Robert L. Brown Jr., FAIA
The Rothschild Award is the highest honor that AIA Georgia can bestow on an individual, alive or deceased. This award is in honor of Bernard B. Rothschild FAIA who served the profession at many levels through his leadership and active participation throughout his career. The award is awarded in recognition of the most distinguished service to the profession of Architecture in the State of Georgia by an architect who exemplifies the principles of the profession.
Robert L. Brown, Jr. FAIA has compiled an exemplary record of public service during his career, impacting how the entire profession is practiced in Georgia. Mr. Brown earned his architecture degree from Tuskegee University, establishing his firm R.L. Brown & Associates in 1984. His role as a true Citizen Architect includes leadership positions with the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Historical Society, Southern Polytechnic State University, and Agnes Scott. But perhaps his most significant contribution has been in setting the direction of the Georgia Department of Transportation, serving as its chair in 2016-17, and on the Board of Commissioners for more than a decade. Highlights of his design portfolio include iconic work on the campuses of Morehouse College and Tuskegee. Mr. Brown was elevated to the AIA College of Fellows in 1999. He is also widely respected for a commitment to mentoring upcoming generations of architects, with many of them now in important leadership roles in the profession in Georgia. For these reasons—a commitment to civic leadership, education, and mentorship, he is eminently deserving of the recognition for the 2017 AIA Georgia Bernard B. Rothschild award.
