Paul Adamson, FAIA, Senior Associate Design Architect with Hornberger + Worstell in San Francisco, was recently elevated to the National AIA College of Fellows. He has been in practice 25 years, and will be inducted into the College at the investiture ceremony in New Orleans in May, at the National AIA Convention. He is excited about attending this event with his friends and family.
Adamson successfully advocates for appreciation and preservation of mid-century modern architecture, elucidating its lessons and core values, and endorses these lessons through writing and lecturing regarding the application of these ideas to improve contemporary middle-class residential design. He chose to study the tract home developments of the post-war California builder Joseph Eichler, feeling that his mid-century houses went beyond style to express enduring values such as elegantly efficient layouts, community oriented planning and inter-connected with nature. Expanding his explorations to include suburban context at large, Adamson broadcasts his findings to a wide audience by lobbying for its attributes, as well as the application of key principles to contemporary practice.
Adamson has worked in Academic research and communication illustrating the green aspects of design, and has lectured before numerous universities. As a writer and speaker, he has conducted national forums contributing to a growing popular interest in mid-century design. In addition, he advocates for preservation and co-founded DoCoMoMo_noca, the Northern California chapter of the international preservation institution, and has documented the conservation of the modern movement.
Adamson enjoys his work specializing in the design of higher education buildings, due to the social aspect of it. However, he enjoys his other specialty in the commercial side as well due to the complexity of it, as they are both very different types of design and architecture.
He was invited to apply for his Fellowship by his local AIA chapter. The application process took about two months to complete. Adamson states, “It was a fun process going back in history to pull together information from my career past in order to create a meaningful argument as to why one is deserving of becoming a Fellow.” He particularly enjoyed the part of the submittal process in requesting letters of recommendation from his peers, as they are not only flattering, but validation of one’s work. Before this process he was not fully aware of the function of the College of Fellows and its history and advocacy. He encourages anyone to apply for Fellowship as it is not only a vote of confidence, but a call to continue one’s own work as well.
The AIACC announces, and congratulates the fourteen California architects who recently received the distinguished honor of Fellow, and will be inducted into the prestigious College of Fellows at the 2011 AIA National Convention in New Orleans. This honor is awarded to architects who have made a significant contribution to architecture and society, and who have been an AIA member for more than 10 years. In the coming weeks, each new Fellow will be featured in a brief article online. So watch the website for more information about the new recipients; those who can now include the designation of FAIA.
