Guy Peterson at Archifest Sarasota on May 7. The architect has been awarded AIA Florida's Gold Medal. May 7, 2016; Herald Tribune/Carla Varisco
Two Sarasotans have received particularly noteworthy honors from the Florida-Caribbean chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
Architect Guy Peterson will receive AIA Florida’s Gold Medal at its annual convention, to be held in Palm Beach July 21-24. He is only the second “Sarasota architect” to receive that honor; Paul Rudolph was a gold medalist in 1989, 30 years after he left the city to become dean of Yale University’s architecture school and set up his practice in New York.
Also, Ryan Gamma, who has photographed the projects of Peterson and other local architects, as well as many listings for Realtors, has been chosen as AIA Florida’s “photographer of the year.” This honor underscores the importance of the photographer in recording an architect’s work and sharing it with a wide audience.
The Gold Medal Award, states the AIA, recognizes a Florida architect who has had “a profound impact on the profession over an extended period of time. The individual’s long-term, noteworthy accomplishments in the AIA, as well as community organizations or governmental bodies, must demonstrate distinguishable results characterizing one’s career in a manner over and above what is normally expected.”
“I am totally humbled by this award,” said Peterson. “It is the highest award that AIA Florida-Caribbean can bestow on a single architect, and I’m totally flattered.”
Peterson’s firm, Guy Peterson Office for Architecture (www.guypeterson.com), won AIA Florida’s “Firm of the Year” award in 2013.
AIA Florida "photographer of the year" Ryan Gamma's photograph of the Rick and Jane Fine Residence, designed by Tatiana White of White Buildings and built by Jonas Yoder Custom Homes, in Sarasota. Courtesy photo / Ryan Gamma.
The photography award “recognizes high quality and originality in still photographs, which advance the cause of outstanding architectural photography in Florida,” according to AIA guidelines.
Peterson has been employing Gamma to photograph many of his recent projects. “He is very talented,” said Peterson. “The way he sees things is different. He sees things that I’ve never seen in my work. The clarity and depth of field in his photography is remarkable, and I am very proud of him.”
Examples of Gamma’s work can be seen online www.ryangammaphotography.com.
Architect Martin Gold, winner of the AIA Florida’s 2016 William G. McMinn Award for Outstanding Contributions to Architectural Education, also has local ties. The Gainesville resident and Venice native is director of the University of Florida’s CityLab-Sarasota master’s degree in architecture program.
