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R. Randall Vosbeck, FAIA Honored with the 2007 American Institute of Architects’ Edward C. Kemper Award for Service to the Profession
Award recognizes significant contributions to the Profession
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For Immediate Release |
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Washington, D.C., December 18,
2006 — The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Board of Directors
have elected R. Randall Vosbeck, FAIA, former president of the
Institute and principal of Vosbeck, Vosbeck, Kendrick &
Redinger, as the 2007 recipient of the Edward C. Kemper Award.
Named in honor of the AIA’s first executive director, the
award recognizes individuals who contribute significantly to the
profession of architecture through service to the Institute.
In nominating Vosbeck for the award, AIA President-elect Marshall
E. Purnell, FAIA, wrote, “I have not met anyone with more
passion for service to the profession. Randy has been in active
service to the AIA here and abroad for 25 years after serving as
AIA President. He continues to inspire my commitment to the
importance of giving back.”
In more than 40 years of AIA membership, Vosbeck distinguished
career has enveloped the practice of architecture and serving the
Institute with equal fervor. His early years culminated in service
as the 57th president of the Institute in 1981. His priority during
his tenure was energy in the built environment, as reflected in the
AIA’s 1981 theme, “A Line on Design and Energy.” The
energy crisis of the late ‘70s was in full swing, and Vosbeck
focused the Institute’s efforts—and the public’s
awareness—toward the role architects play in reducing energy
consumption in the built environment.
Under his leadership, the AIA implemented “Energy in
Architecture,” a comprehensive professional development
program that has influenced the profession’s role to the
current day.
In the 1970s, the U.S General Services Administration appointed
Vosbeck as the only architect in private practice to serve on a
US/USSR joint working group, “Building Design and Construction
Management,” through which members exchanged information and
toured sites in both countries. This experience triggered his
strong interest in international relations.
In 1981, as president, Vosbeck presented an address on “Energy
in Architecture” to the International Union of Architects 15th
Congress in Warsaw, Poland, and subsequently was elected to serve a
three-year term on the UIA Council representing the AIA and Region
3. He was elected to a second three-year term and worked diligently
to build relations with architects from many countries. During his
UIA tenure, he also was instrumental in establishing the criteria,
process, and procedures to establish a Gold Medal Award program for
the UIA. Vosbeck also was instrumental in advocating to the AIA
Board to have the Institute host the 1993 UIA Congress and General
Assembly, which took place in Chicago. Held in as high esteem by
architect abroad as in his native land, he has been awarded
honorary memberships from architecture societies in Canada, Mexico,
Bulgaria, and Spain.
In describing Vosbeck’s role in international relations,
Vassillis Sgoutas, Hon, FAIA, past president of the International
Union of Architects, wrote: “The significance of Randy
Vosbeck’s international presence is difficult to put on paper
because many of the benefits were in fact intangible. In a unique
way he established, and more importantly maintained, links with
many architects and architects institutes throughout the world
… And it has won him many friends … But it has also won
many friends for the AIA and the United States.”
Vosbeck’s contributions to the Institute, profession, and his
community have also earned him numerous awards:
• AIA Fellowship (1978)
• George Washington Leadership Award, Alexandria (Va.) Chamber
of Commerce (1980)
• Award of Honor, Northern Virginia AIA (1982)
• William C. Noland Award, Virginia Society of Architects
(1983)
• Honorary membership, Society of Architectural Administrators
(1986)
• Academician, The International Academy of Architecture
(1987)
• Alumni Achievement Award, University of Minnesota College of
Architecture and Landscape Architecture (2001).
“I found that retirement was not an end, but a beginning of
another phase of my life,” Vosbeck said recently when asked
about the source of his endless energy. “It’s different
than practice and yet still involves active participation and
service. And it’s the love of the profession that keeps
pushing you. Just yesterday, while researching in the AIA Archives,
I came across the inaugural speech I gave when I became AIA
president. I’d said that my work within the AIA to that point
had made me a better person, a better architect, and more cognizant
of service to community. And it’s true.”
About The American Institute of
Architects
For almost 150 years, members of The American Institute of
Architects have worked with each other and their communities to
create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings
and cityscapes. AIA members have access to the right people,
knowledge, and tools to create better design, and through such
resources and access, they help clients and communities make their
visions real. www.aia.org
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