The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has recognized Columbus, Ohio–based firm Moody Nolan with its 2021 Architecture Firm Award. The organization has also honored Edward Mazria, founder of the Architecture 2030 Challenge, with the 2021 Gold Medal. Together, the two prizes represent the AIA’s top honors.

In 1983, architect Curt Moody and engineer Howard E. Nolan founded Moody Nolan. Today, with more than 230 employees in 11 offices around the country, the firm is the largest Black-owned architecture firm in the U.S., ranking 57th on Architectural Record’s Top Firms list this year. Jonathan Moody, Curt’s son, was named CEO in early 2020. Recent projects of note include the Malcolm X College and School of Health Sciences in Chicago and Martin Luther King Branch Library in Columbus, Ohio.

“Moody Nolan has a long history of serving clients with a keen knowledge of cultural sensitivities as well as a deep understanding of the impact its work has on individuals and communities,” the AIA said in a statement.

Edward Mazria, the 2021 AIA Gold Medal winner, has spent his career working to raise awareness of—and combat—the climate crisis from inside the profession. The Santa Fe, New Mexico–based architect helped found the AIA’s Committee on the Environment over 20 years ago and, more recently, launched Architecture 2030, a nonprofit advocating for the carbon neutrality of all new buildings and major renovations by the year 2030. The AIA’s 2030 Commitment supports Mazria’s emissions goals.

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