AIA Philadelphia Bestows Young Architect Award

The award recognizes past accomplishments and future promise.

by Mairi Beautyman -- Interior Design, 11/2/2005

On October 22, the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Philadelphia Chapter celebrated its annual awards ceremony. Todd Eric Drake, director of architecture and senior associate with architecture, engineering, planning, and interior design firm Ballinger, is this year’s winner of the Young Architect Award. The award recognizes a young architect’s past accomplishments as well as future promise.

For the firm, which specializes in designing projects for academic, healthcare and corporate research clients, Drake spearheads major projects, working closely with Ballinger principals. In 16 years of practice, he has gained experience in a wide range of projects including corporate, planning, multi-family housing, and private residential. The architect and designer has also been recognized and awarded by colleagues and peers for the design of major university, corporate, and research facilities.

Throughout his career, Drake has worked with several community organizations--including the Charter High School for Architecture & Design, city leaders and neighborhood associations such as SOSSNA (South of South Street Neighborhood Association, SOCCA (South of Cobb’s Creek Association), and CPDC (Central Philadelphia Development Corporation)--supporting planning and design initiatives and providing educational opportunities for design students.

“It is so easy to overlook the exceptional talents of a young architect working in a larger office,” says Peter Saylor, FAIA, who presented the award to Drake. Drake’s project’s, he adds, “show evidence of care, determination, systemic clarity, material integrity, technical resolve, and collaboration which has earned him awards and recognition from peers and colleagues.”