Michael J. Stepner, FAIA, 2024

2024 Robert Mosher Lifetime Achievement Award

For the past five decades, Michael J. Stepner, FAIA, FAICP, has consistently been an outspoken advocate of quality design and planning, with particular emphasis on the urban experience. He strongly believes cities are for the people and has been a pioneer in the development of guidelines for streets, sidewalk cafes and people's spaces in the urban environment.  Growing up in Chicago – a city where they teach architecture and the Burnham Plan to school children - Michael developed his passion for architecture early. After earning his architecture degree from the University of Illinois in 1964, Michael served in the Navy during the Vietnam War before starting his career.

Michael moved to San Diego in 1971, working as a planner in the Community Planning Division.  One of his earliest assignments was to serve as the local assistant to Kevin Lynch and Donald Appleyard as they prepared their seminal work “Temporary Paradise?”.

For 27 years, Michael oversaw urban planning initiatives as varied as the Gaslamp Quarter’s revitalization, the creation of the Centre City Development Corporation, and the construction of Horton Plaza.  His vision, advocacy, and diplomacy helped shape the city’s planning policies during the growth management wars of the 80‘s, preserving landmarks like the Spreckels Theater and Balboa Theater.   In 1988, Michael was appointed as City Architect, the first in San Diego’s history.  

Teaching at every major college and university in the region, Michael extolls the important role architects play in the concurrent and often conflicting task of preserving while developing our urban environment, our cities, and especially our neighborhoods. 

He taught with the San Diego police Regional Community Policing Academy exploring Defensible Space and the importance of community.  Michael’s voice has been a constant in major volunteering efforts from AIA’s RDAC to CCDC to Balboa Park’s Committee of 100.  

Michael earned numerous awards, including, APA’s Distinguished Leadership Award, the AIA|SD Merit Award, and the AIA|SD Community Design Award now known as the Michael J. Stepner Community Planning Award.  Michael received the Crystal Globe Award from the local Chapter of Lambda Alpha International (LAI), for his 30+ years of leading, managing and participating in comprehensive planning programs and the development of public policy in San Diego, and for his role as an educator, inspiring the next generation of architects, designers and planners through his work at the NewSchool of Architecture and Design. As stated by the board’s president, “Michael Stepner is considered the backbone of planning and design for the San Diego we know today.”   

Robert Des Lauriers, 2024

2024 Posthumous Legacy Award

Architect Robert E. Des Lauriers was one of San Diego's leading architects in the post-war period from the late 1950s through the 70s. While Des Lauriers designed many houses, commercial offices, and other buildings throughout San Diego, he developed a reputation for his designs of places of worship for all denominations, and become known as "Mr. Church." 

2nd Lt. Bob Des Lauriers in the cockpit of his B-17 in England during World War II. 

Robert grew up in Los Angeles and moved with his parents to Hawaii shortly after high school graduation – and just two months prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.  Robert joined the Army Air Corps and became a B-17 pilot.  He spent six months flying 33 missions from his base in the UK over Germany. 

After earning a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1949, Robert settled in La Mesa with his family.  He initially worked alongside Frederick Liebhardt and Jim Bird for local designer, Alfred Mueller, before spending a year with Paderewski, Mitchell & Dean.

Robert launched his own firm in 1958.  One of his earliest projects was Carlton Hills Lutheran in Santee, which he designed using a hyperbolic paraboloid roof structure, a dramatic, saddle-shaped roof made from two-inch-thick concrete to create a distinctive, eye-catching silhouette. This design showcased his ability to merge structural ingenuity with symbolic resonance and earned an AIA Award of Merit in 1959.  Robert understood how to infuse drama into his designs, which was particularly well suited for religious architecture, and the contemporary-modern style became his signature. The firm eventually completed 67 religious projects, 150 residential, 187 Navy, 18 public schools and extensive projects.  

Clairemont Lutheran Church in San Diego (1966). Photo ©Darren Bradley

Active in the community, Robert served as President of the AIA San Diego in 1961, President & Fellow in the Society of Military Engineers, Vice President of CA Specifications Institute, Member of the Council of Religious Architects.  He also served on many community and state councils, boards, and associations. 

Robert Des Lauriers’ contributions to sacred architecture helped define an era of openness and modernity in Southern California. His work remains a significant part of San Diego's architectural heritage, embodying the spirit of post-war modernism and the enduring importance of sacred spaces.

Richard “Dick” Welsh, 2023

2023 Posthumous Legacy Award

The late Richard “Dick” Welsh has had an absolutely outsized influence on the trajectory of architecture in San Diego (and beyond). As a community college instructor realizing that his students, despite their abundant qualifications, were unable to get into architectural programs in California, Dick launched the NewSchool of Architecture in 1980 with the vision of providing students with an accessible and high-quality architectural education. While NewSchool’s beginnings were humble, its faculty and staff shared in Welsh’s vision to provide students with a challenging and inspiring education.

This vision of a “New School” was based on New York’s New School of Social Research that integrated architectural practice and education in a meaningful way. Further, Dick Welsh envisioned the NewSchool of Architecture becoming an “Urban Lab” – with the school located in an active urban environment so that the students learn from what was going on outside the school as well as inside the studio and classroom, where new ideas about the design of the built environment are explored and shared with the broader community. Indeed, when the school moved from Chula Vista to its present East Village site, professional offices hiring students looked down into the studio space. One could literally practice and learn without leaving the building.

NewSchool has educated and graduated thousands earning their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture, who go on to earn prominent positions in prestigious firms.

While NewSchool is rarely mentioned in the same rank as the “Name” schools, it was – and is – their equal! The school that Dick started 44 years ago, along with its students, its faculty, and its staff have planted – and continue to plant many seeds – in the form of the people and projects that have blossomed to improve our region.

Kotaro Nakamura, AIA, 2023

2023 Robert Mosher Lifetime Achievement Award

Kotaro Nakamura’s professional legacy spans over four decades, where he served in the dual roles of highly respected educator of interior architecture at San Diego State University and founding principal in the award-winning firm of Roesling Nakamura Terada Architects, established in 1983. From 2013 to 2019, Kotaro transitioned from educator to director of SDSU’s School of Art and Design.

Kotaro specializes in projects that support community engagements and development. His design philosophy incorporates historical Japanese aesthetics and ideology into evolving strategies for the contemporary built environment along with sustainable and resilient considerations. Kotaro has an extensive knowledge of energy efficiency and environmentally sensitive design methods from his academic environmental engineering and design practice backgrounds. He became an early Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional in 2007.

Kotaro’s academic research has led him to numerous corners of the world studying various types of architectural vernacular responses that have adapted to area-specific climate conditions, available materials, and vernacular tectonics. Kotaro has also done extensive research in Resiliency in Design. In 2011, after the tsunami in his native Japan, and in light of the ever-increasing wildfires here in California, Kotaro’s focus shifted to better understanding resilient design in the face of natural disasters.

This combination of sound design practice with full-time teaching and academic pursuits has been a critical part of Kotaro’s contribution to the education of architectural profession in the community of San Diego.

Currently, in a new role as Chair of the Department of Interior Design at Iowa State University, Kotaro is focusing his efforts on researching and developing innovative solutions to create buildings that are not only resilient to the challenges posed by climate change but also adaptable to the ever-evolving landscape of our world. His work in this critical area underscores his passion for sustainability and his determination to make a positive impact on the future of architecture and our environment.

Jack Carpenter, FAIA, 2023

2023 Robert Mosher Lifetime Achievement Award

Jack Carpenter, FAIA, has long been a well-respected architect, firm principal, and community spokesperson whose involvement in the design community has spanned nearly fifty years.

After graduating from USC, Jack spent four years as an officer in the Navy Reserve before entering the private sector. Jack would transition from “grunt” at the respected Paderewski, Mitchell, and Dean architectural firm, a draftsman for Don Goldman, to Junior Partner at Deems Lewis before forming the eponymous firm of Architects Larson Carpenter, which flourished well into the 21st century.

But it’s Jack’s volunteer efforts as a Coalition Facilitator that have become “legendary” with his emphasis on Big Picture Planning Issues and making them implementable. Jack’s leadership led to the formation of the San Diego Council of Design Professionals in the late 1980’s, bringing design professionals to the table with City Hall as it struggled with building moratoriums and the dismantling of its own planning department. These efforts contributed to Jack’s investiture as an AIA Fellow in 1999. Not resting on his laurels, Jack led the Design Council as it morphed into the Regional Design Advisory Council (RDAC), which continues to address critical local issues even today.

Jack has served in every board position of the AIA – twice – and as a director of the San Diego Architectural Foundation. Just a few of the numerous organizations Jack is involved with include the board of the CCSA Food Pantry, Trustee of St. Marks United Methodist Church, Forever Balboa Park, Balboa Park Centennial Gateway Competition, and the Downtown Rotary – including chairing their annual week-long “Camp Enterprise” for underprivileged youth.

Never one to concern himself with accolades and credit, Jack just wants to get the work done and the goals achieved. In the 25 years since investiture, Jack continues to be energized by critical issues and to energize other people, which is likely what led The Friends of San Diego Architecture to call him the “Unsung hero of Worthy Causes.”

Ron Roberts, 2022

2022 Lifetime Achievement Award

Ron Roberts spent two decades as a successful architect, serving as managing partner at SGPA, one of San Diego’s most successful architectural firms, while volunteering on local design review boards before being appointed to the San Diego City Planning Commission. He eventually leveraged all that experience to become a champion of design and vision on a broader scale - as a public servant in the role of an elected official.  

In the late 1970's the AIA was having one of its recurring conversations on how architects can have a greater role in public policy on the design of the built environment.  Ron took up that challenge and was appointed to the Old San Diego Design Review Board.  By 1982, Mayor Pete Wilson appointed him to the City Planning Commission.

Ron brought design thinking to the commission. He instituted educational programs for the commission which included field trips to other cities. He created the Planning Commission PANDA (Planning and Design) awards to those projects that have raised the bar for other projects that would come before the commission, adding to the quality of the community where they were located.

He subsequently brought this approach to the County Board of Supervisor when he was elected in 1995. Projects he championed included transforming the bayside County Waterfront Park; leading the campaign to create the County Operations Center, the San Pasqual Academy, the nation’s first residential campus for foster youth; and grants to community organizations for small neighborhood projects. 

For over three decades, Ron Roberts would strive to improve the common good for the San Diego region.  He spent seven years on the San Diego City Council and 24 years as a member of the County Board of Supervisors.  Of the multitude of successes over those years, Ron is credited with vision, persuasion and patience.

Join us as we celebrate the achievements and impact of our lifetime achievement award honoree, Ron Roberts, on November 16th.

Laura Shinn, AIA, AICP, 2022

2022 Posthumous Legacy Award

In addition to being a licenced architect and certified planner, Laura dedicated her life to uplifting her communities as an educator, advocate and mentor. Laura graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture in 1985. Later, she completed two Masters programs in both Architecture and City and Regional Planning at Ohio State University.

For more than 20 years, Laura advanced design in Columbus. She served on the German Village Commission, was a Planner at The Ohio State University, a Director at the Neighborhood Design Center, and was active in AIA Columbus serving on the Board of Directors.

Most recently, Laura served as the Director of Planning at San Diego State University, where she was responsible for campus strategic and master plan management, capital program development, CEQA Actions, facilities planning, and design, and facilities data and records oversight. Laura also collaborated closely with SDSU’s Office of Parking and Transportation to plan for all modes of transportation to and around the campus.

A registered architect and certified planner, Laura helped lead all aspects of the massive SDSU West development, a prominent capital project for the San Diego region.

As President of the San Diego Chapter of the American Institute of Architects in 2021 - Laura Shinn championed climate action and equity & diversity in the profession. She served as the Chair of AIA San Diego’s Urban Design Committee and had been instrumental in that group’s expansion into a think tank comprising various allied organizations. Laura was also one of the original members of the Women in Architecture knowledge community in San Diego.

Laura's tragic passing in 2021 left shockwaves in our community. While Laura will always be deeply missed, her legacy remains an inspiration and serves as an example of a lifetime of passion and service to the built environment and the communities they serve.

Join us as we celebrate the life & legacy of Laura V Shinn, AIA, AICP at the 2022 Lifetime Achievement & Young Architect of the Year Awards on November 16th.

Marvin Malecha, FAIA

Marvin Malecha, FAIA

Few individuals possess the academic architectural credentials of AIA San Diego’s Inaugural Legacy Award honoree, Marvin J. Malecha, FAIA. In his over 50 years in architecture, Marvin served as a philanthropist, educator, leader of the AIA and globally recognized architect. 

Marvin studied physics at St. Thomas College in St. Paul, Minnesota, continuing his education by completing his Bachelor of Architecture at the University of Minnesota and later a Master of Architecture at Harvard University.

Marvin Malecha was President and Chief Academic Officer of the NewSchool of Architecture and Design from 2016 until 2020.  Prior to this, he served as Dean of the College of Design at North Carolina State University and Dean of the College of Environmental Design at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.  He was recipient of the Topaz Medallion, the highest award given by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture.  In 2015, Malecha was conferred the title Professor Honoris Causa by Ion Mincu University in Bucharest, Romania, the only American teacher to be designated an honorary member of the European Association of Architectural Educators.

He maintained an interest in professional architectural practice throughout his career, contributing to many projects throughout the U.S, from churches to houses and seemingly everything in between. Marvin was a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and Chancellor of the College of Fellows. In 2009 he was named AIA’s National President. Marvin wrote extensively on the topic of design thinking and was the author of several books. A skilled and prolific sketch artist, his drawings are in numerous collections.  

An integral part of AIA San Diego, Marvin served as the emcee for the Lifetime Achievement Awards for the past three years. Marvins passing in 2020 was felt around the world, and through his tireless dedication to the profession, his legacy will live on in many generations to come. 

Al Whitley, AIA, 2021

Thomas ‘Al’ Whitley, AIA, MBA

Throughout his career spanning nearly 40 years, Al Whitley served the architectural community as a pioneer of computer aided design and drafting in San Diego. In addition to his successful practice, Whitley Consulting Group, Al served as founder and CEO of the Virtual Design & Construction Institute (VDCI), which continues to provide career education for the AEC community today. A beloved teacher and mentor, Al felt a self-imposed responsibility to encourage, empower and educate young professionals 

Al graduated from the College of William and Mary with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1977. Upon graduation, Al began his career as a U.S. Naval Supply corps officer, but his aspirations to pursue architecture remained. When he left the Navy in 1984, he went to work for his first architectural employer.

A leader in technology in architecture, Al was one of only ten architectural interns to use AutoCAD Version 1.0 in San Diego. In 1991, Al became a licensed architect, an amazing feat considering that he had no formal architectural education and gained his experience as an apprentice.

In 1997, Al founded cadteacher as an extension of the client support services of his architectural practice, Whitley Consulting Group. Cadteacher, now the Virtual Design & Construction Institute (VDCI), continues to grow as an independent educational institution in architectural technology, gaining multiple national educational accreditations.

Al spent his professional career tirelessly mentoring professionals in the industry, empowering people to pursue their dreams and providing opportunities for them to succeed. Many of his staff began their careers under Al’s guidance, and would identify his leadership as the key to their professional journey. Al reveled in the successes of the many careers that he could claim to have played a part in launching.

Al Whitley, MBA, AIA, 64, passed away unexpectedly at home on August 1, 2020. Al will always be remembered for his generosity, caring nature, and optimism, and for creating a lasting impact within the architectural profession.

Alison Whitelaw, FAIA, 2020

Alison has fostered a rich, noteworthy professional legacy spanning more than 40 years. She has left a significant mark on San Diego architecture as a designer, planner, leader, mentor, teambuilder, neuroscience advocate, sustainability expert, and teacher.

Alison Whitelaw grew up in the Midlands region of England, where she was inspired at the young age of 15 to study architecture. Although not a common profession for women at the time, she pursued her chosen field at the University of Edinburgh where she received her Bachelor in Architecture.

An avid traveler, Alison ventured throughout Europe and the U.S, her sojourns greatly inspiring her architectural pursuits. Upon graduation, she and her young family would eventually settle in San Diego. In addition to raising her family, Alison threw herself into her career, gaining experience in a number of roles at numerous firms while working to become licensed. Alison quickly rose to become an industry leader, spearheading many important commissions and eventually taking over the management of the firm that would become Platt/Whitelaw.

Alison’s accomplishments include numerous significant award-winning projects completed during her 29-year tenure as Principal of Platt/Whitelaw Architects, where she remained until her retirement in 2020. A tireless advocate for sustainability, she developed and taught sustainable design courses at the NewSchool of Architecture and Design at a time when such coursework was not standard. In 2004, in recognition of her notable contributions to sustainable design, Alison was elevated to AIA Fellow.

Her professional achievements include leadership roles as past President of the San Diego Chapter of the AIA, the San Diego Architectural Foundation, and AIA San Diego’s Women in Architecture. Alison was a leader and founding member of the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture (ANFA) and a champion for research based, human-centered design.

James Rodney Youngson, 2019

During a career spanning more than sixty years, James Rodney Youngson designed and developed a significant body of custom residences and multi-family buildings, each uniquely varied, aesthetically considered, and specific to each site. Typically serving simultaneously in the roles of developer, architect, interior designer, landscape architect, occasionally owner (and even contractor), Rod could assure his refined, sophisticated attention to scale, proportions, and materials remained consistent throughout every project.  His exacting attention to details, whether structural or finished, and his enduring search for unique and high-quality materials, led to an exceptional level of construction quality not often seen in residential work - and non-existent in spec homes.   

Projects included small condo buildings, large apartment complexes, and many single-family homes located throughout the United States, Fiji, and the French Riviera. His work has received several San Diego AIA Honor awards, and has been included in prestigious publications including Architectural Digest, Sunset, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times Home Magazine, and Luxe.

In Rod’s own words, “As a residential architect who also does interiors, I feel the architecture must be right before the interiors can be successful. The client’s budget, needs, and lifestyle, as well as the neighborhood and site itself direct the design. There must be a strong point-of-view. There should be drama and romance but never ostentation. I strive for simplicity, quality, beautiful detailing, and perfect proportions. A good design should not be trendy or dated, but timeless.

Philip Bona, 2019

Through an impressive career spanning more than four decades, Philip Bona has participated in a broad range of architectural endeavors. It is Phil’s voice that has been loudest amongst architects in pursuit of a solution to California’s housing affordability crisis through his efforts in the “Housing the Next One Million” (HN1M) campaign, perhaps the most visible and comprehensive attempt yet to find solutions to California’s housing shortage. Phil helped start the San Mateo County Chapter of the AIA in 1983. Over the next 23 years, he served in practically every position available in the San Mateo chapter as well as on a myriad of committees. From 1983 to 1999 Phil led urban design charettes that became a part of “Housing the Next One Million".”

Phil was hired in 2009 by San Diego’s Centre City Development Corporation. (CCDC). While at CCDC he led the Downtown Education Task Force.

Phil served as president of San Diego’s AIA chapter, was on the AIACC board on thee occasions, and is now part of the national AIA strategic council. Through 2021 he is chairing the New Urban Agenda Task Force. Recently, he has been focused on resilience, regenerative design, and housing post-disaster. It is through such work that he believes architectures future may lie. His has been an exemplary lifetime of commitment to the betterment of the architectural profession and the communities it serves.

Norm Applebaum, 2018

Norm Applebaum has spent 50 years creating timeless designs that spring from Modernism's ideal of truth in function and materials, evolving the California Modern ideal of indoor-outdoor living into a highly individualized architecture. To quote Norm, “Great architecture is born from the single mind focused on a timeless concept.”  

Receiving his Bachelor of Architecture degree from Arizona State University in 1968, Norm was mentored by the late Calvin Straub FAIA.  He also studied under architectural visionary Paolo Soleri for five years. 

Establishing his practice in 1972, Norm’s completed projects include over 30 custom residences, 40 residential remodels, and four commercial projects.  While most projects are in California, his work can be found as far afield as Wisconsin, Georgia, and Maryland.   

In addition to receiving numerous awards, Norm’s projects have been featured in seven books, eleven international publications, and over fifty national, regional and local publications.  Julius Shulman, architectural photographer who has documented Norm’s work, said, “You are a master at what you do. Your work is tied to the Modernists of Southern California, Harris, Shindler, Wright -- yet it is fresh, new and exciting.” 

Each of Norm’s homes reflects the individual personality and lifestyle of its owner.  “Architecture is working together with clients to create a functional work of art.  If the function isn't met, it isn't architecture.”  His Zen-like approach to the site respects nature. Believing that real architecture grows out of the land, he carefully integrates his structures into the surroundings so that they blend harmoniously with the natural environment.   

As Joseph Wong, FAIA acknowledged, “Norm is at once a devoted designer, artist, musician, and master-craftsman whose work has elevated the profession.  His thorough devotion to his clients and projects, his aptitude at originating, expressing, and promoting innovative design when approaching a challenge, and his dedication to invention, all set him apart from his colleagues.” 

John Ziebarth, 2018

 John Ziebarth is being honored for his unparalleled volunteer service to the profession.  For 30 years, he has served with distinction as AIA | San Diego’s primary representative on in-numerous land-use regulatory boards, task forces, and committees throughout the County, always striving to achieve logical efficiencies in the codes and a balance between the myriad interests impacted by each undertaking, all while running a successful architectural firm.   

Growing up in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, he attended the University of Utah, receiving degrees in Accounting, History, and a Masters in Architecture.  Awakening his commitment to public service, John dedicated two years in the Peace Corps, serving in Benin, West Africa designing and building primary and secondary schools.   

Moving to San Diego in 1979, John gained valuable experience in a number of firms before joining Oremen Associates as a Project Architect, a firm encouraging involvement with AIA|SD.  He got involved with BEEP (Built Environment Education Program), working with hundreds of elementary school children.  In 1992, John founded Ziebarth Associates specializing in retail and commercial projects. 

While heading his firm, John volunteered thousands of hours as AIA|SD’s voice on technical committees dealing with zoning and regulatory issues, bringing common sense to an overly complicated process.  A partial list of committees/activities includes: 

• Advisory Board rewriting San Diego’s Zoning Code 

• Code Monitoring Team for SD’s Land Development Code 

• Technical Advisory Committee - City of San Diego DSD 

• City of San Diego 2008 General Plan 

• Citizens Oversight Committee - Chula Vista DVD 

• Airport Technical Advisory Group for 15 Airport Land-Use Compatibility Plans  

• Land-Use Planning around San Diego International Airport 

• Airport Land Use Plan for Naval Air Station North Island for City of Coronado 

The Peace Corps’ credo has been John Ziebarth’s lifetime goal: “To build a better world, one community at a time.” 

Lew Dominy, 2017

A. Lewis Dominy III, AIA Emeritus 

During a distinguished career of almost half a century, Lew Dominy has been responsible for the exceptional quality of an extensive and diverse body of work, outstanding for its consistent level of inspirational design excellence.    

Lew grew up in San Diego as the son of a Navy Chaplain.  He received a scholarship to USC, graduating with a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1966. While in school he became a member of the Tau Sigma Delta Honor Society (Architecture). Upon graduation, he was honored with a one year World Tour Travelling Fellowship.  The fellowship would have to wait until 1969-70 as Lew joined the Marine Corps, serving in an engineering battalion that arrived in Vietnam shortly after the Tet Offensive.  

After returning from the war and his travels, Lew worked with Malibu architect Douglas Rucker.  Within a year of moving to San Diego, shortly after the birth of his son, Lew worked three years with Mosher & Drew, particularly on Robert’s cherished Golden Door project in Escondido.  Lew founded his first firm, Dominy & Bokal, in 1976.   

domusstudio architecture, founded by Lew in 1986 (originally named Dominy + Associates Architects) has been responsible for the design of literally hundreds of churches throughout Southern California and the southwestern United States.  Lew Dominy’s leadership of domusstudio has led to civic, educational, commercial and residential projects recognized with numerous awards, and extensive coverage in local, regional and national publications.   

Lew has been an active member of many organizations serving both his profession and community, giving his time generously, including travel to Mexico as part of a team building over 20 homes for families in need. 

Because of his outstanding design accomplishments and community service, Lew Dominy is richly deserving of the Robert Mosher Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Joseph Paoluccio, 2017

Throughout his extraordinary career, Joseph P. Paoluccio transformed the way architects do business with public sector clients, federal agencies, and national and international organizations, giving particular emphasis to improving the working relationships between design professionals and the various branches of the US military.  

Joseph was born in Massachusetts to Italian immigrant parents, who moved the family to California for warmer climes.  His father and grandfather were both general contractors, sparking Joseph’s interests and pursuits in drafting and architecture.  At the start of the Korean War, Joseph (age 17) enlisted into the Navy, serving as a SeaBee based in Morocco, where he gained experience working with architects and draftsmen.  After the war, he studied architecture at UC Berkeley before succumbing to the allure of physics and engineering. 

Joseph returned to San Diego, eventually establishing a highly respected engineering firm specializing in mechanical, electrical, and fire safety engineering, supporting the success of major projects around the region and internationally.   Mid-career, Joseph received his California architectural license and Architecture degree at Cal Poly, Pomona, enabling his firm to serve primarily public agencies with a full spectrum of architectural and engineering services for projects totaling billions of dollars. 

In addition to his successful practice, Joseph was unstinting in his efforts to simultaneously improve the lot of architects/engineers and elevate the profession.  Because of him, design professionals now work more efficiently and productively on federal government and public agency commissions.  His articles, speeches, presentations, symposia and personal monitoring and mentoring have a common theme:  how architects and engineers can improve themselves and their practices.   

Widely recognized by other professional organizations, Joseph holds the following titles: “John Bolles, FAIA, Fellow” by AIA California Council, NCARB Certificate, and a Fellow of American Council of Engineering Companies, American Society of Civil Engineers, American Society of Civil Engineers, and of Institute for the Advancement of Engineering.  This recognition by the AIA San Diego for a lifetime of extraordinary achievements is overwhelmingly deserved and long overdue. 

Edward C Malone, 2016

Ed ward C. Malone has had a truly remarkable career that resulted in many significant benefits to the architectural profession, residential development, and society in general. In an era when architects were virtually prohibited from engaging in development because of a potential conflict of interest, Ed had the courage, vision, and conviction to become an architect / home builder. Ed paved the way for other architects in the San Diego region who have since followed his example as designers and developers of housing and commercial projects. 

Ed was born in Oakland, California. During the Korean War, he saw combat as a sergeant in the Marine Corps. After his discharge from the military, Ed spent a year in Spain studying and playing basketball. He returned to the US and enrolled in the architecture program at US from which he graduated in 1958. 

Following graduation, Ed moved to San Diego where he worked for two major firms prior to starting his own practice. 

After practicing architecture for several years, Ed became convinced that the challenge which he sought lay in residential development. He became a home builder with an architect’s soul fully ten years before AIA removed its restriction on the practice. 

In 1981 Ed and Barbara Malone made a substantial contribution forming the endowment of the San Diego Architectural Foundation.  

Throughout his career Ed Malone was guided by his commitment to good design and planning plus a strong desire to improve people’s lives.  That commitment, coupled with his vision, generosity, and perseverance has had a most beneficial impact on the built environment in the San Diego Region.  

Henry H. Hester, 2016

Henry H. Hester, during a forty year career, produced a significant body of extraordinary design accomplishments which were honored by AIA design awards on both the national and local levels. Mr. Hester, through his work, had a significant influence in introducing modernism to the San Diego region. His designs were known for their simplicity, clean lines, and unwavering attention to detail. His work is as crisp and timely today as it was at the time of its construction. 

Henry Hester was born in Oklahoma. His mother was part Cherokee. His family moved to San Diego where he attended Roosevelt Junior High School and Brown Military Academy in San Diego. After serving for three years in the U.S. Coast Guard he attended USC. Immediately upon graduating from USC, he moved to La Jolla. 

Over the years, Henry Hester entered into a partnership with several other architects. His projects included custom single-family homes, commercial structures, and the highly acclaimed Salomon Apartments near Balboa Park. His work was published in over 30 architectural magazines and three hard cover books, attesting to his status as a significant and influential local architect. 

Henry Hester enjoyed a full life which included many passions other than architecture, each of which demanded great dedication and skill. Whatever he undertook, be it auto racing, flying, or golf, Hester committed himself to excel. Those who knew him best attest to the pride that Henry took in doing things his way and conforming to his own high standards. The last several years of his life were spent in Palm Desert enjoying retirement and playing golf. 

Henry Hester’s work had a strong influence on many people and it has provided inspiration for a generation of architects who followed. This recognition by his peers is richly deserved..