Description

AIA President Stephen Smith announced that Kristen A. G. Schleick, AIA would be honored as Young Architect of the Year at its annual Celebration of Architecture on May 2 in Plymouth at the Inn at St. John’s. The Young Architect Award is given to an individual, who is under 40 years of age, in recognition of proficiency and exceptional accomplishment and has made significant contributions to the profession in an early stage of their career.

Kristen Schleick's accomplishments include earning a dual Masters in Architecture and Urban Planning from the University of Michigan, serving as Planning Commissioner in the City of Ann Arbor and holding leadership roles with the American Institute of Architects and the American Planning Association, all before the age of 35. Currently, she is president of the Huron Valley Chapter of The American Institute of Architects.

Professionally, she is an Associate and Project Architect/ Planner with Ann Arbor firm, Hobbs+Black Associates and has worked on some interesting projects like a Synagogue in Toledo and the Fort Shelby renovation project in Detroit.

Her efforts are community based, illustrated by her commitment to education and advocacy, public service as well as her investment in architecture and urban planning. She is especially interested in public spaces that people use every day and bridging the gap between the city and individual buildings. Schleick has always been fascinated with buildings because they provide the space "to live and work in art at its highest form."

In addition to her degrees in architecture and planning, she also has a degree in Japanese that included a year abroad to study in Hikone. Schleick was raised in Birmingham and now lives in Ann Arbor.

The American Institute of Architects Michigan, headquartered in the historic Beaubien House across from the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit, established its awards program to bring to public attention the value and importance of architectural excellence and to recognize those whose notable achievements encourage all to make excellence in architecture the standard.