AIA Awards | WHJ Congratulates The Winners Partner Website

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By Cassidy Mantor

The AIA Idaho Design Awards and the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows Western Mountain Region (AIA COF WMR) awards are intended to generate public awareness of great architecture and commitment to service with the goal of advancing the profession. This fall, the American Institute of Architects–Idaho community gathered in Boise to celebrate the recipients of the AIA Idaho Design Awards and the AIA COF WMR Design Awards.

The AIA COF WMR awards are significant in that they are only surpassed by AIA national awards and comprise the region of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming.

As the premier resource for luxury home architecture in Sun Valley, Western Home Journal is pleased to celebrate our partners’ achievements. We wish them continued success in building our environment in Sun Valley and beyond.

“This exceptional residence appears as fresh today as it was in 1999.”

–Jury, AIA COF WMR Design Awards

Architect Jack Smith FAIA received the AIA COF WMR 25-Year Award for his Eagle Creek residence. The 25-Year Award recognizes an exemplary architectural project that stands the test of time and continues to set standards of excellence for its architectural design and significance, both in its original form and by today’s standards.

According to the jury of the AIA COF WMR awards, “This exceptional residence appears as fresh today as it was in 1999. Its triangulated geometries and pyramidal roofscape capture the landscape around, drawing it from the outside in—and then back out again. The interiors are dramatic while simultaneously exuding warmth and welcome. Eagle Creek stands the test of time and is in every way worthy of this award.”

Jack Smith FAIA is both a practitioner and an educator. His career spans seven decades. He has designed notable projects including the Snowbird ski resort. He was the recipient of the inaugural AIA COF WMR Silver Medal in 2024. He also received the AIA–Idaho Gold Medal of Honor in 2023 for his “body of work, lasting contributions, theory, and practice in the field of architecture.” In 1996, he was elevated to a Fellow of the College of Fellows of the AIA, a national honor bestowed on just 3% of licensed architects.

Architect Susan Desko AIA received the AIA COF WMR Silver Medal. This Silver Medal recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to the Institute, the Profession, the Community, and the Citizens of the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows Western Mountain Region and who has transcended local boundaries in making these contributions.

In addition to her prominent work as a practicing architect in Idaho, Susan Desko has devoted much of her career to teaching and mentoring young architects. Educated at Georgia Tech and the Harvard GSD, she collaborated early in her career with Mack Scogin and Merrill Elam. She taught at Auburn University in the highly regarded and influential Rural Studio. Since arriving in Idaho 25 years ago, she has continued to teach and mentor through her practice and has produced notable published work. She is featured on the Forbes “America’s Best-in-State Residential Architects 2025” list.

Susan Desko is an internationally recognized architect who moved to Sun Valley and established her architectural practice in 2000. Her first Sun Valley project, The Steel House, has become a local iconic architectural gem and was the recipient of a Merit Award from the AIA Pacific Northwest Region in 2005. A former Design Architect for Frank Gehry in Los Angeles, Susan is featured in the award-winning 2002 documentary film, A Constructive Madness (wherein Frank Gehry and Peter Lewis spend a fortune and a decade, end up with nothing, and change the world).

Farmer Payne Architects received three AIA Idaho awards. They received the AIA-Idaho Honor Award for First Chair, their office building in downtown Ketchum, Idaho. The project was led by Scott Payne, Principal, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB, Aaron Belzer, Associate Director of Design, AIA, and Mitchell Frey, Project Manager. The contractor was KMV Builders, and the team of engineers includes structural engineer Murar Engineering, civil engineer Galena Engineering, and MEP engineer Musgrove Engineering.

Farmer Payne received a second AIA-Idaho Honor Award for LRN, a residential project in Sun Valley, Idaho, with stunning vignettes offering expansive views and moments of intimacy. LRN is a unique, contemporary, energy-efficient home on a coveted site close to town with breathtaking 360-degree views that do not exist for new residential homes in the area. Armed with a desire to maximize the views, Farmer Payne was challenged to design a home that was unified with the landscape. The inconspicuous flat roof, use of Gabion walls filled with bedrock excavated from the site, and sleek interiors creates a luxurious mountain oasis only minutes from the bustling town below. This home was also led by Scott Payne and Aaron Belzer, with interiors from Tory Hinson. Collaborators included contractor Hall Brown and structural engineer Liv Jensen Engineering.

Farmer Payne’s third AIA Idaho award was a Citation for Pioneer Ranch in Hailey, Idaho. This home is a testament to the seamless integration of rustic charm and contemporary elegance. The residence is adorned with authentic hand-hewn heavy timber and stone with big grout joints reminiscent of Old World craftsmanship, imparting a warm and lived-in feel appropriate for a full-time family residence. The strategic orientation of every element from the flex room and powder room to the kitchen is purposefully designed to capture breathtaking views of the Pioneer Mountains and the adjacent pastures where horses will graze, embodying the essence of a contemporary ranch. The home is bathed in natural light, creating a cozy yet spacious ambiance. Payne and Belzer again led the architectural efforts, along with interiors from Suede Studio. Landscape architect BYLA, contractor Sawtooth Construction, and Frost Structural Engineering made this modern ranch possible.

Farmer Payne Architects is a boutique residential architecture firm with studios in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Sun Valley, Idaho, and Shreveport, Louisiana. They are known for creating luxury residential architecture, cutting-edge commercial architecture, and interior design. Their thoughtfully designed spaces and forms are unique yet unobtrusive, fresh yet refined. Each project is informed by place in consideration of the surrounding landscape, weather, and regional influences. They were named to Forbes Best-in-State Residential Architects 2025 list, are on the Forbes Top 200 Residential Architects in America list, and were also named a “Best Small Firm” top five finalist by global architecture competition Architizer.

GALCZYNSKI Farmer Payne Architects received an Award of Honor from the AIA College of Fellows Western Mountain Region for the Snow King Observatory located in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Observatory is the first in North America to feature a public 1-meter telescope at the summit of a ski resort. With an administrative mission to inspire curiosity, ignite passion, and spark the imagination of future generations, the observatory houses a Plane-wave telescope, a 37-seat planetarium theater, and interactive exhibits. Accessible by gondola or a hike, the Snow King Observatory is a one-of-a-kind destination, inviting all to explore the wonders of the universe from one of the most stunning vistas in the United States. The team included Lead Designer Jakub Galczynski, Architect Jamie Farmer, Structure Engineer Tectonic Design, MEP Engineer Energy 1, Civil Engineer Nelson Engineering, and Ormond Builders.

GALCZYNSKI is a research-driven design practice led by Jakub Galczynski, inspired by rugged landscapes, history, and community character. Galczynski’s projects integrate artistic expression with responsible design choices, underscoring the importance of mindful creation in today’s world. Snow King Observatory began as a passion project between Galczynski and astronomer Samuel Singer and is an example of the firm’s environmental and sustainability-driven work that demonstrates how design can meaningfully contribute to ecological awareness. In the early stages of design, it became evident that most U.S.-based observatories were conceived for research rather than public engagement. Accordingly, the emphasis on Snow King Observatory’s architectural composition was akin to designing an art museum, prioritizing strong composition that sparks curiosity and invites visitors to engage with astronomy.

Architect Neil Wright’s Whiting/Palmedo House received the AIA-Idaho 25 Year Building Award. Located in Sun Valley, Idaho, this project was designed by architect Neil Morrison Wright, AIA (no relation to Frank Lloyd Wright). Designed to be a second home in the country for its owners, the Whiting House has poured-in-place concrete with modernist influences. Built in 1976, the Whiting family owned it from 1976 through 2009. The Palmedo family are the present owners who acquired it in 2009.

The AIA-Idaho 25 Year Building Award is given to a building completed 25-35 years ago that was designed by a U.S.-licensed architect. It must remain in a substantially completed good condition without fundamental alteration from its original intent. Architectural excellence, functional execution, and creativity in today’s context are key factors for the award.

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