John Folan, professor and head of the Department of Architecture at the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, was elected to the 2025 College of Fellows by the American Institute of Architects.
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) increased John Folan, professor and head of the Department of Architecture at the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the U from A, to his College of Fellows for 2025. This prestigious Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) is the greatest honor to be the AIA supports in its members.
Folan is a member of the AIA Arkansas Chapter. In recent years, AIA Arkansas – together with other state chapters in the southeast – have made concerted efforts to increase their community figures. Michael Buono, Faia, was instrumental in these efforts.
The FAIA award recognizes architects who have made extraordinary contributions to the area of architecture and society. Since its foundation in 1952, only 3% of the AIA members have received this honor. The AIA College of Fellows is working on promoting excellent performance at work, mentoring aspiring architects and serving the public through meaningful design and scholarship.
New scholarship holders were honored in an investment ceremony on June 5 during the AIA conference on architecture and design (AIA25) in Boston.
Folan was chosen under object 6, which aims to promote science and art of planning and building by promoting the standard of architectural education and training.
“The scholarship in this goal is granted architects who have made remarkable contributions through their work in education, research or literature,” says an explanation on the AIA website. “Work in education can be teaching, research, administration or writing and should have sustainable effects, are generally recognized and inspired others in the field and at work. Research areas can include building regulations and standards, specifications, new material applications or inventions.”
Folan's survey on Fellow reflects exactly these standards and captures his professional commitment to design, commitment of the community, the implementation of work in the public interest and applied experience with architectural education. Folan's work illustrates the effects that the AIA wants to honor. The work that was carried out by the non -profit organizations associated with the university that he developed and managed increases the expectations of the profession, benefits the communities in which projects are realized, and enable future generations to make a contribution through common efforts.
“I've been extremely Fortunate. This Honor is not Mine Alone, But a Reflection of the Many Collaborative Relationships i'VE privilegeed to cultivate through my career – Among Community Residents, Project StakeHolders, Municipalities and NongoNental Organizations. It Speaks to the Enduring Optimism of Students Who Engage in Addressing Pressing Social Challenges, and to the Essential Support of Academic Institutions That Have Made, And Make, The Work Possible, “Folan Said. “Architecture is never a lonely action. It is always a collective undertaking. The work and efforts that recognize this honor is the product of common obligations for catalysis meaningful changes that benefit a broader public.”
The increase to the AIA College of Fellows requires nomination either by an AIA chapter or a group of five to ten current scholarship holders. Folan was nominated by a full board of 10 AIA -Fellows, which was supported by a sponsoring letter by William Bates, Faia, the former national president of the AIA, and seven letters from support by internationally recognized architects and experts from all over the world.
“Leaving career -long focus on sustainable living and socio -economic equity was tireless and represents the best of our profession about many channels,” said Bates in his sponsor letter. “His impressive work continues to formulate the educational values and priorities of our profession. She examines the authorization that offers compassionate design of society, deeply and increases the importance of different professional designers that serve disadvantaged communities.”
As part of the strict application process, Folan had to submit a 40-page portfolio in which its professional effects are presented, including an explanation with 35 words, in which its effects were summarized. The statement emphasized his commitment to enable future generations to promote changes through collaborative design, appreciate the partnerships with difference, collective intelligence and ingenuity.
“John embodies the definition of an innovative and inspiring architect that contributes to bringing architectural training beyond the borders of the studio to great needs,” said Bates. “He is a strong sustainability and design owning capital and has a new way for the next generation architects.”
Marlon Blackwell, Faia, the recipient of the AIA gold medal 2020, also wrote a letter of support for Folan. Blackwell is a respected professor of architecture and the E. Fay Jones Chairman in Architecture in the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design am U of a, where he has been teaching since 1992.
“John is a real connection between the academy and the profession, which gives the students the rare opportunity to work in full, to learn the execution in material realities and tackle topics that are technical, social, ecological and more,” said Blackwell, whose professional practice in Fayetteeville is architects.
“In my opinion, John is the completed architectural teacher: passionate and compassionate in the engagement with his students, energetic and deliberately in his teaching methods, speculative and significant in his concrete and prospects,” wrote Peter Morvorh, Dean of the Fay Jones School, in his support from support for Folan. “Architecture training for John is never formulent, never cynical, never mechanical; it is rather innovative, always optimistic, always lyrical, always material and constructed.”
Folan's survey on Fellow offers the opportunity to highlight several important projects and programs from his career. Folan said his most important contributions were the organizations he founded and which he headed.
“The work that has emerged from these organizations not only reflects their success, but also confirms their permanent effects on the social and spatial structure of the communities that they serve,” said Folan.
Under these is the Urban Design Build Studio (UDBS), which gives the students the opportunity to deal with urgent social challenges through practical work for the public interest. The studio was founded in 2008 when Folan taught at the Carnegie Mellon University School of Architecture in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and now with the Fay Jones School on the U of a of A of A of A of A of A of AA Education Awards, two ACSA training prices and the Noma Prize for Social Justice and Equity in Design, which is a common effort between Noma, the NAACP and the Seed Network.
Another is Project Re_, an autonomous non -profit organization that Folan describes as the most important professional contribution he has done in the service of society. Project Re_ expands the capacity of the university-connected UDBS design building through programs for jobs skill training and a triple-triple-trenchrepreneurship model, which through cooperative ownership offers the re-investment of project-based income in community. Since 2012, Folan has been collecting more than 15 million US dollars for the UDBS and Project Re_ as the main researcher to support programs for the public interest and the training of workers. More than 2,000 students were involved in the realization of projects by these organizations – shoulder on shoulder with more than 700 trainees in training, 157 community partners and 46 districts.
Folan now joins a respected list of architects and design educators in Arkansas, who have received the FAIA name over the years, including Faculty and Alumni such as Marlon Blackwell, Michael Buono, Fay Jones and John G. Williams as well as Reese Rowland, John Mott and Ralph Mott.
Folan's survey on the AIA scholarship holder is not only an important personal performance, but also an indication that the national recognition of work on the Fay Jones School is done. His contributions in the classroom, in the studio and in the communities are reminiscent of the fact that architecture is not only around buildings, but also around common communities.
The scholarship holders are selected by a 10-member jury by scholarship holders. This year's jury was the chairman Carl D'ilva, Faia, Perkins & Will; Roderick Ashley, Faia, Roderick Ashley Architect; Margaret Carney, Faia, Cornell University; Sanford Garner, Faia, RGCollaborative; Julie Hiromoto, Faia, HKS; John Horky, Faia, waves, from design; Mary Ann Lazarus, Faia, Cameron Macallister; Marily's Nepomechia, Faia, Florida International University; Anne Schopf, Faia, Mahlum; And Jose Javier Toro, Faia, Toro Arquitectos.