Existing Conditions Sponsors the AIA Rhode Island Honor and Design Awards Celebration: Supporting Excellence in Architecture

We are thrilled to have participated as a bar sponsor in the AIA Rhode Island Honors and Awards event for the first time this year. The evening was a great success and we are already looking forward to the possibility of sponsoring again next year. It was a pleasure to support such a prestigious event that recognizes excellence in the field of architecture.

Existing Conditions Bar Sponsorship Collateral

Our Highlights

One of the highlights of attending the AIA Rhode Island Honors and Awards event was the opportunity to meet professionals in person, many of whom we had not seen in person recently due to the pandemic. It was especially memorable to meet Tim LaRose from Jensen Hughes, who we have worked with for 20 years but had never connected with in person. Hearing him speak highly of our company and how he always recommends us for projects was truly gratifying.

Another memorable moment was speaking with clients who have been partnering with us since the very beginning of our company’s history. We had an especially wonderful time catching up with DBVW Architects' senior principals Doug Brown and Mike Viveiros at the AIA Rhode Island Honors and Awards event. It was great to see them again and hear about their recent projects and accomplishments. We were delighted to see that their firm, DBVW, was recognized for four projects at the event and that Existing Conditions was deeply involved in each of those four projects. It was a testament to the strong working relationship we have built with their firm over the years.

​​"Congratulations to our friends and partners at DBVW Architects for the well-deserved awards at the 2022 AIA RI ceremony! It’s always great to see a hard-working team recognized for well thought out and attractive designs,” Kurt Yeghian, Founder and CEO of Existing Conditions.

Maintaining Valuable Connections

Attending events like the AIA Rhode Island Honors and Awards is a valuable opportunity for us to connect with our clients on a personal level. It's one thing to exchange emails or messages, but actually meeting someone in person and having a conversation over a drink or meal is becoming a lost art. While it's important for us to produce excellent work and to be proud of our accomplishments, these events provide a chance to strengthen our relationships with clients and build a sense of community. We are grateful for the opportunity to be a part of events like the AIA Rhode Island Honors and Design Awards.

Mark Catalano, Director of Business Development, Tracy Shankle, Architectural Photographer at SHANKLEVISION, Specification Sales at Boston Light Source, Co-Sponsor of the Design Awards, and Kurt Yeghian, Founder and CEO (Image by Jasmine Dziekan)

The Evolution of AIA Rhode Island’s Honors and Awards

In 2019, Linda Penaloza-Resch, (Job Captain of Vision 3 Architects) joined the Honors and Design Awards Committee. In 2021, she joined the AIA Rhode Island Board of Directors. In 2020, the committee had to pivot to an online event due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021, Linda became co-chair of the committee with Emma Osborne, (Project Manager of DBVW Architects) and aimed to bring more diversity to the jury process by reaching out to other chapters and professionals. They were successful in achieving a 50-50 balance of men and women on the jury, as well as representation from both the east and west coasts.

In 2022, Linda again attempted to diversify the jury by inviting professors to participate. The jury included professionals from across the country, with diverse backgrounds and experience in various project types, including housing, education, and projects of all scales. This year's jury was described by Linda as "embellishing". 

In addition to the changes to the jury process, the Honors & Design Awards Committee also invited its first-ever guest speaker. Linda approached Grow Smart Rhode Island, a company known for its green initiatives in Rhode Island, to speak about the importance of the built environment. Linda hopes that the committee will continue to evolve and make progress in the coming years.

Linda Penaloza-Resch Announcing Award Winners (Image by Jasmine Dziekan)

Planning Process

Organizing the jury was Linda’s main responsibility as part of her successful effort to diversify the jury. In addition to her efforts to diversify the jury process, Linda also worked with her co-chair Emma to delegate responsibilities to the rest of the committee. They ensured that there were designated members responsible for organizing the event space, catering, presentations, and reaching out to sponsors. This delegation of tasks helped to assure that all aspects of the event were well-coordinated and executed smoothly. Linda and Emma also enlisted the help of other committee members with graphics design to help with the planning process. By assigning small tasks to each member, the preparation process became much more manageable and no one was overwhelmed by the workload. This approach allowed the team to work efficiently and effectively to plan a successful event.

KITE Architects Receives Independence House Honor Award, Linda Praises Uplifting Live Music

The Independence House Award winner was Linda’s first highlight. She thought it was amazing that the house received an honorable award, knowing that KITE Architects was involved in the design process. As an alumnus of Roger Williams University, Linda appreciated that their client was also in the architecture program there.

KITE Architects Receiving Their Honor Award for Independence House (Image by Jasmine Dziekan)

Additionally, Linda thought Dave Alves and his band was fantastic. She was excited to have brought a live band with a more upbeat style to the event, adding to the celebratory atmosphere of recognizing the state's architectural achievements. In addition, she wanted to bring music that was a little bit more upbeat to make it feel more like a party and a celebration. Because, at the end of the day, we are recognizing the state's architectural achievements.

Dave Alves Live Band (Image by Jasmine Dziekan)

What Makes the AIA Rhode Island Honor and Awards Program Unique?

The event was a great opportunity for professionals to connect and network. Linda believes it's important for sponsors like Existing Conditions and representatives to attend and see the services and projects that are being recognized. Linda also thinks it is important for professionals to meet with the clients and architects that they worked with.

Bringing professionals together (image by Jasmine Dziekan)

Linda believes that learning from the projects that win awards is crucial for firms to improve and potentially win projects in the future. She understands that architecture is all about the community and designing spaces that are beneficial for the users. With this in mind, she emphasized the importance of examining the key factors that make a project worthy of an award.

All in all, participating in the AIA Rhode Island Honors and Awards event was a valuable experience for our company, allowing us to connect with clients and industry professionals, and we look forward to the possibility of participating again in the future.

Are you interested in becoming a member of AIA Rhode Island? Connect with the Executive Director of AIA Rhode Island, Roni Phipps at roni.phipps@aia-ri.org.