University President John T. Casteen, III received with the Virginia Society American Institute of Architecture's Distinguished Service Award at a gala in Richmond on Friday.
The award, the most prestigious public award given by the AIA, honors a person or organization that has inspired, influenced or complemented the architecture profession in Virginia.
Casteen was nominated by Architecture Prof. Kenneth Schwartz on behalf of the Central Virginia chapter of the AIA. In his nomination letter, Schwartz, an AIA Fellow, praised Casteen's leadership of the University and its architectural endeavors.
"John T. Casteen, III's contribution to Virginia architecture as a client and institutional leader includes his preservation of the University of Virginia's architectural inheritance, his vision in building for the future, his commitment to the utility and beauty of new University buildings, and his insistence on effective academic and infrastructural planning," Schwartz said.
Casteen said he thinks the award is for everyone involved in University architecture projects, not just himself.
"In a sense, I have worked on the [rebuilding of] the Law School or the Harrison Institute building, but in truth, the major and more serious work is done by the Board members, architects, deans and others who have daily responsibility for our projects," Casteen said. "So I took this to be an award for many people and not for me personally."
During his 14 years with the University, Casteen has made substantial changes. One of the most important improvements to the University, Casteen said, has been the establishment of the Architect to the University.
"This is the person most responsible for change in the future," Schwartz said. "By establishing the position of 'Architect of the University' in the early 1990s, he set in motion a new approach to master planning and design oversight at a time when extensive new University projects began to emerge from drawing boards."
Architectural History Prof. Richard Guy Wilson, author of an architectural guide to University buildings, expressed the same sentiment.
"He foresaw ... some of the problems that were cropping and established the position of the University Architect," Wilson said. "I think that President Casteen recognized that the way decisions were made on buildings wasn't really right. They were last-minute kind of things. You need to have something a little more long range. The historical buildings have been respected."
Under Casteen's leadership, the University has invested $735 million in remodeling, renovations and new buildings, which include Hereford College and a major expansion to Scott Stadium. In addition, the school currently is investing more than $310 million in projects now under construction and planning.
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