Two from North Carolina among AIA’s 2022 Young Architects Award-Winners
Of the 23 recipients of this year’s national AIA Young Architects Awards, only two are from the Carolinas –- Matt Barnett, AIA, of LS3P‘s Wilmington, N.C. office, and Edwin J. Harris, AIA, of EVOKE Studio | Architecture in Durham, N.C. AIA’s Young Architects Awards honor individuals from across the country who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and made significant contributions to the architecture profession early in their careers.
Meet Matt Barnett, AIA
Driven by the difficult experiences of his youth, Matt Barnett, AIA, aims to provide a voice to those whose circumstances mirror his own. As an architect, he seeks to shape beautiful and compelling spaces that serve the dispossessed because he knows full well what being without space feels like. He has emerged as a leader and a mentor because he is keenly aware of what it’s like to have no one to follow.
Growing up in a 1,000-square-foot single-wide trailer, Barnett had little exposure to art and design. By age 9 he had experienced homelessness, and by age 13 he had experienced jail and expulsion from school. But Barnett, who saw the classroom as one of the most positive aspects of his life, experienced a radical transformation through the guidance of his grandfather, who brought him to work full-time in residential construction and convinced Barnett that college should be his goal.
Barnett is the first person in his family to graduate from college, doing so with a B.Arch from the University of Tennessee in 2015. Always remembering his challenging circumstances, his goal throughout his education was the betterment of others through design. His focus led to six national awards, several leadership positions, and the advancement of AIA’s Freedom by Design program for universities across the country. He also received the University of Tennessee’s highest honor, Torchbearer, in recognition of his academic achievement and commitment to others.
“Matt is unique among our profession’s young leaders. His abundant talent and compassion emerge from adverse beginnings. Matt grew up at times impoverished, housing insecure, and homeless,” Laura L. Miller, AIA, past president of AIA North Carolina, said of Barnett in a letter nominating him for the Young Architects Award. “Matt personifies all that this profession can accomplish. His passion for design and its ability to change communities for the better is unparalleled.”
Since his graduation, Barnett has worked for three of Architect Magazine’s top 10 national design firms: Brooks + Scarpa Architects in Los Angeles; Eldorado in Kansas City, Missouri; and archimania in Memphis. Today, he is a project architect and associate at LS3P in Wilmington, North Carolina, where his energy is focused on community-based projects, research, and engagement. The projects he has been involved with have been recognized with 14 national awards and 40 AIA design awards, highlighting the fact that design excellence has the power to change lives.
In projects like 3435 Main Workforce Housing, the Uganda Women’s and Children’s Clinic, and TRU Colors Brewery Gang Rehabilitation Center, Barnett clearly demonstrates the architect’s role in advocating for all people. His projects also show architecture’s ability to address some of society’s most pressing issues, such as housing inequality and social divisiveness. Much of his portfolio is centered on world-class spaces for those who need them most, and his distinct process examines the larger landscape before bridging the gap between owners, users, and the community.
Since returning to North Carolina, Barnett has been an active member of AIA Wilmington, serving as its 2020 president. During his tenure, he secured four grants to support seven community events and revived the dormant chapter with four new board positions. He was also able to place members on three state committees. As a voting member of the 2020 AIA North Carolina Board of Directors, he advocated for restructuring the board to include NOMA representation and an environmental stewardship directorate. His efforts there led to his appointment as the inaugural chair of AIA North Carolina’s Environmental Stewardship Committee in 2021, where he contributed to more than a dozen learning sessions and formed new alliances with parallel organizations.
“I cannot think of anyone who embodies the premise of this award more than Matt Barnett,” Dr. Michael Hill, AIA, said in a letter. “His dedication to the profession through his involvement in local and regional AIA leadership, his passion for engaging with students and mentoring, and his design ethic, which helps to better the world we live in, shows the true caliber of Matt Barnett.”
Meet Edwin J. Harris, AIA
His design vision firmly set on providing authentic and inspired architecture that improves the lives of those who experience it, Edwin J. Harris, AIA, has assembled an astounding portfolio of work. For more than a decade, Harris has designed culturally significant projects, such as the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta and Emancipation Park in Houston. His concepts are decisive, focused, and rooted in novel concepts, resulting in impactful architecture that serves everyone regardless of means or background.
Architecture completely transformed Harris’ life. Before college, he knew little about design and had never met an architect, but he quickly realized how influential design can be and how few African American architects are engaged in the profession. African American voices were absent from the built environment Harris experienced, resulting in a “design silence” that has formed homogenous cities that are not reflective of all the cultures and perspectives found in them.
When he began school, Harris met Phil Freelon, FAIA, who became Harris’ mentor and whose work has been a model for the young architect. Today, Harris follows in the late Freelon’s footsteps, setting new standards for design excellence and uncovering new pathways to architecture for minority students. Clearly, Harris is passionate about design and architecture, and as his mentor said in an interview with Architectural Digest, he is a “supremely talented architect on the rise.” But his greatest reward is seeing the spark of inspiration and excitement in those who pursue design as they realize its ability to change the world for the better.
“Edwin’s thoughtful and creative designs transcend style or movement and are rooted in the place where the buildings he designs reside,” wrote Andre L. Johnson, AIA, in a letter supporting Harris’ nomination for the Young Architects Award. “Edwin has been responsible for designing projects that have garnered over 30 design awards from the American Institute of Architects. His talent is among the best that I have encountered in my 24 years of practicing architecture.”
Edwin J. Harris, AIA
His design vision firmly set on providing authentic and inspired architecture that improves the lives of those who experience it, Edwin J. Harris, AIA, has assembled an astounding portfolio of work. For more than a decade, Harris has designed culturally significant projects, such as the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta and Emancipation Park in Houston. His concepts are decisive, focused, and rooted in novel concepts, resulting in impactful architecture that serves everyone regardless of means or background.
Architecture completely transformed Harris’ life. Before college, he knew little about design and had never met an architect, but he quickly realized how influential design can be and how few African American architects are engaged in the profession. African American voices were absent from the built environment Harris experienced, resulting in a “design silence” that has formed homogenous cities that are not reflective of all the cultures and perspectives found in them.
When he began school, Harris met Phil Freelon, FAIA, who became Harris’ mentor and whose work has been a model for the young architect. Today, Harris follows in the late Freelon’s footsteps, setting new standards for design excellence and uncovering new pathways to architecture for minority students. Clearly, Harris is passionate about design and architecture, and as his mentor said in an interview with Architectural Digest, he is a “supremely talented architect on the rise.” But his greatest reward is seeing the spark of inspiration and excitement in those who pursue design as they realize its ability to change the world for the better.
“Edwin’s thoughtful and creative designs transcend style or movement and are rooted in the place where the buildings he designs reside,” wrote Andre L. Johnson, AIA, in a letter supporting Harris’ nomination for the Young Architects Award. “Edwin has been responsible for designing projects that have garnered over 30 design awards from the American Institute of Architects. His talent is among the best that I have encountered in my 24 years of practicing architecture.”
Harris is a co-founder and design principal of Durham, North Carolina’s EVOKE Studio, where he oversees projects, including the dynamic Lumbee Tribal Welcome Center in Pembroke, North Carolina. Harris’ design will serve as a new gateway for both the Lumbee Tribe and the town and thoughtfully integrates the region’s unique character and history while remaining authentic to the community it serves. Through his leadership, EVOKE has grown to include a team of 14 professionals whose work ranges from public art to large-scale mixed development. Previously, at The Freelon Group and Perkins+Will, Harris was instrumental in realizing numerous significant projects, positioning himself as a leading designer for the global firm.
Harris has embraced his status as a role model for aspiring professionals and is a professor of practice at his alma mater, North Carolina State University. There he teaches undergraduates, offers career lectures, and engages the next generation of architects in design dialogues. In 2020, the Triangle Business Journal named him to its 40 under 40 list in recognition of his achievements and dedication to community service.
“He is popular among students because of his thoughtfulness as a designer and critic, his rigorous standards, his passion for architecture, and his care for individuals,” wrote David B. Hill, FAIA, professor and head of the School of Architecture at NC State University College of Design, in a letter supporting Harris’ nomination. “Edwin gives our students an optimistic view of how they can drive positive change through design. I think Phil would be proud.”
About AIA Young Architects Awards
AIA members who are in good standing and have been licensed to practice architecture fewer than 10 years by the submission deadline are eligible. The term ‘young architect’ has no reference to the age of the nominee.
About AIA
Founded in 1857, AIA consistently works to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings, neighborhoods, and communities. Through more than 200 international, state and local chapters, AIA advocates for public policies that promote economic vitality and public wellbeing.
AIA provides members with tools and resources to assist them in their careers and business as well as engaging civic and government leaders and the public to find solutions to pressing issues facing our communities, institutions, nation, and world. Members adhere to a code of ethics and conduct to ensure the highest professional standards.
