UK Alumna Receives 2018 AIA Young Architects Award

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 29, 2018) — Erin Sterling Lewis, 2002 graduate of University of Kentucky’s School of Architecture in the College of Design, is one of only 18 recipients of the 2018 Young Architects Awards administered and funded by the American Institute of Architects’ College of Fellows.

The award, now in its 25th year, honors those who have demonstrated significant contributions to the architecture profession early in their careers and have shown exceptional leadership in the field. Young architects are classified as those who have been professionals licensed 10 years or fewer regardless of their age.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) North Carolina Center for Architecture and Design opened in January 2011 where Lewis has made a significant impact in its programming and outreach initiatives. She is chair of the center’s program committee working on a tight budget to create programming that is reflective of architects’ values. ACTIVATE, for example, is one of her public outreach efforts implemented across the entire state that presents a three-day design conference, housing competitions, charrettes and several community events.

Lewis co-founded in situ studio in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 2010. Her firm’s projects include: the Museum of Life and Science Woodland Classroom near Durham, North Carolina, and the Museum Park Visitor Center for the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh. Previously she worked as an architect at Frank Harmon Architect, where she was the design and project manager for AIA North Carolina’s new headquarters.

Beyond her work with the firm and the AIA, Lewis regularly speaks on design and architecture. She has lectured and taught at the North Carolina School of Design and was one of Wake County Library’s Modern Architecture Summer Series speakers. Her work has largely impacted North Carolina and inspired many other architects.