The American Institute of Architects recently elevated two WRT principals to its prestigious College of Fellows—an honor awarded to AIA members who have made design contributions of national significance to the profession. These awards place Antonio Fiol-Silva and Nando Micale in the top 3% of all AIA members who are distinguished with the honor of fellowship. Among these honorees are fellow WRT principals Richard Bartholomew, Daniel Solomon, and Gil Rosenthal.
"Being notified of my nomination by the local AIA chapter for this honor and then being selected by a jury of my peers were two red-letter days in my professional life. This national recognition of my career is truly a reflection on my colleagues and collaborators at WRT and the high aspirations of our clients in achieving design excellence," asserts Nando about his Fellowship.
Nando is currently working on two waterfront plans in New Jersey for the cities of Trenton and Newark, a transit-oriented development plan in Camden, and a sustainability framework for a community at the edge of Minneapolis. He also serves as visiting faculty in the School of Design at the University of Pennsylvania, and as guest critic at Temple and Drexel Universities.
"The honor bestowed by Fellowship in the Institute is, to me, a recognition of the shared vision and determination of the many people that I have been so fortunate to collaborate with to help transform many significant urban centers across the country, from my native city of San Juan to cities such as Boston, Charlottesville, and Washington DC. It is impossible for me to think of this honor but in the context of those immensely satisfying and intense collaborations, and for those opportunities I am most grateful," reflects Antonio about his Fellowship.
Antonio is currently working on institutional and TOD-oriented mixed-use developments in Philadelphia and Washington, DC respectively, and on civic projects like the restoration and addition to Philadelphia's Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul, the new facilities for the Haverford Public Library, and the Taller Puertorriqueno Community Arts Center. His most recent published and awarded projects include the Charlottesville Transit Station—featured in a cover article in GreenSource Magazine—and the US House of Representatives and South Capitol District Plan in Washington DC, recipient of a 2009 CNU Charter Award.
The new Fellows, who are entitled to use the designation "FAIA" following their names, were invested at San Francisco's Grace Cathedral on May 1st during the 2009 AIA National Convention and Design Exposition.
