Four Iowans were recognized at the American Institute of Architects, Iowa Chapter’s Annual Awards Celebration held in Des Moines. The awards and those honored include:

AIA IOWA MEDAL OF HONOR: Channing Swanson of Neumann Monson Architects received the award that recognizes a person who has dedicated a significant portion of their career in service to the profession of architecture and played a role in shaping the profession as well as the chapter. The award is AIA’s highest honor. Timothy Schroeder, president at Neumann Monson Architects, wrote that during Swanson’s 30-year career, he “has been a passionate advocate for sustainable design excellence and his contributions have shaped expectations and perceptions in Iowa and far beyond our borders. As an advocate for design excellence, Channing served profession as a guest critic at Iowa State University for 25 years, as board member and editor of IA Architect magazine for 12 years, and (for the past five years) as a speaker promoting Iowa architecture to regional and national audiences. As a designer and … leader, Channing elevated expectations of Iowa’s architecture within multiple Iowa firms, across Iowa, across the country, and beyond. At Neumann Monson, he has led by example and challenged us to raise our expectations for design excellence firmwide. Over the past decade, his design authorship has earned 23 state, regional, and national AIA recognitions, including a 2021 AIA COTE Top Ten Award.”

AIA IOWA YOUNG ARCHITECT AWARD: Leah Rudolphi of Substance Architecture received the award that recognizes an individual who has shown exceptional leadership and made significant contributions to the profession in the areas of design, education and/or service in an early stage of their architectural career. Paul Mankins, founder of Substance Architecture, wrote that: “Few architects of any age display the commitment to design quality and attention to detail that Leah models every day. She has the unique ability to frame the generative logic that underpins our best design work and then advance the details that support that logic.” Rudolphi joined the firm in 2010 after graduating from Iowa State University and working at Foster and Partners in London and Allied Works Architecture in Portland, Ore. At Substance Architecture, Rudolphi has contributed to projects ranging from the National AIA IFFRA Faith and Form Award-winning Tiffereth Israel Synagogue to the Stew and LeNore Hansen Football Performance Center at the University of Iowa – recognized with a Central States Regional AIA Award in 2016.

AIA IOWA EDUCATOR AWARD: Shelby Doyle of Iowa State University received the award that recognizes a person of esteemed character who has rendered distinguished service to the profession of architecture or to the arts and science within the territory of AIA Iowa. Thomas Leslie, Morrill Professor in Architecture at ISU, wrote that Doyle “has taught studios and fabrication courses that are sought after — rabidly — by our students. She is the classic ‘tough but fair’ teacher who inspires innovative, probing work by students from diverse backgrounds and with widely varying interests. Her courses are always oversubscribed, she has mentored undergraduates into the country’s top graduate programs and design offices, and she has consistently outstanding course evaluations.”

AIA IOWA HONORARY MEMBERSHIP AWARD: Cindi Michelsen of RDG Planning & Design received the award that recognizes a person of esteemed character who is otherwise ineligible for membership in the institute or the chapter but who has rendered distinguished service to the profession of architecture, or to the arts and sciences allied within the domain of the chapter. Kevin Nordmeyer, principal of BNIM Architects, wrote that Michelsen “has demonstrated a commitment to not only the excellence of RDG where she has devoted her career, but to the profession of architecture in Iowa as well. Cindi has led marketing and business development for RDG for many years after serving as a draftsperson early in her career. … Her work over her career has promoted and communicated the transformative value of architecture.”