Mark Ryan Elevated to AIA College of Fellows

The American Institute of Architects has elevated Mark Ryan, principal at Treanor, to its prestigious College of Fellows. Less than three percent of the architecture profession achieve this distinction, making this an exciting honor for Mark, our firm and the industry at large.

The College of Fellows is AIA’s highest honor, denoting exceptional work and contributions to architecture and society. It is granted to a select group of architects who have:

• Produced distinguished design
• Made notable contributions to the practice of architecture
• Led professional organizations
• Made notable contributions in public service or government organizations
• Served the public through alternative careers or volunteer work
• Advanced the standards of architectural training and education

“I can’t think of many architects more deserving of the AIA’s fellowship recognition than Mark Ryan,” said Dan Rowe, Treanor’s President. “In every collaboration with Mark in the twenty-plus years I’ve known him, he consistently exemplifies the balance of the poetic and the pragmatic. We at Treanor are proud to have him championing design, mentoring, and collaborating. I am honored to call him a friend.”

With a passion for the values that good architecture transmits to the broader community, Mark employs a sensitive, impactful design approach, most notably his exemplary work on behalf of troubled kids. Equally passionate is his longstanding commitment to education and his strong, enthusiastic voice for the role of architecture within the larger community. He invests in the next generation of practitioners through teaching engagements at local universities and architecture programs across the country as well as his active involvement in the AIA. Mark believes in the art-of-the-possible, and his convictions toward the positive impact of design are contagious as he advocates for our most vulnerable populations.

A few of Mark’s notable contributions to the practice of architecture include:

• 21 AIA Design Awards, including 13 AIA Academy of Architecture for Justice award-winning projects focused on troubled kids—three of which received Citation Awards, the highest honor given by the Academy
• International design influence with work helping Victoria and the Northern Territory, Australia, rethink their juvenile systems in order to cultivate new ways of addressing underserved, at-risk populations
• An ongoing relationship with The Design School at Arizona State University, teaching both graduate and undergraduate courses
• Continued involvement in the AIA, nationally and locally, in support of effective knowledge sharing and overlap between the profession and the community. In 2019, he was the recipient of the AIA Arizona Architects Medal.

Mark Ryan worked in collaboration with Treanor for over 15 years before joining as a principal in 2019. He elevates our overall design emphasis and philosophy. His efforts, on a broad mix of building types, helps support and further our mission to bring about real, meaningful and impactful change to the projects we produce.