AIA Young Architects Award

Seth Anderson, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP

 

The American Institute of Architects released the names of the 12 winners of this year’s Young Architects Award. The award recognizes architects who have been licensed for no more than 10 years and “have shown exceptional leadership and made significant contributions to the profession early in their careers.” The Institute awarded two fewer recipients this year than last year. One of this year’s recipients is AIA-Southwestern Oregon’s own Seth E. Anderson, AIA, of Ascent Architecture and Interiors in Bend. Congratulations Seth! 

 

Seth is presently a member of the AIA-SWO Board of Directors, serving as the director of Extra-Metropolitan Affairs for the chapter. Until recently, there was little representation for Central Oregon AIA members in AIA-SWO affairs. Since joining the chapter, Seth has helped bring educational programming and other AIA functions to the area. He’s provided a multimedia conference room in his office to host virtual events produced by the AIA at all levels. 

 

Seth is also a founding member of the Central Oregon Professional Architects Network (COPAN), working to galvanize the architectural scene in Central Oregon. COPAN organized the first-ever Central Oregon Architecture Showcase, which put architects’ work on view to the public during a Friday night art walk in Bend’s downtown. 

 

In addition to design excellence, Seth has striven to create a positive and collaborative environment in his office where architects and designers continue to grow and work on meaningful projects. Seth formally outlined his business plan in 2014; it finished in third place (out of 51 entries) in the national Charrette Venture Group’s Architectural Business Plan Competition. While the plan is ever evolving, it features a shared leadership model with little hierarchy but clearly delineated responsibilities, a 36-hour workweek to encourage work/life valance, time-and-a-half pay for overtime, and a comprehensive community and nonprofit giving program. 

 

Seth is the second recent AIA-SWO member to receive prestigious recognition by the Institute as a recipient of the AIA Young Architects Award. Karen Williams, AIA of PIVOT Architecture was an award winner in 2014. 

 

The jury for this year’s award was chair Albert Rubeling, FAIA, senior vice president of Rubeling & Associates; Lenore Lucey, FAIA, principal at LML Consulting; Virginia Marquardt, AIA, a senior associate at DLR Group; Raymond Post, FAIA, principal at Post Architects; John Sorrenti, FAIA, president of RS Architect; and Edward Vance, FAIA, founder and design principal at EV&A Architects.