Architects Present Awards

An educator, two Southland architects and two Los Angeles-based nonprofit groups have won service awards from the California Council of the American Institute of Architects.

The council makes the awards each year to people or agencies who have made outstanding contributions to architecture, their communities or the environment.

Osamu A. Wakita won the “excellence in education” award for writing architecture textbooks now used in more than 200 colleges and universities. He has taught architectural and technical skills to about 10,000 students.

Architect Arnold Ross Stalk of the Los Angeles Family Housing Corp. won the “community assistance” award for his efforts to provide low-cost housing. He has been involved in a variety of projects, from play areas for children who live on Skid Row to shelters for homeless families.

Gregg Ander, who has worked on hundreds of Southland commercial and industrial buildings, garnered the “corporate architect” award for his commitment to help others learn more about the job of an architect. He is an adjunct professor at Cal Poly Pomona.

The “distinguished service citation” went to the design committee of the AIA’s Los Angeles chapter for its role in shaping public policy. The group has worked on several local projects and also assists the city planning department.

The historic-preservation award went to the Los Angeles Conservancy for its efforts to make people more aware of the importance of preserving old buildings.