ACADIA Awards Announced

The Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture has announced the recipients of ACADIA awards for excellence. Inaugurated in 1998, the ACADIA Award of Excellence is one of the highest awards that can be achieved in the field of architectural computing. It represents recognition, by colleagues and peers worldwide, of consistent contributions and cumulative impact on the field over the course of a career. At most one award is presented each year in each category, to an individual whose work, in the eyes of the awards review committee, provides evidence of exceptional and innovative achievement.

The ACADIA Award for Emerging Digital Practice has been awarded to Fabian Scheurer. Fabian Scheurer is a computer scientist with Design to Production—an interdisciplinary consultancy for the digital production of complex architectural designs based in Zurich.

One of Design to Production‘s projects was to form the “master geometry” for UN Studio’s Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart.

Design to Production implemented a parametric 3D-model of the whole museum building to coordinate all the subsequent planning steps of the numerous trades involved.


The ACADIA Award for Innovative Research has been awarded to Professor Robert Woodbury. Dr. Woodbury was the founding Chair of the Graduate Program in the School of Interactive Arts and Technology at SFU and a founding member of the Master of Digital Media program jointly offered by four Vancouver institutions.

Thesis at School of Interactive Arts and Technology: Modeling and Simulating the Role of Fear in Pedestrian Navigation, researched by Andrew Park (Ph.D. Candidate)

Graduate student project at School of Interactive Arts and Technology: 3D Spacial Learning by David Milam


The ACADIA Award for Innovative Academic Program has been awarded to Professor Michael Weinstock. Professor Weinstock is the Academic Head of the Architectural Association, London, and co-director of AA’s Emergent Technologies program.

Emergent Technologies Projects: Evolutionary Algorithms by Andreas Harris-Aguirre & Onur Suraka Ozkaya

Emergent Technologies Projects: Crassula Columnella by Gabriel Sanchiz Garin & Elke Pedal Baertl

Emergent Technologies Projects: Biomimetics: The Crab by Yi Wen Chen & Christy Widjaja


The ACADIA Society Award has been awarded to Professor Tom Maver. Professor Maver is currently Research Professor in the Mackintosh School of Architecture at the Glasgow School of Architecture and is an Emeritus Professor of the University of Strathclyde.

Mackintosh School of Architecture project: Katchryn Whatmore, 5th year student

Mackintosh School of Architecture project: Chinese Culture Exchange by Tom Turner


All the award winners will be honored at the 2008 ACADIA Conference to be held at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis from October 16-19, 2008.

ACADIA was formed in 1981 for the purpose of facilitating communication and critical thinking regarding the use of computers in architecture, planning and building science.