STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Sun Valley-area architects closed out the year by honoring two of their own who have achieved what only one other Idaho architect has achieved.

Both Jack Smith and Jim McLaughlin have been honored with the esteemed Gold Medal Award from the Idaho Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Idaho).

Smith was honored in 2023 and McLaughlin in 2024. And, as 2024 drew to a close, Jack Smith was also honored with the prestigious 2024 Western Mountain Region College of Fellows Silver Medal by AIA Idaho.

That medal is the highest distinction the region bestows on an architect, celebrating an extraordinary career that has reshaped the profession and advanced architecture across regional and national boundaries. And it recognizes his achievements in “Object One, Design”—a national honor achieved by fewer than 3 percent of architects.

His projects include the Waterfall House near the Bigwood Golf Course, a home with geometric glass skylights in Eagle Creek that has been named one of the 100 most significant buildings in Idaho history by the AIA and a Gimlet home embodying traditional Japanese principles.

“When one sees his work in California and elsewhere, perfectly at home in different terrains, it is clear that he is not primarily a regional architect but a far-reaching designer of national and even international outlook—including a long glance at Japan—who responds to the needs of specific sites and communities with rare sensitivity and grace,” said Alan Temoko, Pulitzer Prize-sinning architectural critic and author.

Smith received the Fellows Silver Medal during the conference of AIA College of Fellows, Western Mountain Region, held in Keystone, Colo.

Smith has worked as an architecture for seven decades, not only designing homes and buildings but serving as an educator, having taught at the University of Utah, University of Idaho and Montana State University.

He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Utah and earned a doctorate in architecture with a focus in philosophy from the University of Hawaii where he graduated as Valedictorian in 2006.His architectural portfolio and innovative approach have earned him more than 50 honors and awards from his peers.

“Jack Smith has left an indelible mark on architecture not only within Idaho but across the entire Western Mountain Region,” said AIA Idaho Executive Director Anna Foster. “His visionary work and dedication to mentoring new generations of architects have elevated the profession and inspired colleagues nationwide.”

Both Smith and McLaughlin where honored at the holiday gathering of the American Institute of Architects Idaho Chapter Mountain Section held at the Sun Valley Contemporary Art.

The AIA is a national organization that supports architects and advocates for a better built environment, said Kristin Anderson, who chairs the chapter.

Collegiality makes for stronger practice for everyone said Architect Mark Pynn.

Anderson said that the prestigious awards Smith and McLaughin have received raise the bar for local architects, elevating the standard of design. It also spreads awareness in the community.

“I think people are surprised to learn of our level of engagement in the community So many of us volunteer on boards…we’re everywhere. “

AIA maintains standards of architecture, reminding everyone that design matters, Anderson said.  The organization addresses things like student loan forgiveness for architecture students and advocates for measures regarding energy.

It also offers seminars on how to build a better Idaho through such things as natural fibers and other biobased materials for buildings, thoughtful healthy material selection, reducing embodied carbon in concrete and affordability.

“And it tackles important complex problems, such as how to best design for a fast-growing valley.”