President’s Message

Architecture in our community can inspire many people based on the design elements, environmental attributes, and its place in society. There are many architects working in the Long Island community as is represented by the over 100 submissions we have received this year, who can inspire our community by the architecture they have created. I would like to thank all the firms and individuals that submitted projects to the Long Island Chapter for their continued support and contributions to the built environment.

It is the goal of the annual Archi Awards program to provide professional and public recognition of architectural projects of design excellence. We can bring more awareness of the architects working on these projects to the public and publicize the great work that goes on in the community. From inspiring houses to office spaces where people go to work everyday (or every other day, thanks to covid) to community facilities like libraries and schools to local eateries and retail shops; architects and engineers work collaboratively to bring the owner’s dream to reality. The public rarely sees what it takes to pull off a design and through this awards program and the publicity it creates through the chapter’s social media accounts, we can bring the images of these works to the public’s attention. There are many types of projects represented in the submissions from AIA Long Island member firms and of Long Island architecture, and they are all great projects. AIA is committed to climate action and has been calling on architects to commit to sustainable and resilient design and many of the projects submitted have included these aspects. We hope through this program and awareness of the AIA’s commitment, that the public embraces this and continues to help improve our built environment to be more sustainable.

Along with the projects submitted, there are also many Honor Awards recipients who are being recognized for their involvement in our chapter and the community in the categories of Educator, Membership, Lifetime Achievement, and Architectural Achievement. I would like to congratulate every one of our Honor Award recipients this year and encourage them to continue supporting our chapter and community. On behalf of the Executive Board and its members, I would like to thank the chapter members, AIA members, and companies who are a part of this presentation. Your support of the Long Island Chapter and this awards program is essential to bringing awareness of Long Island architects and Long Island architecture to the public. We will continue to provide programs like this as well as our monthly meetings, to help with your continuing education and continuing our fellowship and networking. Our sponsors for the Archi Awards are a huge part of the success of this awards program. Thank you to all who have supported the chapter this year and

especially those who have taken the time to attend our events in person. It is our hope that we will continue to collaborate on future events in support of our members.

The awards are judged by a jury of our peers from other chapters of the AIA. This year we have asked neighboring chapters to be our jurors. I would like to thank each of them for volunteering their time to review the 105 submissions we have received. Reviewing, grading, and commenting on all of the awards is time consuming and challenging with so many well deserving projects that are submitted. Thank you for all the work you have done to make this Awards presentation great. Thank you to the Archi Committee, who volunteered their time to help with the program and awards celebration. They truly invest many hours to make the event a success each year and we are grateful. Finally, thank you to our Executive Director Joanne Paulino. Joanne is the backbone of the office and with help from the staff, the board, and the Archi committee, the success of the Archi Awards is attributed to her tireless efforts.

Gary Hansen, AIA, LEED AP B+C

Gary works as a Project Manager and is a Senior Associate at Spectorgroup in New York City. He manages several projects for the company while overseeing a staff of architects and designers on each project from schematic design through construction administration. Gary has been involved with the AIA Long Island Chapter for many years as a 3-time, 3-year term board member, secretary, treasurer, and president-elect and is currently serving as the 20222023 President. Gary is a recipient of the Membership Award from the AIA Long Island Chapter in 2018 for his many years of service. In 2012, Gary was honored by the AIA National President with a President’s Citation given to those who worked on the projects after 9/11, specifically One World Trade Center as a member of Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill’s design team.