AIA South Dakota tonight spotlighted the people behind the projects that help shape our state’s landscape. Recipients were announced during the Celebration of Architecture, a kick-off to the 2025 AIA SD Annual Convention in Sioux Falls.
The event also unveiled one Honor Award and two Merit Award winners from 22 entries representing the best in design from South Dakota architects. Read more here about the submittals and the winning projects.
With this year’s Nominated Awards program, AIA SD held to its tradition of honoring individuals at different points in their design careers.
Young Architect Award: Elizabeth Stanton, AIA
Elizabeth has a focus on mental health design within her daily work as an architect at Schemmer in Sioux Falls. She currently serves on the board for the Glory House. Elizabeth is an active member of the AIA SD Emerging Professionals Committee and the AIA SD Communications Committee. She also is a contributor to Blueprint South Dakota, the AIA SD blog, which she helped create and manage starting with its October 2020 launch.
Associate Award: Cory Bleyenburg, Assoc. AIA
Cory brings more than 25 years of design-industry experience to his role as Project Director at CO-OP Architecture in Sioux Falls. He touches multiple phases of a project, often contributing to design and drafting as well as construction administration. Cory has taught drafting classes at his alma mater, Southeast Technical Institute, sharing his knowledge of what it takes to create projects ranging from 3,000 SF to 300,000 SF.
Legacy Award: Sandra Lea Dickenson, AIA Emeritus
Sandra is retired from practice, but she’s far from done with architecture. She was one of the first women architects in South Dakota when she moved to Vermillion in 1989. Since then, she’s advocated for great design, amassed an impressive portfolio of work, and lent her voice to efforts that strive for a more inclusive architecture profession. Sandra is a past president of AIA SD and edited its print magazine. A longtime member of the AIA SD Communications Committee, she now has pivoted to digital as a frequent contributor to the AIA SD blog. Sandra also is a former member of the AIA Strategic Council. In this national position, she leveraged her seat at the table to help put South Dakota and the Midwest on the map as a focus for architectural design and matters facing the profession.
Champion of Architecture: James Cramer, Hon. AIA, Hon. IIDA
A South Dakota native, James has long been active in the AIA. He has served in roles including Executive Director of AIA Minnesota, CEO of the American Institute of Architects, and President of the AIA Service Corporation (publisher of Architecture Magazine). He founded DesignIntelligence and wrote six books on the practice of architecture. James also received the Presidential Medal from NCARB. He currently is the Hon. Distinguished Professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Ga., where he now lives. James’s heart, though, remains in the Midwest: He founded and serves as the Honorary Chairman for the Cramer Center for Design and Innovation at Northern State University, his alma mater in his hometown of Aberdeen.
