When entering the doors of 1524 Cloverfield Boulevard in Santa Monica, one will immediately take notice of a long, somewhat narrow office space. To the right rests a red Bianchi bicycle, made stationary with light wood blocks (aesthetically shaped. This is a design office of course.) for riding whilst thinking thoughts and imagining design solutions.

This office, once home to Frank Gehry, FAIA, (or FOG as the teetering sign above the door read in 1976: Frank Owen Gehry), is now the veteran-owned architectural design firm of Folonis Architects, where one Mr. Michael Folonis, FAIA, was awarded the 2017 AIACC Distinguished Practice Award.

Folonis the man is humble and honored to be a part of the architecture profession, and to have been mentored by such greats as Ray Kappe, FAIA, and Gehry himself. The influence of both is tangibly evident in his office.

Folonis once worked for Gehry when his space was here, and he recalls, smiling, new  art displayed. “It wasn’t popular, well-known artwork, but lesser known, independents,” Folonis remembers. “I was always learning about new art; new artists.”

And one can see the appreciation Folonis carries for art. Along the side where all architects and program managers are seated, there is hanging above them a series done by Shepard Fairey’s “We the Campaign,” an artist made famous for the Barak Obama “Hope” posters.

His staff of eight like where they are, both literally and metaphorically. (All sit under three of the “We the Campaign” posters) Some are three-year veterans for Folonis. Some were former students of Folonis himself, who serves as faculty at SCI-Arc, where he once attended.

When thinking back to his architecture school years under Ray Kappe, FAIA, Folonis remembers how vital the experience was.

“I was just back from the Vietnam war, and I was searching for something … maybe for a sense of place. But the feeling of this new school was electric. And we all felt it. It was revolutionary. We needed it; I needed it.”

And the world needed them—this new brew of future designers and forward thinkers. Kappe knew what he was doing.

“I was and am in absolute complete awe of his work.” Folonis remembers beginning at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and soon branching off to SCI-Arc. “There was this kind of excitement and revolutionary air about the place,” he recalled. “We had to turn off space heaters in the building to use the electricity for lights. And we never knew if we were going to have a school to return to from semester to semester. But we did and we kept coming.”

Folonis is a mentor in his own right now—from the students-turned-employees, to those in the field attempting to piece together portfolios for Fellowships. This, however, should be no surprise. Kappe was more than a professor, more than a teacher. He became a mentor to Folonis, and he continues to serve in that capacity. (The mentor/mentee relationship never ends, does it?).

As Folonis has paid it forward and continues to, by mentoring others, even if he doesn’t realize he is doing it. It’s about empowering the architect in whatever capacity he can. Whether working on a bill to help architects serve on city boards, SB704, or convincing a humble resident architect to compose his portfolio for Fellowship and steer him in the direction of telling a story. Folonis does what he can and does it happily because he believes in the power of design; the power of designers.

Between Kappe’s tutelage and working in Gehry’s office, it would seem Folonis was destined for the architecture world. His firm has received many awards, which he attributes always, to his staff. And the 2017 AIACC Distinguished Practice Award is no different. In his acceptance speech, the first sentence he spoke was that this was an award for all of them, that all who work with him make the practice distinguished.

Folonis has won awards for his healthcare work, city and government structures, housing and residences. When asked what specialization, he prefers, he smiles and answers, “Yes, I specialize in architecture.” Not much to question after that. He rises to the occasion of any design challenge and attempts, most often successfully, to solve the problems the structure needs to solve and adhere aesthetically, answering the call of the value of design.

But the man who received this award is not defined by his quirky position of his stationary bike, the art, the framed collections of significant accolades. He is not even his studio. Folonis is an architect who believes in collaboration, recognizes his responsibility in empowering others, and strives to make changes for the betterment of not only architects, but the human experience at large. This, along with some intelligent, sharp architectural designs is why the jury chose to unanimously nominate Folonis for this award.

The practice of architecture can sometimes be about creating a legacy—either in portfolio or firm culture or contribution to society within other categories. The AIACC Council Awards Program celebrates these attributes with the Council Awards Program. This year’s recipients were announced at the Feb. 10 Board of Directors meeting in Los Angeles, and are now part of the esteemed list of award-winning architects

Distinguished Practice Award:

This year’s Distinguished Practice Award was received by Michael Folonis, FAIA.

Michael Folonis, FAIA, has led a distinguished practice in architecture since founding his namesake firm in 1983. Over the course of his still thriving career, Folonis made a name for himself as a leader in responding to the challenges of an individual building type, an educator and mentor to other professionals, an advocate for design excellence, and a collaborator within the design and construction process.

In addition to his daily practice, he has served on the AIA, Los Angeles and AIA, California Council Board for seven years, has taught at several universities for more than three decades, has served and chaired the Santa Monica Architectural Review Board, was appointed to the Historic Preservation Overlay Zone Board, and even helped pass a California law in 2016 which made it easier for architects, landscape architects, planners, engineers, and artists to serve their communities as volunteers on design review boards and planning commissions.

Jurors, unanimous in their decision to move Folonis forward, noted how most, if not all of his work is exceptional. “His dedication and sharp eye for design have served the profession, and the world, well,” commented one juror.

For the last 35 years with no proverbial end in sight, Folonis continues to synthesize the conceptual and practical, consistently proving his ability through buildings sensitive to place, materiality, environment, and the Modernist legacy of Southern California.

Lifetime Achievement Award:

This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award went to a total of three people, and for the first time in history, firm partners Betsey Dougherty, FAIA and Brian Dougherty, FAIA, of Dougherty. Brian has had over 40 continuous years of service to the AIA holding numerous positions at the local, state, and national level. To this day, he continues to represent California through AIACC and AIA Leadership. Additionally, Brian was the first practicing architect and founding member of the California Collaborative for High Performance Schools as well as a member of the UC Berkley Environmental Advisory Council.

Likewise, Betsey has been an active member in the AIA since 1976. As one of the first actively involved women in the AIA Orange County chapter, Betsey has continued to hold positions at all levels of the AIA, many of which she was the first woman to do so. Furthermore, Betsey continues to serve as a California Architects Board (CAB) Licensure Advocate as well as the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture.

While both Brian and Betsey have accomplished so much as individual architects, it’s the work they’ve completed together that represents the definition of a lifetime career of dedication and achievement. They are an inspirational duo, supporting fellow professionals, enhancing California Communities, engaging volunteers and promoting the value of service through personal and professional commitment.

The jury voted unanimously to move them forward as they have been “passionate and exemplary pioneers within the AIA and their contributions should be recognized at the highest level possible.”

Beverly Willis, FAIA, also received the Lifetime Achievement award, and was also recommended unanimously by the jury. “She is an amazing woman,” one juror commented, “her focus on service as well as design is unsurpassed.” Beverly Willis has been a dedicated architect, urbanist, philanthropist, activist, artist, writer, lecturer, founder of the Beverly Willis Architectural Foundation, and past president of the AIACC.

After expanding her artwork to include industrial and architectural design, she embraced the industrial design axiom that good design “sells”. With that mantra in mind, she pursued a career in architecture and pioneered the historic preservation and reuse movement in San Francisco. Over the next six decades, Beverly’s work portfolio grew to over 800 buildings with notable and award winning properties.

In addition to her notoriety for the quality of her work, Beverly also has a distinguished career of service holding positions never held by a woman before both within the AIA and beyond. Beverly is a role model and a transformational leader, leading the profession or architecture toward a more equitable, innovative, and influential future.