TA23-S O-Pages - Flipbook - Page 12
Of Note
Texas Tech DLA
Recognizes Alumni with
Design and Honor Awards
by Matt Garcia
10 Texas Architect
9/10 2023
most recently as the keynote speaker for the
TTU HCOA 2022–2023 lecture series, “RESILIENCE.” In昀氀uenced by the Texas 昀氀atlands, Nick’s
design voice celebrates humanity, place, and work.
Each design is infused with beauty and meaning,
becoming something permanent and cherished.
Deaver resides in Austin, where he practices with
his daughter Jes Deaver, AIA.
The Kleinschmidt Award recognizes any
individual, 昀椀rm, or organization whose contributions or service have enriched the TTU HCOA.
Morris A. Brown is recognized for his role in
helping establish the HCOA 2+2 Bachelor of
Science in Architecture degree program with
former Dean Andy Vernooy, FAIA, and former
Professor Mike Peters in El Paso. Morris helped
coordinate a collaborative program between El
Paso Community College and the Texas Tech
College of Architecture that led to an accredited
four-year Bachelor of Architecture degree in El
Paso; he served as the program’s interim director
for two years. Morris has also led preservation
initiatives throughout the Southwest and has
been an instructor in interior design, art, and
architectural programs, blending his recognized
artistic talents with purposeful professional
pedagogy. Brown practices with the 昀椀rm Wright
& Dalbin Architects in El Paso.
The Alumni Design and Honor Awards
are organized by the DLA, which was created
under former Dean Jim Williamson and is being
continued under Dean Upe Flueckiger. David
Pierce explains: “The DLA is a group of mostly
alumni, student representatives, and other
patrons of the HCOA. Our membership is very
diverse and looking to add members outside of
traditional architectural practice. The Dean’s
Circle (DLA leadership) has members in construction, development, business, and, of course,
architecture. Diversity is one of our top goals.
We believe having members across multiple sectors gives us a broader view of the various paths
new graduates might take.”
The DLA raises money for the HCOA and
invests all earnings into student scholarships.
“This current DLA really wanted to boost student
interaction,” says Pierce. “We have a large student
portfolio review a couple of weeks before Career
Fair that has been very successful in creating
relationships between future and current alumni.”
DLA Vice President David Hart adds: “There is
so much great work and so many great 昀椀rms in
Texas [that] new graduates can stay in the state
for work. The DLA can foster community and
keep alumni connected and in collaboration with
the HCOA long after graduation.”
PHOTO BY EDDIE FORTUNA
In conjunction with last year’s Texas Society of
Architects Annual Conference & Design Expo,
the Texas Tech Design Leadership Alliance
(DLA), in partnership with the university’s Huckabee College of Architecture (HCOA), celebrated
the annual Alumni Design and Honor Awards
in El Paso. The Design Awards program accepts
submissions from TTU HCOA alumni practicing
as architects, interior designers, or design interns.
Honor awards are nomination-based. The awards
program promotes public interest in design,
recognizes excellence in design, and provides a
sustainable source of support and funds for students of the HCOA. “The alumni awards create
an opportunity for outreach and to highlight the
excellent design work being done internationally,
nationally, and regionally by HCOA graduates,”
says DLA President David Pierce, AIA. “The recognized work spanned across the country this year
with projects broadly varying in scale and type.”
This year’s jury included Stephen O’Dell of
SODA in Bangkok, Thailand; Matt Fajkus, AIA,
of Matt Fajkus Architecture in Austin; and Elizabeth Chu Richter, FAIA, of Richter Architects in
Corpus Christi. A Citation Award was given to
Scott Hall, AIA, (then at OMNIPLAN) for the
Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum in
Dallas. Merit Awards were given to Rhotenberry
Wellen Architects for El Granero in Midland;
DUST for Marfa Suite in Marfa; and Steinberg
Hart for Miro Towers in San Jose, California. An
Honor Award was also given to Steinberg Hart
for the McGregor Computer Science Center at
Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California.
Nick Deaver, AIA, and Morris A. Brown, FAIA,
had the DLA’s highest honors bestowed upon
them: the Distinguished Alumnus and Kleinschmidt awards, respectively.
The Distinguished Alumnus Award recognizes
a TTU HCOA graduate whose career and professional life have brought distinction to the college.
Nick Deaver, nominated under the category of
Distinguished Architectural Practice/Design,
has received more than 30 design awards at the
local, state, and national levels. His work has been
widely published, and he has lectured extensively,