national level.

Out of a total AIA membership of over 80,000, there are fewer than 2,700 distinguished with the honor of fellowship and honorary fellowship. The elevation to fellowship is conferred on architects with at least 10 years of membership in the AIA in one or more of the following nomination categories:

1. Promoted the aesthetic, scientific, and practical efficiency of the profession
2. Advanced the science and art of planning and building by advancing the standards of architectural education, training and practice
3. Coordinated the building industry and the profession of architecture through leadership in the AIA and other related professional organizations
4. Advanced the living standards of people through an improved environment
5. Made the profession of ever-increasing service to society

THE 2012 AIA SEATTLE FELLOWS

Jane Hendricks FAIA

Jane Hendricks FAIA studied the history of architecture at Harvard and received her M.Arch. degree from UC Berkeley, where she was the recipient of the prestigious Branner Travelling Fellowship. She began practice in San Francisco, with brief stops in Los Angeles and Minneapolis before moving to Seattle in 1991. She has been a principal at SRG Partnership since 2006. Her practice focuses on the design of innovative learning environments for higher education. This is reinforced by her teaching experience at Berkeley, University of Minnesota and University of Washington. Passionate about architecture’s capacity to dignify and enhance everyday experiences, Jane is committed to advancing planning and design for community colleges.

Lorne McConachie FAIA

Lorne McConachie FAIA, principal and owner of Bassetti Architects, has invested his career in creating educational spaces that spark the academic, social, physical, and cultural development of children. He has received international attention for his approach to school planning, awards for innovative school design, and community appreciation for the revitalization of historic schools as centers for 21st century learning. He also received the James D. MacConnell Award for his creative designs of Edmonds Woodway High School in 1999 and Lynnwood High School in 2010. In 2004, his seminal work on Todd Beamer High School in Federal Way was recognized as a MacConnell finalist. Lorne is the co-author of the book, Architecture for Achievement: Building Patterns for Small School Learning, a how-to manual for the transformation of educational facility design.

David Tomber FAIA

David Tomber FAIA (BArch Oregon ’81) is an internationally recognized expert in the planning and design of transportation architecture. He is the Manager of Aviation Planning at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, a Division of the Port of Seattle. David has helped to shape major development programs at over 60 airports worldwide, and been invited to speak at over 50 industry conferences to disseminate innovative concepts. He has been instrumental in the development of new check-in concepts, and integrating humane standards for passenger and baggage screening after 9/11. He has helped to shape environmentally responsible practices at airports by encouraging conservation of resources through process improvements. David has also influenced airport development through nomination to prominent industry panels with the U.S. National Academies and Airports Council International.

Ross Chapin FAIA

Ross Chapin, FAIA, is an internationally acclaimed architect and author based on Whidbey Island, WA. Over the last 15 years, Ross has designed and partnered in developing six pocket neighborhoods in the Puget Sound region—small groupings of homes around a shared commons—and has designed dozens of communities for other developers across the US, Canada and the UK. Many of these pioneering developments have received international media coverage, professional peer review and national design awards. Ross’s book, Pocket Neighborhoods: Creating Small Scale Community in a Large Scale World (Taunton Press), has received wide acclaim, including a full-page review in USA Today, and listing on Wall Street Journal’s Top Ten House & Home Books, and Planetizen’s Top Ten Planning & Design Books of the Year.

Robert Miller FAIA

Robert Miller FAIA founded Bohlin Cywinski Jackson’s Seattle office. Having relocated temporarily from his native Pennsylvania to participate in the firm’s successful entry in the Gates Residence competition, Miller opted to stay on after the project’s completion in 1997. Over two decades, his tenacity, inventiveness and commitment to design nurtured his firm’s competition field office into a permanent force in Northwest architecture. Bohlin Cywinski Jackson now has offices in Seattle, Wilkes-Barre, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. Robert's influence continues to expand in North America and overseas, expanding the practice’s presence to British Columbia, Ontario, Hawaii, Israel, Japan and China. His work locally includes among others; the Envelope House, Ballard Library, and SOMA Towers now under construction. He consistently demonstrates that modest budgets do not prevent innovation and design advancement. Similarly, he is determined that ample budgets do not exempt a project from optimizing the use of resources.

Scott Wolf FAIA

Scott Wolf FAIA is a Partner at The Miller Hull Partnership, recipient of the 2003 AIA National Firm Award and widely recognized as a leader in environmentally responsible design. Since joining Miller Hull in 1993, Scott has built a national reputation as a sustainable design leader, with a focus on innovative and responsible water, wastewater and stormwater strategies. His projects have received widespread recognition, including two AIA National COTE Top Ten Earth Day Awards and two AIA National Honor Awards. Through his longtime work on global water issues, Scott has demonstrated how caring about the planet’s water resources can effectively and persuasively demonstrate the transformative role that these systems play in the creation of a sustainable future for our built environment.