Don Stastny, FAIA FAICP FCIP
AIAO Professional Achievement Awards
Some observations on THE AGE OF COVID: The pandemic has basically restructured society as we know it—changing the workplace, isolating people that require interaction, compromising mental health and limiting collaboration. We all have become somewhat proficient at Zoom meetings (and have been a part of developing a whole new profession of “designing backdrops” that are messages in themselves and allow us to advertise who we are). In the past two years, we have condensed at least ten years of life into a brief moment in time—resulting in a number of conditions that share a common highway: political division, vandalism, terrorism, racism, lack of empathy for our fellow human beings, dishonesty, and environmental ignorance have evolved and supported each other in a way that we have never experienced. How do we reclaim our lives, our principles, our communities, and our democracy going forward? I suggest that is through a series of small actions—each of which builds upon other actions to create a supportive and progressive society. I have often used the analogy of tossing a pebble into a pond and the resulting ripples that result—and if enough pebbles are thrown in, the ripples begin to interact and those interactions contain the mana for positive change and further evolution of a place and a culture.
My apologies for the RANT, but I believe the current condition of society (and particularly in Portland and Oregon) finds itself at a crossroads—how can we move forward in a positive way, how do we (as a profession) send messages to the public about values we share, and how do we provide leadership going forward. In a way, our Professional Achievement Awards are our “pebbles” that will create ripples—and in THE AGE OF COVID, these ripples may have a very strong impact on the way the profession is seen by the public, and, through the recipients of those awards, challenge our community to be better, to not accept negativity and remain optimistic about how society is moving forward.
AIA Oregon has chosen to include Professional Achievement Awards as a part of the annual Design Awards in order to recognize individuals who are making an impact—on their profession, on their community and on their peers. The AIA Oregon President’s Award is given to an individual AIA member for significant contribution to the architecture profession through distinguished leadership and service over an extended period of time. The AIA Oregon Young Architect Award honors individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and made contributions to the architecture profession early in their careers (and this award is a potential stepping stone to the AIA National Young Architect Award), and the AIA Oregon Emerging Professional Award is given to individual Associate AIA members to recognize outstanding leaders and creative thinkers early in their careers.
Another award, not necessarily given annually, is the Award of the AIA Oregon College of Fellows. This award is given by the Fellows only if there is a recipient identified that demonstrates--through action or program—a continuing contribution to the community through Design Excellence. While this award has been given to individuals, it is often awarded to an organization or entity that embraces the founding principles of AIA Oregon and is impactful in the continuing development of the community.
In THE AGE OF COVID this series of awards have greater meaning. First of all, IDENTIFYING LEADERSHIP—whether it be as an individual or an organization—and how that leadership is exemplar of the principles and ethos of the American Institute of Architects. Secondly, ADOPTING ACCOUNTABILITY—recognizing the recipient adopts the charge to continue the work she/he has begun. And thirdly, IMPACTFUL CONTRIBUTIONS—to use the Award to influence current and future decisions that will benefit the profession and society. As the awards are bestowed on individuals and organizations, we, as a profession offer our sincere congratulations and challenge the honorees to make their “ripples” meaningful and complimentary.
Donald J. Stastny FAIA FAICP FCIP has been a practicing architect since 1976. His international practice includes Architecture and Placemaking, Urban/Civic Design and Community Strategic Planning, and Design Process Innovation. He holds the 2009 National AIA Thomas Jefferson Award for Public Architecture, the 2006 AIA Northwest and Pacific Region Medal of Honor, and was the recipient of the 2017 Outstanding Citizen Award from the Architecture Foundation of Oregon.
