Dwain Recognized for 40 Years

At last week’s AIA Northeast Illinois Design Awards Gala, our CEO and co-founder Dwain Lutzow was recognized for 40 years as an active member of the American Institute of Architects.

Here is what they had to say:

Dwain A. Lutzow, AIA, NCARB – CEO

Dwain Lutzow has served as CEO of DLA Architects since 1983. The firm’s portfolio includes, among others, commercial projects, cultural spaces, and educational facilities. Under Lutzow’s leadership, the firm has developed a strong focus on the design of public spaces, most notably K12 schools for which it ranks 29 in the nation according to the BD+C Giants 300 Report.

Advancing the profession has been important to Lutzow throughout his career. He has been a member of the AIA since 1978. He has held all executive positions in the Northeast Illinois Chapter, including president. He has chaired and served on numerous committees within the chapter. As chairman of Historic Resources Committee for the Northeast Illinois Chapter, Lutzow authored the Chapter Position Paper on “Proposed Repeal of E.R.T.A. Tax Program” and as chairman of the Office Practice Committee for the Northeast Illinois Chapter, he authored the State Position Paper on “Building Energy Performance Standards.”

In 2005, Lutzow was appointed by the American Institute of Architects Illinois Chapter to represent architects in the prestigious Illinois State Legislative School Plan Reviews and Inspections Task Force, Public Act 94-0225 due to his depth and length of experience in school planning and architecture. Since 1995 he has served on the Illinois Capital Development Board Advisory Committee. His numerous other professional affiliations and publications have made him a resource for the State of Illinois, House of Representatives – House Education Committee, where he has served as an Expert Witness in Legislative Hearings on School Reforms.

His work has received numerous accolades, including a Special Publisher’s Commendation Award from Learning By Design magazine and a special Citation in the Sports Stadiums/Athletic Facilities category in the American School & University magazine Architectural Portfolio. In 2004, Lutzow received the Architects in Action 2004 Honor Awards:  Outstanding Professional from the AIA Northeast Illinois.

Lutzow holds a B.Arch. from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He was instrumental in the creation of the DLA Architects [THINK] about architecture Scholarship, awarded annually to students who successfully communicate how the architectural design of their school impacted their education. To date, the scholarship has offered over a quarter million dollars in college scholarships to area high school students.”

AIA Northeast Illinois

Notable projects Dwain has worked on include: