IIT College of Architecture celebrated Mies van der Rohe’s 127th birthday, his influence on Chicago, and the investiture of Wiel Arets on March 13, 2013. Seventy-five years ago, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe arrived in the United States to lead the College of Architecture and profoundly influence the world’s taste and built environment. Now the college begins another era of influence as it celebrates the investiture of Wiel Arets as the Rowe Family College of Architecture Dean Endowed Chair.

IIT College of Architecture Professor Harry Francis Mallgrave was inducted as an Honorary Fellow into the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) on February 6, 2013, at a black tie dinner and awards ceremony in London. The ceremony honored Mallgrave and eleven other new fellows, chosen from around the world for their lifetime contributions to the field of architecture.

British architect Niall McLaughlin cited Mallgrave’s translation and critical introduction of Gottfried Semper’s Style as having popularized one of the most significant works of architectural theory of the nineteenth century.

“Professor Mallgrave’s thinking on architectural history as well as contemporary theory is pointing us away from looking at buildings as objects and toward an experience of architecture,” said McLaughlin. See his full introduction and Mallgrave’s acceptance speech here.

Swiss architect Peter Zumthor was also given the RIBA Gold Medal at the prestigious affair.

Mary Pat Mattson, Studio Assistant Professor in Landscape Architecture at IIT, was selected as a 2013 Research Fellow with the Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) in Washington DC. LAF Fellows oversee case-study research on high-performing constructed landscape architecture projects. Professor Mattson selected Rachel Guinn, IIT Master of Landscape Architecture student (2013) as her research assistant, and will collaborate with three Chicago landscape architecture firms.

Landscape Architecture Studio “Urban Water” won 1st place in the National EPA Campus Rainworks Competition. The competition was aimed at generating innovative campus design interventions to address urban stormwater. The studio, taught by Professor Mary Pat Mattson, was comprised of landscape architecture and architecture students, and collaborated with students from civil and environmental engineering, guided by Dr. Paul Anderson, to develop the submission. The team used the competition to test design and engineering ideas for managing storm water as a key sustainability goal for the campus. First prize winners will receive a $2,500 cash award and $11,000 for faculty research on green infrastructure.  Learn more: www.epa.gov/campusrainworks/winners.

Undergraduate architecture student Jingyu Lee has been awarded a $10,000 Thornton Tomasetti Foundation National Scholarship. The scholarship review committee commended Lee “for his exceptional academic success and demonstrated interest in the integration of engineering and architecture” as pursued through his rigorous work as a dual major in architecture and civil and environmental engineering.

The Thornton Tomasetti Foundation funds fellowships, scholarships and internships for undergraduate students planning to pursue graduate studies in building engineering, design, or technology. For more information, visit: http://www.thorntontomasettifoundation.org/