Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) is a postnominal title or membership, designating an individual who has been named a

fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...

of the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...

(AIA). Fellowship is bestowed by the institute on AIA-member

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

s who have made outstanding contributions to the profession through design excellence, contributions in the field of architectural education, or to the advancement of the profession. In 2014, fewer than 3,200 of the more than 80,000 AIA members were fellows. Honorary Fellowship (Hon. FAIA) is awarded to foreign (non-

U.S. citizen Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Consti ...

) architects, and to non-architects who have made substantial contributions to the field of

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

or to the institute.

History

Membership in the

was originally divided into two categories, Professional and Associate, with the former largely corresponding to the later title of Fellow. This title was first proposed in 1864 by

Calvert Vaux Calvert Vaux Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, FAIA (; December 20, 1824 – November 19, 1895) was an English-American architect and landscape architect, landscape designer. He and his protégé Frederick Law Olmsted designed park ...

, and by at least 1867 was in common use. Earlier Professional members, including several of the founders, began using the title at this time, and prior Professional members are now considered Fellows. During this period, the title was considered a senior rather than honorary title. In 1889, the AIA was merged with the Western Association of Architects (WAA), which had designated all of its members Fellows. Upon the merger, WAA members kept their title and all existing AIA members were raised to Fellowship. Beginning in 1890, Fellowship was the primary form of membership in the AIA, in addition to "Honorary and Corresponding" members, who, as in the present, were non-architects or foreign nationals.''College of Fellows History & Directory'', 2017 ed. (Washington: American Institute of Architects, 2017) In 1898, the AIA returned to a two-tier membership system of Fellows and Associates, with significant requirements for election to Fellowship and the final decision left to the AIA Board of Directors. It is from this point forward that designation as a Fellow is considered a formal honor. Beginning in 1922, Fellows were elected by a Jury of Fellows, then nominated by the President, and now by the Secretary. In 1952 the present College of Fellows was established to formally represent Fellows within the larger organization.

Categories

History

Notable Fellows

See also

References

External links