Heidi Metcalf (MArch 2019) Awarded AIA Henry Adams Medal and Certificate

Congratulations to Heidi Metcalf (MArch 2019) for being awarded the AIA Henry Adams Medal and Certificate for displaying excellence throughout her academic career at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Before attending SAIC, Heidi received her Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree with a minor in Digital Media from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. She then worked in Baltimore, DC, San Francisco, and Chicago where she experienced design challenges that spanned various architectural typologies. Investigating space at a variety of scales, her academic works have revolved around the ways that people respond to space and create place. Examples of this have included possible designed interpretations of global stakeholders for national institutions, the relationship of architecture and forced migration, challenging Chicago’s invisible urban boundaries, and the implications of craft on design.

Heidi's thesis work brought together data and architecture through a design research methodology incorporating social media, mapping, and diagramming for the sake of  conceptual clarity in the design process. These works, and four years working within the architectural profession, have led Heidi to confront commonly accepted over-generalizations, industry standards, and redundant concepts by approaching each project through research and understanding at a personal level. In the fall of 2019 Heidi will be returning to SAIC as a part-time lecturer in the AIADO Department. 

In Fall 2019, the AIADO Department interviewed current students about how they came to be at SAIC, which courses have shaped their work, how the city of Chicago influences their research and practice, and more. Read Heidi's interview here.