AIA Reforms Award Process After #MeToo Mistakes

Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder will be involved in vetting the American Institute of Architect's awards process in the future.

1 minute read

June 7, 2019, 1:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell

The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles was designed by architect Richard Meier. | f11photo / Shutterstock

Awards and Fellows programs, and has hired Covington & Burling, LLP, and, by extension, partner and former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Jr., to help guide the process," reports Jonathan Hilburg.

The awards process reform follows an embarrassing episode in 2018, when a New York Times article revealed architect Richard Meier, a Pritzker Prize winner and the winner of the AIA's 2018 Design Award, had been accused of a pattern of sexual harassment. Meier kept he Pritzker, but the AIA stripped him of the 2018 Design Award.

"Now the national AIA is trying to put procedures in place for vetting the professional conduct of its nominees and to develop a standardized protocol for dealing with allegations that arise after an award or fellowship has been bestowed," according to Hilburg.

Additional award process reforms are listed in the article.

Architecture United States American Institute of Architects AIA #MeToo Design Awards Richard Meier View More

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