2025 AIA Iowa Young Architect

I was awarded something like ‘best young architect in Iowa’ from among those who submitted for it in 2025. I am proud of the award. Applying was a chance to take stock of Combine’s progress and try to better articulate my/its approach. One more year and I would no longer qualify as ‘young.’ People were very nice, both in the judging and in the congratulating.

I really appreciate the sponsor letter and guidance from Tom Leslie, who teaches at Illinois now and who I (and many others) miss from his Iowa State days. Other letters of support came from the inexorable Scott Hawes at Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity, movers and shakers Nancy Bird and Cady Gerlach at Greater Iowa City and Better Together 2030, my erstwhile Combine colleague Gautam Pradeep now in Dubai, our damn-near tireless AIA Iowa executive director Jessica Reinert and my first-boss-always-a-boss Laura Hartman. They all made me feel blushingly special.

The awards ceremony in Des Moines was an extra treat. Tom Leslie was not able to attend but I knew that Jeffrey Day of Actual Architecture in Omaha had earned a few awards and would be in attendance (upon arrival he emphasized that his winning projects were actually his students’ design-build work; extra teaching kudos). Jeffrey started his career at Fernau & Hartman Architects in the Bay Area same as me and has been quite impressive since, so with a spring of gumption I asked him to introduce me.  He very graciously agreed and was incredibly nice. That introduction was a highlight of my evening and my year. Maybe more than that.

I’m still reconciling myself with the attention but this award is a nice one because it represents a slap on the rump to get back in the game and do more of what I’ve started doing. Thank you! I shall / we shall.

* photo courtesy of the esteemed and accomplished Cody Knop of Knop Killeen Architects

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