Amid 2020’s incessant stream and fast pace of breathless news on all fronts, it was refreshing to see AIA Oregon recognize one of Eugene’s own, the inimitable Otto Poticha, FAIA as this year’s recipient of the prestigious President’s Award.
AIA Oregon presents the President’s Award to an individual AIA member in recognition of significant contributions to the architecture profession through distinguished leadership and service over an extended period of time. These contributions must have advanced the cause of the profession and provided an inspiration to the recipient’s fellow practitioners.
I can’t think of anyone else more deserving than Otto Poticha. Since arriving in Eugene in 1962—attracted by the Pacific Northwest’s reputation for a new brand of regionally-specific modernish inspired by the endlessly varied natural landscape—he has demonstrated unwavering boldness in his thinking. I’ve known Otto since my student days at the University of Oregon during the early 1980s. He was irascible back then and remains as ornery as ever today, much to the benefit of all who call Eugene or Springfield home. Never one to hold his tongue, Otto’s has continually kept me and my colleagues accountable for the work we do, especially if it is worthy of reproach. Years ago, he famously characterized Eugene as “butt ugly,” making it his mission to hold not only his fellow design professionals but our entire community to task. His perennial hope has been that we all may overcome our distaste for risk and change and demonstrate a courage of conviction to realize ambitious plans. He truly cares about his adopted home.
In addition to a decorated career as a talented architect at the helm of a series of successful partnerships and as a sole practitioner, Otto has taught for the better part of six decades in the Department of Architecture at the University of Oregon. By his own account, Otto enriched the lives and shaped the thinking of more than 3,500 architects (and counting), including yours truly. As an instructor Otto was and remains a notoriously cantankerous taskmaster, seldom reluctant to fail an underperforming student. There’s no doubting the significance of his influence upon generations of architects and in turn their built legacy.
On a personal note, I owe Otto a debt of gratitude for not only being a friend, colleague, and collaborator over many years, but also for suggesting during my job search upon my return to Eugene in 1988 that I approach Robertson/Sherwood/Architects, a recommendation for which I will always be grateful.
AIA Oregon conferred the 2020 President’s Award to Otto at its virtual Architecture Awards event on October 23. Click on the link below to watch the video celebrating the award. It features clips of his daughter Shelley Poticha and John Reynolds, FAIA, the 2019 recipient of the President’s Award, in addition to Otto himself.
1 comment:
Congratulations to Irascible Otto!
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