Medal of Honor Award Winners

Regional Committees

Region Design Awards
2001 Award of Honor
2001 Award of Merit
2002 Award of Honor
2002 Award of Merit
2003 Award of Honor
2003 Award of Merit
2003 Award of Citation

Medal of Honor Award Winners

Vision Statement

Strategic Plan

History of Region

Home

MEDAL OF HONOR AWARD WINNERS

Individual members of the AIA Northwest and Pacific Region who have consistently demonstrated excellence in design, the practice of Architecture, Architectural education, or service to the profession that has promoted public understanding of Architects and Architecture and who have made notable contributions unique to the AIA Northwest and Pacific Region.

2004
James Martin Harris

The American Institute of Architects’ Northwest and Pacific Region has awarded its 2004 Medal of Honor to James Martin Harris, FAIA Emeritus, of Tacoma, Washington.

The Medal is the Region’s highest honor, recognizing an individual who has consistently demonstrated excellence in design, the practice of architecture, architectural education, or service to the profession. Through that demonstrated excellence, the person must have promoted public understanding of architects and architecture, and made notable contributions unique to the region, which geographically consists of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and Hong Kong.

The award was juried by three architects who are Fellows in the AIA. Don Lutes, FAIA, who chaired this year’s jury as the recipient of the 2003 Medal, commented “Jim was such a logical choice with his lifelong commitment to architectural excellence and the profession, as well as his dedicated service to the local, regional, and worldwide community.”

Following service in the Navy Air Corp, Jim attended the University of Oregon, graduating in Architecture in 1954. After interning in Tacoma with Robert Billsborough Price FAIA, he established his architectural practice in 1960. Over time his partners were Ben Wilson AIA, Bill Reed FAIA, Ted Litzenberger AIA and Jim Tsang AIA. He was involved with educational, commercial, residential, and medical projects; meriting many design awards. The successor firm is ARCHITECTS BCRA of Tacoma, a 70-person multi discipline organization.

Jim’s service to the American Institute of Architects began in 1957. His leadership path blossomed as President of the AIA Southwestern Washington in1973, and three years later he was elected a National Director, representing the AIA Northwest and Pacific Region for three years. In 1979 he served as a National Vice President followed by a nomination for President Elect, and was elected to the College of Fellows

Included in his professional experiences are architectural involvements to China, Australia, New Zealand, a NW Regional Conference in Helsinki, Finland, and UIA Congresses in Cairo, Egypt and Brighton, England.

Jim has been a community activist in Tacoma. He was founding co-chair of the Downtown Area Revitalization Task Force (DART), which resulted in spectacular changes in Tacoma. His leadership role included Presidency of the Downtown Association in 1984. He was also active in serving on planning committees for the Tacoma Schools and was the founding chair of the Advisory Committee for PBS Channel 62 TV. In recognition of his years of service, he received from his AIA Chapter the first Charles T. Pearson, FAIA Community Service award in 1996.

In 1987, he returned to the U of Oregon, School of Architecture and Allied Arts as founding chair in the creation of the first Board of Visitors.

More recently, Jim broadened the base of his community involvement, serving in 1993-94 as President of the 420 member Tacoma Rotary Club # 8, and then, in 1997-98, was chosen as Governor of Rotary District 5020, which consisted of 79 Clubs in Western Washington and all of Vancouver Island, Canada. Traveling extensively in Rotary service, his overseas trips include Russia, Vietnam and, most recently, Ethiopia on a Polio Eradication mission.

Jim and his wife, Enid, live in Tacoma, and have two grown daughters and two grandchildren.

2003
Donald H. Lutes, FAIA

Awarding the Medal to Don this year was a joy, commented Jane Hastings, FAIA, chair of the jury and last year's medal winner. He has provided consistent and dedicated service to the profession of architecture and the American Institute of Architects at local, regional, and national levels for over forty-two years.

His past and current contributions continue to impact how architects learn, practice, and participate in After graduating from the School of Architecture at the University of Oregon in 1950, and serving in two Korean War campaigns, Don interned in Eugene, and in 1956 opened his own practice in Springfield, Oregon, designing Springfield's first public library. In 1958, Lutes' firm was joined by John Amundson and became Lutes and Amundson, Architects and Community Planners, the first practice in Oregon to combine city planning with architectural services.

During the 1960s, the firm designed numerous community related facilities, including over 500 multi-family housing units for the elderly and low-income families. Lutes' involvement with the American Institute of Architects began as an intern, serving on the AIA Southwestern Oregon Internship Committee in 1953. Later, as chapter president, he prepared and presented for the chapter the keynote presentation at the AIA Convention in 1962.

Shortly thereafter, he was appointed to the National Urban Design Committee on which he served for five years and as chair in 1966. He also served on the National Design Award Jury in 1965, and as chair of the AIA Urban Design and Development Corporation for three years.

Following retirement from active practice in 1986, Lutes represented the AIA Northwest and Pacific Region for three years as a national director and was elected a vice president of the Institute in 1991. In this capacity, he chaired the Lifelong Learning Committee, which developed the profession's first mandatory continuing education program. For the next seven years, he served on the National Documents Committee, and concurrently the AIA/ACSA Research Council, chairing its awards program in 1995.Lutes has served as a critic and guest lecturer at the School of Architecture, University of Oregon, since 1964 and as an Adjunct Associate Professor taught Architectural Practice there from 1989 until 2000. Active in the Springfield community since 1954, Lutes served on the Planning Commission for 17 years (was President from 1956-65) and has served on various municipal committees ever since.

2002
L. Jane Hastings, FAIA

The Region’s First Medal of Honor was presented to L. Jane Hastings, FAIA, at the AIA Northwest & Pacific Region Conference held in Tacoma on August 10, 2002.

When Jane received the AIA Seattle Medal in 1995, her citation noted: "Jane Hastings FAIA has sustained an unusually active and extensive commitment to AIA, since her first involvement in 1953 when Seattle hosted the AIA Convention. Her accomplishments over more than four decades of AIA activism include major initiative in the development of AIA’s international policies and programs – especially through the AIA International Committee (1989-91) and her faithful attendance at International conferences such as those of the Paris-based International Union of Women Architects. Principal of Washington’s oldest woman-owned firm (The Hastings Group – Architects, 1959), she has produced prize-winning residential projects in Seattle and the Puget Sound region."

Jane received her Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Washington in 1953 She was the first woman to serve as AIA Seattle President in 1975. She was elected to Fellowship in 1980, served as Region director twice from 1982-84 and again in 1986. She has served as Chancellor to the College of Fellows and remains its historian. She has actively lead committees on the National Council of Architectural Registration Board, and the International Union of Women Architects. Additionally, Jane has been honored with a litany of academic and industry awards both in and out of the architect profession.

With her husband, Dr. Norman J. Johnston, FAIA, Jane has attended thousands of AIA meetings, including most if not all Region conference and National conventions. From AIA activities locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally, architects around the world know and admire Jane and Norm, and benefit from their wisdom, good humor, and knowledgeable "insider" connections regarding significant events in the advancement of the architectural profession and the AIA spanning the second half of the 20^th century.