2012 Design Pittsburgh Jury

Rainy Hamilton Jr., FAIA, NOMA
Lead Juror
Hamilton Anderson Associates
Detroit, MI

Rainy Hamilton Jr. is the founding principal of Hamilton Anderson Associates, and a native of Detroit, MI. Mr. Hamilton began as a sole practitioner in 1993, eventually partnering with Kent Anderson, taking on 70+ employees. Thanks to HAA’s extensive work with MGM MIRAGE, a second office was opened in Las Vegas in 2006. HAA was part of a large, international team of architects and engineers working on Project City Center, the largest privately financed construction project in the United States. In 2008, Hamilton Anderson Associates opened a third office in New Orleans, assisting with the rebuilding and recovery effort to bring the city back to its pre-Katrina glory. In 1999, Hamilton was appointed by Governor John Engler to serve on the Michigan Board of Architects, and in 2000 he was appointed to serve on the Michigan Board of Land Surveyors.  Rainy became President of the Detroit Chapter of the American Institute of Architects in 2001, the first African American to serve in this position. Rainy has been active with the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), winning their most prestigious, national building design awards the last four years; he also spearheaded the formation of the NOMA Detroit Chapter.

Celeste Allen Novak, AIA, LEED AP
celeste allen novak architect pllc
Detroit, MI

Celeste Allen Novak is principal of celeste allen novak arcitect pllc, and is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability, and green building systems and materials. Her publications include numerous articles for Architectural Record and Green Source magazine. She is currently working on a book on rainwater harvesting to be published in 2013. Celeste is an adjunct professor at Lawrence Technological University teaching graduate studios in sustainable design and environmental issues. She also teaches urban design and visual communications at Michigan State University. She has participated in NAAB accreditation teams that include: University of Nebraska, The Art Academy of San Francisco, and Temple University. She was President of AIA Michigan, and as a member of the national AIA board and SDIG task force, she was influential in developing the AIA’s 2030 positions on sustainability. In 2008, she presented the SDAT program to an international audience in Hong Kong at ICONUS08. She is current chair of AIA Michigan’s COTE committee. In May, 2012, she was awarded the AIA Michigan’s Gold Medal.

Craig L. Wilkins, PhD, AIA, ARA
Detroit Community Design Center
Detroit, MI

Dr. Craig L. Wilkins is the director of the Detroit Community Design Center, as well as a lecturer on architecture and urban planning.  He has also written extensively on these topics. His most recent publication, The Aesthetics of Equity: Notes on Race, Space, Architecture and Music (University of Minnesota Press, 2007) has been recognized with numerous awards, including the prestigious 2008 Montaigne Medal for Best New Writing, the 2009 National Indie Excellence Award Winner in the Social Change category, and was a finalist in the Education/Academic category. His forthcoming book, Activist Architecture: A Field Guide to Community-Based Practice (Princeton Architectural Press, 2010) will focus on the philosophy and practice of community design centers. Dr. Wilkins is also the recent recipient of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, 2008 Collaborative Practice Award, as well as a 2009 Access to Artistic Excellence Design Stewardship Award from the National Endowment of the Arts.