AIA Minnesota and Midwest Home magazine’s Emerging Talent of the Year and Architect of Distinction awards focus on the individual architect, offering a unique opportunity to highlight an architect’s professional achievement and recognize both promising and established careers dedicated to excellence in the design of single-family homes.
Architects who have been licensed for more than 15 years are encouraged to apply for the Architect of Distinction Award. Eligible candidates should submit five residential projects that reflect a stated personal design philosophy. Architects licensed for less than 10 years are eligible for the Emerging Talent of the Year Award. Submissions should include three residential projects that adhere to a stated personal design philosophy.
2008
Architect of Distinction: Dan Nepp, AIA, TEA 2 Architects, Inc, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Emerging Talent of the Year Award: Todd Hansen, AIA, Albertsson Hansen Architecture, Ltd., Minneapolis, Minnesota
The 2008 Jury included Tom DeAngelo, FAIA, principal, Architectural Alliance; Geoffrey Warner, AIA, principal, Alchemy, LLC; Julia Robinson, professor at the College of Design, School of Architecture (C Des), University of Minnesota; and Chris Lee, editor of Midwest Home.
Nepp and Hansen will be recognized in a March presentation at CDES, followed by a lecture.
View the Press Release (PDF)
2007
Architect of Distinction: Tom Meyer, FAIA, MS&R Ltd, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Emerging Talent of the Year Award: Geoffrey Warner, AIA, Alchemy, LLC, St. Paul, Minnesota
The 2007 Jury included Charles Stinson, AIA, Charles Stinson Architects; Jean Rehkamp Larson, AIA, principal, Rehkamp Larson Architects; Ozayr Saloojee, professor at the College of Design, School of Architecture; and Chris Lee, editor of Midwest Home.
Meyer and Warner were recognized in an April presentation at CDES, followed by a lecture.
2006
Architect of Distinction: Kelly Davis, AIA, SALA Architects, Inc., Stillwater, Minnesota
Davis’ work showcased diverse styles with dramatic geometries in a wide range of sites from rural Minnesota to the mountains of Montana.
“His designs show a thoughtful response to their individual sites, including some very challenging locations that he embraced, rather than fighting.” - jury comment
Emerging Talent of the Year Award: Jean Rehkamp Larson, AIA, Rehkamp Larson Architects, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota
“Her work shows a successful adaptation for residences within the context of their urban and rural sites with a high regard for details and proportions inside and out.” - jury comment
The 2006 Jury included Mark Swenson, AIA, principal, Elness Swenson Graham Architects; Ellen Luken, AIA, principal, Luken Architecture; Leon Satkowski, professor at the College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, University of Minnesota; Chris Lee, editor of Midwest Home; and Diane Cormany, managing editor of Midwest Home.
Davis and Rehkamp Larson were recognized in an April 7 presentation at CALA, followed by a lecture from noted Nova Scotia architect Bryan Mackay Lyons, FRAIC, Hon. FAIA, RCA, principal, MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple, “Plain Modern—the Architecture of Brian Mackay-Lyons.”
View the 2006 Architect of Distinction and Emerging Talent press release (PDF)
2005
Architect of Distinction: Charles Stinson, AIA, Charles Stinson Architect, Deephaven, Minnesota
The projects in Stinson’s portfolio highlighted his own artistic vision and the collaborative nature of architecture.
“He has the ability to carefully orchestrate individual elements of the design process and use them in harmony to create great stories for the client and everyone involved.” - jury comment
Emerging Talent of the Year Award: Christine Albertsson, AIA, Albertsson Hansen Architecture, Ltd., Minneapolis, Minnesota
Albertsson’s submission revealed her wide range of design skills and embodied her design philosophy statement that every project is about seeking a specific expression of the idea of home.
“Her work shows a level of design maturity and promise through innovative use of materials, attention to each site, and the level of clarity and depth in design.” - jury comment
The 2005 Jury included Lee Tollefson, FAIA, president of AIA Minnesota and principal of Rafferty Rafferty Tollefson; Ed Kodet, FAIA, principal of Kodet Architectural Group; Katherine Solomonson, professor at the College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, University of Minnesota; Diane Cormany, interim editor of Midwest Home & Garden; and Kori Meewes, associate publisher of Midwest Home & Garden.
Stinson and Albertsson were recognized in a March 21 presentation at CALA, preceded by a lecture titled, "Modernism from Cultural Roots,” by the 2004 Midwest Home and Garden Architect of Distinction, David D. Salmela, FAIA, principal, Salmela Architect, Duluth.
View the 2005 Architect of Distinction and Emerging Talent press release (PDF)
2004
Architect of Distinction: David Salmela, FAIA, Salmela Architects, Duluth, Minnesota
Salmela searches to interpret Minnesota culture, “The five projects submitted are examples of completed homes that draw upon each individual place and each individual client yet are always about our region.”
Emerging Talent of the Year Award: Wynne Yelland, AIA, Locus Architecture, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Yelland said he strives for balance in his design philosophy, “Everything I do has far-reaching implications, well beyond building I treat every project as a potential benefactor to a sustainable environment, local economies and my own community.”
The 2004 Jury included: Howard Goltz, President of AIA Minnesota and Principal of SLL/Leo A. Daly; E. Tim Carl, Vice President and Design Principal of Hammel, Green and Abrahamson; Amy Woods, Editor of Midwest Home & Garden; and Kori Meewes, Associate Publisher of Midwest Home & Garden.
Salmela and Yelland were recognized at a reception held at Locus Architecture in March of 2004.
View the 2004 Architect of Distinction and Emerging Talent press release (PDF)
