Nate Eudaly, Hon. AIA, is a 2024 recipient of Honorary Membership. As its executive director for more than 20 years, Eudaly has positioned the Dallas Architecture Forum as an international design exchange that connects the city with the rest of the world.
One of North Texas’ most prominent voices, Nate Eudaly, Hon. AIA, has helped transform Dallas into an architecturally mindful city, continually enlightening the profession and the public at large. As its executive director for more than 20 years, Eudaly has positioned the Dallas Architecture Forum as an international design exchange that connects the city with the rest of the world.
The forum gathers thought leaders in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, design, and urbanism to foster critical dialogue and educational opportunities concerning the world’s most pressing issues. Featured presenters include a long list of Pritzker and Pulitzer prize winners, as well as AIA and ASLA gold medal recipients. Throughout his tenure, Eudaly has led the forum in organizing over 215 lectures , 100 panel discussions, and 60 special events that have reached more than 70,000 people. As a result of Eudaly’s vision and efforts, the forum has been recognized with an AIA Collaborative Achievement Award, a citation of honor from the Texas Society of Architects, and an AIA Dallas Community Honor Award.
The forum’s lecture series speakers hail from or have completed projects in every continent. They offer their audiences opportunities to discover work in underserved communities in developed nations as well as projects in developing countries. Eudaly works closely with the forum’s programming committee chair to develop the seasonal slate of speakers, relying on an evaluation framework that includes numerous key elements from AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence.
The variety of speakers and projects, which span small-scale residential to significant master plans, bolsters the insight and empathy of lecture attendees while simultaneously highlighting the challenges and opportunities facing communities worldwide. Similarly, the forum’s free monthly panel discussions, the audience for which has grown significantly throughout Eudaly’s leadership, focus on important topics such as climate change, design justice, and preservation in the nation’s cities.
Eudaly is a vital contributor to Columns, AIA Dallas’ award-winning magazine, having penned more than 30 articles and critiques. He also conceived and produced, with a small team of the forum’s board members, Dallas Modern, a monograph that highlights 20 residences in the city that exemplify modern Dallas living at its finest. Eudaly was the primary author and co-design director for the monograph, which is a timeless and vibrant tribute to rigorous architectural design.
Through his role at the forum, Eudaly has proven himself an invaluable ambassador for the architecture and arts communities. He has also prioritized mentorship of emerging professionals, ensuring that the forum’s resources are invested in the lives of its nearly 20 architect and designer volunteers. In addition, he supports the next generation of design leaders by serving on the board of CityLab High School Foundation, which prepares and encourages Latinx and African American students to pursue architecture training in college.
About the Award
AIA Honorary Membership recognizes the notable contributions and service of people outside of the architecture profession.
This post was originally published on January 11, 2024 on aia.org.