Kane and Reiter Honored as Fellows of the American Institute of Architects
June 2008, Tempe, Arizona
Contact: Kim Miller, Architekton, kimmiller@architekton.com, 480.894.4637
John F. Kane and Wellington Reiter were elevated in May 2008 to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) at investiture ceremonies at the Old South Church in Boston, MA. Fellowship is one of the highest honors the AIA can bestow upon a member and recognizes not only the achievements of the architect as an individual but also elevates before the public and the professional those architects who have made significant contributions to the profession. Out of a membership of more than 81,000, there are fewer than 2,600 AIA members distinguished with the honor of fellowship.
John Kane's reputation as a thoughtful and innovative designer is well established throughout the Valley and region, and has quickly gained recognition nationally as a leader in the creative use of form and material. Shortly after receiving his Bachelor of Architecture degree from Arizona State University in 1985, John, along with his three partners, Douglas Brown, Gregory Lambright and Joseph Salvatore, founded Architekton. Today the practice is recognized as one of the premier design studios in Arizona. Architekton's prominent projects have been awarded with more than 70 citations for design excellence over the past 16 years.
It has always been John's belief, even as a student of architecture, that the responsibility of an architect must transcend the profession to include the community at large. With this philosophy firmly in mind, John has worked to advance the profession of architecture, while working to affect the community by volunteering his time at local groups and being an active participant in the local AIA chapter.
In 2001, John was awarded the prestigious AIA Arizona Architects Medal, a distinction bestowed upon him by his peers for outstanding professional achievement and sense of social responsibility. Recognizable projects include the Tempe Center for the Arts, Fulton Center: ASU Foundation, Metro Light Rail Stations, Tempe Transportation Center, Chandler-Gilbert Community College Student Center, Scottsdale Community College Fitness & Wellness Center, Midtown Multi-Service Center in Tucson, and Peoria's Rio Vista Recreation Center.
Wellington Reiter is the Dean of the College of Design at Arizona State University. In addition to his academic role, Dean Reiter is also responsible for shaping the future of the University's Downtown Phoenix campus. Specifically, he is orchestrating a new relationship with the City of Phoenix that unites academic and civic agendas and will be a model of first-rate urban design.
Previous to this appointment at ASU, he was a member of the faculty in the Department of Architecture at MIT from 1990 to 2003 and the Professional Advisor to the Career Discovery Program at Harvard's Graduate School of Design. He has also been a visiting professor at Harvard and the Rhode Island School of Design. Dean Reiter studied for his undergraduate degree at Tulane University's School of Architecture and North London Polytechnic, and was awarded the Master of Architecture from Harvard's Graduate School of Design.
The work of Dean Reiter ranges from built works to museum installation and drawings. His drawings of speculative urban conditions are in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, San Francisco MoMA, and the Boston Althenaeum, and have been published widely throughout the US and Europe. Vessels and Fields, a monograph on the work of Dean Reiter, is available from Princeton Architectural Press.