Peter Landon, FAIA, to Receive AIA Chicago’s 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award
08.21.2018
AIA Chicago’s Board of Directors has selected Peter Landon, FAIA, to receive the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award. In his 44 years of practice, Landon is recognized as an advocate for excellence and equity in design, particularly in under-resourced communities.
“Pete’s career has been dedicated to bringing good design to everyone,” commented Zurich Esposito, Hon. AIA, Executive Vice President of AIA Chicago. “The pursuit of justice is a constant in all he does—from the projects he designs, to the firm’s community engagement activities.”
Peter founded Landon Bone Baker Architects (LBBA) 31 years ago with the belief that architects are essential community members. As such, the firm abides by meticulous design processes that are closely embedded within the communities they serve: they build strong relationships within advocates and community members in order to offer designs that address the needs of diverse residents and neighbors. “There is a great deal of important work that we as architects need to do,” said Landon. “The more we can recognize and respect the value of our diversity, the better off we all will be.”
Known for community-based equitable neighborhood revitalization, urban planning and design work, Landon’s portfolio includes myriad affordable housing and urban development projects across the city that have translated large, complex funding mechanisms into highly-tailored, neighborhood-specific designs. Under Landon’s co-leadership, LBBA’s success is a result of their long-term relationships with community members, developers, and housing advocates.
LBBA’s work with Cabrini Green, for example, began in the early 1990’s with meeting residents and listening to their needs; responding with design advocacy and urban plans that would revitalize the neighborhood for then-current residents. Residents conveyed that they were physically and psychologically cut-off from nearby neighborhoods and services. LBBA’s award-winning Terrace 459 at Parkside of Old Town—a mixed-income community that replaced the Cabrini Green public housing towers—translated those concerns of isolation into a design that eliminated barriers through lower-density development, greater income diversity among tenants, and amenities that attract a range of residents.
The firm has won numerous design awards and their work has been published widely, a testament to how good design can collaboratively serve clients of all needs and backgrounds. “I am honored that the AIA has recognized the work that I, our firm and the many community-based partners we work with have done over the years” said Landon. “This is a big city with big issues and if we can work together we can make it better.”
Landon’s approach to creating more equitable environments extends into his work in education: The LBBA Labs employ high school students and college-age mentors in a summer research and design program, providing an entry point for young designers to participate in community design processes. Landon was a founding board member and past President of Archi-treasures, and is currently Board President of Chicago Public Art Group, two organizations who work with communities to provide identity and ownership through Public Art.
Peter joins individuals such as Carol Ross Barney, FAIA, Stanley Tigerman, FAIA, Ben Weese, FAIA, Helmut Jahn, FAIA, Gertrude Lempp Kerbis, FAIA, and Natalie De Blois, FAIA in a roster of architects and architectural advocates awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by AIA Chicago.
Landon will receive the award on October 26 at Designight 2018, celebrating Chicago’s architectural community and the 2018 recipients of the Design Excellence Awards.
ABOUT THE AIA CHICAGO LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Started in 2006, the AIA Chicago Lifetime Achievement Award honors those who have made a lasting impact on the practice, the profession and the built environment in Chicago.
