An ever-growing contingent of international architects came to Chicago this year as invited guests, participants in education programs, and attendees.

International Presidents’ Forum
The third annual International Presidents’ Forum brought together the presidents of national architects associations, along with officers of international, regional, and national associations, and U.S. collateral organizations. The forum has become a unique annual opportunity for multilateral exchange, filling a gap between the triennial meetings of the International Union of Architects (UIA). Attendees update each other on activities and critical issues within their countries and regions and discuss issues of mutual concern and new activities around the globe. Attendees included:

• Eugene C. Hopkins, FAIA, AIA president

• Douglas L. Steidl, FAIA, AIA first vice president

• Aleksandr Korbut, president of Architects’ Council of Central and Eastern Europe

• Leopoldo Freyrie, president of the Architects’ Council of Europe

• Jean-Jacques Kotto, president of the Africa Union of Architects

• Jose Luis Salinas, vice president of Colegio de Arquitectos de Costa Rica

• Fernando Mora Mora, president of the Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana (FCARM)

• Yoshiaki Ogura, president of the Japan Institute of Architects (JIA)

• Seok Woo Yoon, president of the Korean Institute of Architects (KIA)

• Bonnie Maples, FRAIC, president of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC)

• Warren Kerr, FRAIA, president of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA)

• George Ferguson, president of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)

• Robert A. Boynton, FAIA, president of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB)

• Rafael Longoria, AIA, president of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture

• Christopher Fillingham, FRAIC, first vice president of the RAIC

• David Parken, FRAIA, 2003 president of RAIA

• Paul Hyett, immediate past president of RIBA

• Kisoo Oh of KIA; Takanobu Ota of JIA

• Shinjiro Wachi of JIA

• Yoshihiko Sano of JIA

• Sungjung Chough of KIA

• Jon Hobbs, executive director of the RAIC

• Jose Luis Cortes Delgado, second vice president of UIA

• Peter A. Vanselow of Costa Rica

• Mauricio Hernández C. of Costa Rica

• Frank M. Guillot, AIA, first vice president of NCARB

• Lenore M. Lucey, FAIA, executive vice president of NCARB

• Donald J. Hackl, FAIA, treasurer of UIA

• Gabriel Durand-Hollis, FAIA, vice president of the FPAA

• James A. Scheeler, FAIA, deputy council member of the UIA

• Russell V. Keune, FAIA, codirector of the UIA Professional Practice Commission

• William J. Higgins, AIA, chair of the AIA International Committee

• Karen Plunkett-Muenster, AIA, vice chair of the AIA International Committee

• Alan Schwartzman, FAIA, 2003 chair of the International Committee

• Ronald Arthur Altoon, FAIA, AIA liaison to the UIA

• Giancarlo Alhadeff, AIA, AIA liaison to ACE

• Terrance Brown, FAIA, AIA liaison to FPAA

International Reception
The reception was the largest held by the International Committee. Once again, the committee was fortunate to have the generous sponsorship of the Images Publishing Group.

Reception Sponsor: Images Publishing Group Inc.

AIA Presidential Medal
AIA President Eugene C. Hopkins, FAIA, awarded the AIA Presidential Medal and Honorary Membership to presidents of eight regional and national architects associations:

Aleksandr Korbut, Architects’ Council of Central and Eastern Europe	Leopoldo Freyrie, Architects’ Council of Europe	Jean-Jacques Kotto, Africa Union of Architects	Yoshiaki Ogura, Japan Institute of Architects
Seok Woo Yoon, Korean Institute of Architects	Christopher Fillingham, FRAIC, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada	Warren Kerr, FRAIA, Royal Australian Institute of Architects	George Ferguson, Royal Institute of British Architects

 

Honorary Fellows
The Honorary Fellows Forum was hosted by chair William J. Higgins, AIA, and vice chair, Karen Plunkett-Muenster, AIA. The work of each honorary fellow was presented by the nominator, and the session concluded with a panel discussion and question-and-answer session with the honorary fellows.

Honorary fellowship is bestowed on architects of esteemed character and distinguished achievements who are neither U.S. citizens nor U.S. residents, and who do not primarily practice architecture within the domain of the Institute. Honorary fellows are chosen by the jury of fellows with the addition of two representatives from the International Committee, Terrance J. Brown, FAIA (chair), of ASCG Inc. in Albuquerque, N.M., and Alan Schwartzman, FAIA, of Architecte DPI in Paris, France. Listed below are the seven architects chosen this year to receive this designation along with comments from the jury on their unique contributions to the architecture profession.

Shigeru Ban, Hon. FAIA, Japan: “Architect, inventor, and experimenter with plywood, textile, and paper as building materials. He seeks to develop new, yet universally applicable, ways of building.”		Carlo Baumschlager, Hon. FAIA, Austria: “His achievements go beyond the quality of the individual; they create a new definition of the architect of our age.”		Dietmar Eberle, Hon. FAIA, Austria: “Inspired his colleagues and students by successfully negotiating the political and fiscal restraints for producing his superbly designed buildings.”
Herman Hertzberger, Hon. FAIA, the Netherlands: “Teacher and architect, he has changed the way other architects view large urban projects by his mastery of making places human in scale.”	Suha Ozkan, Hon. FAIA, Switzerland: “As secretary of the Aga Khan Award, he is dedicated to the promotion of architecture and education for developing countries, and international cooperation and understanding among architects worldwide.”		Moshe Zarhy, Hon. FAIA, Israel: “A leader in the International Union of Architects and a driving force in the development of new countries.”		Peter Zumthor, Hon. FAIA, Switzerland: “His work is consistently quiet, respectful, and humble, while maintaining vigor achieved by few. His work serves as an exquisitely detailed background for life.”