The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Pennsylvania recently named Tippetts/Weaver (T/Wa) Architects of Lancaster as the recipient of the 2022 Architecture Firm Award.

This is the first time since its inception in 2013 that the award has been given to a firm with a female founder. Wendy H. Tippetts is one of the two founding partners of T/Wa, and for more than 30 years she has led the design direction and culture of the firm.

The Architecture Firm (of the Year) Award recognizes a Pennsylvania firm whose passion and practice have produced notable architecture for at least a decade. Deserving firms have demonstrated excellence in design and leadership through any combination of the following criteria: the breadth and/or depth of their portfolio, a healthy firm culture, influence on the practice of architecture and exemplary outcomes for clients and/or society.

T/Wa was chosen from a pool of four nominees submitted to the committee by the nearly 3,000 members of AIA Pennsylvania. T/Wa is not only the first firm from central Pennsylvania to have been chosen for the award, but also the smallest.

Working in the small cities, towns and rural places of central Pennsylvania, T/Wa mixes a modern aesthetic with an historical context. The firm's projects include the Fulton Theatre expansion and Actor's Housing; the Lancaster Science Factory; the Pennsylvania College of Art and Design; Lancaster Conservancy in Lancaster; Historic Fairmount affordable housing; Keystone Kidspace; St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in York; Newville Town Center mixed-use housing/commercial in Newville; Bucknell University; Barnes & Noble Bookstore in Lewisburg; and numerous residences, including new construction, renovation and adaptive reuse across the area.

In its 35-year history, T/Wa has been recognized with more than 50 awards, including design awards from the Central Pennsylvania AIA Chapter and from 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania, multiple annual awards from Preservation Pennsylvania for historic and adaptive reuse projects and many awards from the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County, Historic Trust of Cumberland County and Historic York, among others.

The firm of 10 includes six registered architects. It has pursued projects to address issues of inequity, including affordable housing, public access to health care and minority-based community enterprises. In the last five years, $300,000 of in-kind services have been donated to nonprofits.

The team members participate in volunteer activities and events, assist local nonprofits and serve on boards and committees. In addition, T/Wa members are active in the Central Pennsylvania AIA Chapter, including two team members who have served as president of the Central Pennsylvania Chapter Board of Directors.

For more information about T/Wa, visit http://www.tippettsweaver.com.