Quinn Evans project and team members received notable honors at the 2022 Richmond AIA Honors and Awards ceremony held on October 6. Retired principal, Rob Comet, AIA, LEED AP was awarded the Marcellus Wright Jr. Award, Brian Gore, Assoc. AIA, LEED GA received the Sunday Prize for Technical Drawing, and the Humanities Building at the University of Richmond won an Honorable Mention in the Contextual Design Category.
The Marcellus Wright Jr. Award is considered the Chapter’s highest individual award. It is given in honor of one of the Chapter’s founding members, Marcellus Wright, Jr. by the Chapter Board, based on nominations by the Honors Committee, to a long time Chapter member who has demonstrated continuous service to the profession through their work. “Winning the Marcellus Wright Jr. Award upon my retirement was a nice capstone to my career. As the highest individual award by AIA Richmond, my local chapter showed my work and efforts were recognized,” says Comet. “I was personally gratified I had the honor of working mostly in my hometown, designing buildings that impacted people and my community. They all still stand today, serving their communities.”
Rob served as president for BCWH for 30 years and oversaw the firm’s merge with Quinn Evans in 2018 before his retirement in2021. His professional focus, beyond firm leadership, was in feasibility studies and planning, renovation and historic preservation. Significant projects included the renovations to the Capitol of Virginia, renovations to the Weinstein Jewish Community Center, renovations to the Maggie L. Walker Governors School, the recent Westover Headquarters for Maymont Foundation, and multiple projects for the Boy Scout and Cub Scout Camps of the Heart of Virginia Council. His service with the AIA has included leadership roles with both the AIA Richmond and AIA Virginia, from which he received the Award for Distinguished Service. Rob holds a B.S. in Architecture (1976) from the University of Virginia, and a Master of Architecture (1979) from the University of Michigan.
Brian has been a Staff Designer with Quinn Evans since 2021.He receives the Alice Lehmen Sunday Prize in Technical Drawing months after being selected for the AIA Virginia 2022 Emerging Leaders in Architecture cohort. “It’s exciting to receive the award. The primary focus in my career, as a designer, is to make a positive and lasting impact on people through the built environment,” says Gore. “It's also really cool to have work that is celebrated among my peers in the design community!” The Alice Lehmen Sunday Prize was created to elevate the level of drawing and design thinking within the Richmond architectural community, and is available in the sketch, presentation, and technical drawing categories.
Brian’s notable projects include the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences Oyster Hatchery and the Humanities Building at the University of Richmond. He holds a B.S. in Architecture (2018) from Fairmont State University, and a Master of Architecture (2020) from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
The Humanities Building at the University of Richmond (formerly known as Ryland Hall) won an Honorable Mention in the Contextual Design Category. As one of the first buildings on the University of Richmond campus, the former Ryland Hall opened in 1914 and served as the campus center for Richmond College, including the University’s library, president and administrative offices and classrooms. Quinn Evans’ renovation and restoration design creates a sense of community and connection for faculty, students, and visitors with the addition of several new entrance points that connect between levels. Additionally, the accessibility improvements provided a new elevator and restroom facilities with access to all.
