The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has named 178 AIA members as the 2017 College of Fellows - an award given those architects who have made 'a significant contribution to architecture and society and who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession.'

Out of a total AIA membership of over 90,000, approximately 3 percent of members are recognized as fellows. 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 or practice

3. Coordinated the building industry and the profession of architecture through leadership in the AIA or 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 2017 Fellows Included in the list below are the newly elevated members, the category for which they were elevated and their component affiliation.

Viken Skog in Norway by Stein Halvorsen Arkitekter. Image courtesy of Stein Halvorsen Arkitekter

The 2017 jury included; Mary Katherine (Mary Kay) Lanzillotta, FAIA, (Chair), Hartman Cox Architects; Peter Bardwell, FAIA, Bardwell & Assoc.; Mary Patton Cox, FAIA, Virginia Commonwealth University; Steve Crane, FAIA, VCBO; Marleen Kay Davis, FAIA, University of Tennessee; David Messersmith, FAIA, University of Texas, Arlington and Karen V. Nichols, FAIA, Michael Graves Architecture & Design.

See full list of this year's College of Fellows here.

Marinilla Educational Park in Marinilla, Colombia. Image © Rodrigo Dávila

The AIA has also elevated 8 International Architects as the 2017 Honorary Fellows of the Institute. Honorary Fellowship was developed as the international counterpart to the Fellowship program. The award recognizes the achievements of foreign architects as individuals, but also elevates before the global public and the profession, model architects who have significantly contributed to the profession on an international level.

The 2017 Honorary Fellows list includes:

1. Mario Cucinella; Bologna, Italy / Mario Cucinella Architects
2. Stein Halvorsen; Oslo, Norway / Stein Halvorsen Arkitekter
3. Giancarlo Mazzanti; Bogota, Colombia / El Equipo de Mazzanti
4. Bong-Seok Oh; Seoul, South Korea / DONG IL Architects & Engineers Co., Ltd.
5. Jose Luis Salinas; San Jose, Costa Rica / Arquitectura y Diseno SCMTM
6. Javier Sordo Madaleno Bringas; Mexico City, Mexico / Grupo Sordo Madaleno
7. Bruno Stagno; San Jose, Costa Rica / Bruno Stagno Arquitecto y Asociados

Massimo Dutti Masaryk in Mexico designed by Grupo Sordo Madaleno. Image courtesy of Grupo Sordo Madaleno

The 2017 Honorary Fellows Jury included; Diane Legg Kemp, FAIA, (Chair), RTKL Asia Ltd.; Peter Bardwell, FAIA, Bardwell + Associates, LLC; Ric Bell, FAIA, New York City Dept. of Design & Construction; Mary P. Cox, FAIA, Virginia Commonwealth University; Steve Crane, FAIA, VCBO; Marlene Kay Davis, FAIA, University of Tennessee; Mary Katherine (Mary Kay) Lanzillotta, FAIA, Hartman Cox Architects; David Messersmith, FAIA, University of Texas, Arlington and Karen V. Nichols, FAIA, Michael Graves & Associates.

The 2017 Fellows will be honored at an investiture ceremony at the AIA Conference on Architecture 2017 in Orlando.

Top image: ARPT New Headquarters in Algiers by Mario Cucinella Architects, courtesy of Mario Cucinella Architects.

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