Jan Gehl, Anne Taylor, Michael Sorkin recognized with AIA 2019 Collaborative Achievement Award

Jan Gehl, Anne Taylor, and Michael Sorkin were all named recipients of the AIA's 2019 Collaborative Achievement Award, which recognizes the achievements and beneficial influence of design professionals, clients, organizations, architect teams, knowledge communities, and others. 

When notable architect Jan Gehl's seminal book, “Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space” was published in 1971, it laid out the incremental steps that cities can take to improve their public spaces. “His ability to uncover their essential characteristics is unique. The profession as a whole remains indebted to him for crafting a language and methodology for understanding public life that continues to resonate,” the AIA wrote on Gehl.

Over the last 40 years through his prolific writing, Michael Sorkin — who also founded the nonprofit studio Terreform — was recognized for his lasting influence to architects and planners in their pursuit of more just and sustainable communities. From starting his architecture critic career at Village Voice to his current role at The Nation, Sorkin uses journalism to present the challenges of the built environment to a broad audience. 

Anne Taylor has creatively integrated architecture and education throughout her 50-year career, which has been characterized by scholarship and ideas about innovative learning environments. Her acclaimed monograph, “Linking Architecture and Education, Sustainable Design of Learning Environments” provides charts, taxonomies, and tools that clearly illustrate how architectural elements can be translated into learning opportunities. Taylor has partnered with AIA New Mexico chapters, who have greatly benefited from her professional development workshops and University of New Mexico courses.