State preservation architects receive AIA award for outstanding and innovative programs        

[NOV. 11, 2006]  PEORIA -- From the wildly successful "Got Mesker?" campaign to the "Build your own Main Street" downloadable models, architects with the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency have found innovative ways to increase commitment to local historic preservation. Those efforts have been recognized by AIA Illinois, a council of the American Institute of Architects, which presented the agency with the President's Award at the AIA awards ceremony Nov. 2 in Peoria.

"It is an honor to recognize the work they are doing to create sustainable communities in Illinois," said Mike Waldinger executive vice president of AIA Illinois.

The award was presented for the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency's programs and information pieces that give meaning to the importance of historic preservation, fresh and creative approaches to conveying messages, and significant involvement and results on a statewide level. Some of the programs considered during the award nomination process were the following:

• The Got Mesker campaign to help communities identify stamped steel decorative building components on their local buildings.

• The Upstairs Downtown training program to help communities turn the upper floors of historic downtown buildings into livable spaces.

• The Build Your Own Main Street models of actual historic structures in Illinois communities. The models can be downloaded and assembled.

• The comprehensive Web-based archive of historic rehabilitation design projects performed for Illinois Main Street communities.

• The free presentations and workshops offered by Illinois Historic Preservation Agency architects to communities interested in preserving their heritage.

A total of 19 awards selected from 53 nominations were presented by AIA Illinois, a state membership organization representing more than 3,800 architects and architectural interns. The awards are named after some of the greatest architects in the state's history, such as Louis Sullivan, Daniel Burnham, Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies van der Rohe.

Illinois Historic Preservation Agency architects honored were Michael Jackson, FAIA; Carol Dyson, AIA; Anthony Rubano, associate AIA; Anna Margaret Borntrager, associate AIA; and Darius Bryjka, associate AIA. They provide free technical advice to owners who want to perform restoration and rehabilitation work on their historic properties.

The architects also provide a variety of free architectural services to designated Illinois Main Street communities. Illinois Main Street is a joint program of Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn's office and the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

For more information about Illinois Historic Preservation Agency architectural services, visit www.illinois-history.gov or www.illinoismainstreet.org.

[Illinois Historic Preservation Agency news release]

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