Stephen Ayers, FAIA, Architect of the Capitol, has been selected as the 2018 recipient of the Thomas Jefferson Award for Public Architecture. The Thomas Jefferson Award for Public Architecture recognizes architects in the public and private sectors, public officials, or other individuals who design distinguished public facilities and/or who advocate for design excellence. Ayers will be honored at the AIA Conference on Architecture 2018 in New York City.
As the 11th Architect of the Capitol, a position he was appointed to by President Barack Obama in 2010, Ayers cares for the nation’s architectural treasures and uses his prominent voice to advance the profession. His leadership has seen him testify before Congress on more than 50 occasions, where his keen insight on matters of historic preservation, long-range master planning, and sustainability has elevated the discourse on good design to the national level.
A recognized leader in sustainability, Ayers guides more than 2,300 employees and a $600 million budget in the stewardship of some of America’s most important buildings. He oversaw completion of the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, a project that was well over budget and behind schedule when he was appointed. When he committed to a completion date and final budget — both of which proved to be accurate — Ayers demonstrated to Congress that the country’s architects can lead and deliver. More recently, his restoration of the Capitol dome and rotunda repaired more than 1,000 cracks and deficiencies in the structure.
Ayers has received several design awards from the AIA for his restorations of the Thomas Jefferson Building and U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory, among others, and initiated and oversaw a comprehensive master plan for the U.S. Capitol complex. The plan was developed concurrently with one for the National Mall, and encompassed the House of Representatives, Senate, Library of Congress, and Supreme Court. His widely recognized sustainability initiative for the Capitol Complex has resulted in a 30 percent reduction in energy consumption across the campus, with a further 20 percent reduction on the horizon. As the voice of the profession at the highest levels of government, Ayers’ commitment to the past and concern for the future enhance projects nationwide.
Learn more about Ayers here: https://www.aia.org/showcases/173916-stephen-ayers-faia
The jury for the 2018 Thomas Jefferson Award includes: Rik Master, FAIA (Chair), USG Corporation; Patrick Burke, FAIA, Columbia University; Lindsey Graff, Assoc. AIA, Ayers Saint Gross Architects; Libby Haslam, AIA, GSBS Architects; and R. Steven Lewis, FAIA, TRC Energy Services.
Related Stories
MFPRO+ Special Reports | Oct 27, 2023
Download the 2023 Multifamily Annual Report
Welcome to Building Design+Construction and Multifamily Pro+’s first Multifamily Annual Report. This 76-page special report is our first-ever “state of the state” update on the $110 billion multifamily housing construction sector.
Giants 400 | Oct 23, 2023
Top 190 Multifamily Architecture Firms for 2023
Humphreys and Partners, Gensler, Solomon Cordwell Buenz, Niles Bolton Associates, and AO top the ranking of the nation's largest multifamily housing sector architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking factors revenue for all multifamily buildings work, including apartments, condominiums, student housing facilities, and senior living facilities.
Affordable Housing | Oct 20, 2023
Cracking the code of affordable housing
Perkins Eastman's affordable housing projects show how designers can help to advance the conversation of affordable housing.
Senior Living Design | Oct 19, 2023
Senior living construction poised for steady recovery
Senior housing demand, as measured by the change in occupied units, continued to outpace new supply in the third quarter, according to NIC MAP Vision. It was the ninth consecutive quarter of growth with a net absorption gain. On the supply side, construction starts continued to be limited compared with pre-pandemic levels.
Warehouses | Oct 19, 2023
JLL report outlines 'tremendous potential' for multi-story warehouses
A new category of buildings, multi-story warehouses, is beginning to take hold in the U.S. and their potential is strong. A handful of such facilities, also called “urban logistics buildings” have been built over the past five years, notes a new report by JLL.
Building Materials | Oct 19, 2023
New white papers offer best choices in drywall, flooring, and insulation for embodied carbon and health impacts
“Embodied Carbon and Material Health in Insulation” and “Embodied Carbon and Material Health in Gypsum Drywall and Flooring,” by architecture and design firm Perkins&Will in partnership with the Healthy Building Network, advise on how to select the best low-carbon products with the least impact on human health.
Contractors | Oct 19, 2023
Crane Index indicates slowing private-sector construction
Private-sector construction in major North American cities is slowing, according to the latest RLB Crane Index. The number of tower cranes in use declined 10% since the first quarter of 2023. The index, compiled by consulting firm Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB), found that only two of 14 cities—Boston and Toronto—saw increased crane counts.
Office Buildings | Oct 19, 2023
Proportion of workforce based at home drops to lowest level since pandemic began
The proportion of the U.S. workforce working remotely has dropped considerably since the start of the Covid 19 pandemic, but office vacancy rates continue to rise. Fewer than 26% of households have someone who worked remotely at least one day a week, down sharply from 39% in early 2021, according to the latest Census Bureau Household Pulse Surveys.
Luxury Residential | Oct 18, 2023
One Chicago wins 2023 International Architecture Award
One Chicago, a two-tower luxury residential and mixed-use complex completed last year, has won the 2023 International Architecture Award. The project was led by JDL Development and designed in partnership between architecture firms Goettsch Partners and Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture.
Giants 400 | Oct 17, 2023
Top 130 Sports Facility Architecture Firms for 2023
Populous, Gensler, HOK, and HKS head BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest sports facility architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
