The End is Near
Image generated on OpenArt.
45 days left before the AIA Fellowship submission deadline.
The journey is daunting. At this point, it may seem like the end is coming too quickly.
For AIA Architects with 10 cumulative years of membership and a story to tell (with tangible evidence) of how they have made a difference for other beyond the standards of practice, the path from being recommended for Fellowship, or deciding you want to pursue it, can at times seem unnavigable. Now, as the deadline nears, you may wonder if you, your brain, and any supporters working with you can make it all come together in the time available .
Is your submission at 75%? 85%? September should be a month for refinement:
The story is told.
The submission’s graphic design is final.
The images are almost all in place.
The online submission form is nearly complete.
All references have been contacted and are ready to go; if you’re lucky, the AIA has received a few.
Photographers contacted for permissions.
Photo credit PDF laid out and ready for those last images.
Or maybe you are at 50%… This makes that stretch of darkness between now and October 9th a bit scarier. But, trust me, that distance has been navigated successfully before.
Did anyone notice the changes to the AIA’s “Fellowship: 2025 Application Guidelines & Recommendations?” Here’s a brief recap:
New: 2.0 Curriculum Vitae finally formalizes what some nominees have included for years: a page of education and experience that mirrors some information placed in the online submission platform.
New 2.4 Speaking & Presentations helps de-muddy Section 2.1 Significant work by moving this important evidence of sharing with others to its own section.
Recommendation that you run your submission through a “contrast checker” (misspelled in the version I downloaded as “contract checker”), which is all about ensuring legibility. Too faint or fine fonts and blurry images are usually the problems here.
New formalized criteria for 3.0 Exhibits, “Project Aspects,” requires/ recommends Exhibit Descriptive Data include specifics related to the AIA Framework for Design Excellence. While reference to the Framework has been around for a while, this change gives a greater priority to these aspects of project work. The AIA’s infographic on the Framework is incredibly helpful in highlighting the different ways a project may align.
Or maybe you are at <50%. Consider punting for a year to give yourself the time and space to get to the heart of your story, gather the best evidence and data to illustrate all you’ve done, and assimilate all that it means.
Remember, Fellowship in the AIA College of Fellows comes from doing really good things for the profession, for architecture, and for others. Telling your story well, with all the right evidence and data to make the results of your work clear to everyone, can be professionally and personally game-changing. You know how I hate clichés, but over and over again I hear from clients that the process of getting an “F” and the knowledge gained mean as much as the extra letter in the acronym. It brings new perspective on what you do, how you do it, and why it matters to the profession and to the communities we serve. So, I get to use a cliché now and again if it works.
