Black and Miró Named 2016 Honor Award Recipients

Professor Sinclair Black and Associate Dean Juan Miró have been named among the 2016 Honor Award recipients by the Texas Society of Architects. The award program recognizes exceptional members, firms, individuals, and organizations for outstanding achievements in support of the profession of architecture, the built environment, and quality of life in Texas. Honorees will be recognized at the 77th Annual Convention and Design Expo, November 3-5, in San Antonio.

Professor Black will receive the Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Honor of Llewellyn W. Pitts, FAIA. Black’s career in professional practice and architectural education demonstrates a lifetime of courageous accomplishment in urban planning and the built environment. He is the educator of generations of architects and planners and has produced publications, learned articles, and lectures in support of AIA and the profession. His career has included significant advancement of standards for urban public spaces and innovative master planning. Black has been a visionary in advocating for the importance of natural environments within Austin’s urban core, and in the revitalization of the city’s downtown streetscapes. His work supports the Texan cultural heritage, and his contributions have left the state richer in its urban fabric.

Associate Dean Miró's firm, Miró Rivera Architects, will receive the award for Architecture Firm of the year. Miró Rivera Architects has established an international reputation for excellence in architectural design and leadership in its professional practice. The firm’s principals and staff have made significant contributions to architectural and planning higher education. They also encourage connections between AIA and academia and generously serve as jurors for component and school of architecture design competitions. Miró Rivera’s design work has advanced the quality of the built environment and raised the bar for AIA and professional practice.