Today, The American Institute of Architects recognized Robert D. Eisenstat, FAIA, and Paul D. Mankins, FAIA, with the 2022 AIA Award for Excellence in Public Architecture, honoring both as “individuals who design distinguished public facilities and advocate for design excellence,” according to the Institute's award description. Read more about the accomplishments of Eisenstat and Mankins below.
Robert D. Eisenstat
After earning his B. Arch. in 1976 from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY., Eisenstat's early career included 15 years of private practice in the U.S. and Brazil. In 1990, Eisenstat joined the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, helping enhance the New York City region's public realm. In 2013, Eisenstat became the chief architect of Port Authority, overseeing projects aimed at transforming the area's public transportation and neighborhoods.
In his tenure, Eisenstat has served on the LaGuardia Airport Redevelopment Program selection committee, a $3.6 billion effort to modernize one of the country’s busiest airports, and supervised expansive projects, including a $10 billion master plan revamp the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Eisenstat also led transportation planning for downtown Manhattan and spearheaded the reintroduction of the city's PATH commuter rail service at the World Trade Center.
From 2007 onward, Eisenstat has co-chaired AIA New York’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, championing well-designed infrastructure and fostering connections between design leaders and technical experts.
Paul D. Mankins
An Iowa native and principal at the Des Moines, Iowa–based firm Substance Architecture, Mankins earned his B. Arch. from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, and his M. Arch. from Yale University in 1991. Following his graduate studies Mankins returned to Des Moines and began work with Herbert Lewis Kruse Blunck Architecture. He joined Substance in 2004 and today, in his role as principle, oversees impactful projects including the Des Moines Principal Riverwalk Pavilion and Pump Station, a pair of buildings that helped revitalize the city's river waterfront.
Mankins also played an instrumental role in Substance's work to re-envision the city's public library system, facilitating an open design process that encouraged patron engagement through community sessions and voting rounds. The project, a collaboration with David Chipperfield Associates, resulted in a 150,000-square-foot central library that became a cornerstone for the larger library system.
Mankins has also collaborated with artists throughout his career, earning him a position on the Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation board of trustees in 2004, eventually becoming its president and an emeritus board member. In addition to working as an educator and studio instructor at Iowa State University, Mankins served as the AIA central states regional director from 2009 to 2011.
See more winners of the 2022 AIA Awards here.
This post has been updated to reflect that Paul Mankins worked as an educator at Iowa State University, not the University of Iowa.
