David Ziskind, Chief Architect at STV, Elected to American Institute of Architects' College of Fellows

NEW YORK, Feb. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- David Miles Ziskind, FAIA, NCARB, LEED® AP, and Senior Vice President, Chief Architect of STV Inc., has been elected to the prestigious College of Fellows of The American Institute of Architects (AIA). The 104 architects who were recognized to the Fellowship for 2011 will receive their medals during an induction ceremony at this year's AIA conference in New Orleans.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110223/NY53396 )

The AIA Fellowship program was developed to elevate architects who have made a significant contribution to architecture and society and who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession. Election to fellowship not only recognizes the achievements of architects as individuals, but also their significant contribution to architecture and society on a national level. Out of a total AIA membership of more than 80,000, fewer than 2,700 members have received this honor.

Ziskind entered the justice field 40 years ago – a time when few architects were willing to buck a system historically resistant to change – with a goal to improve the quality of a building type long ignored. Driven by the philosophy that correctional facilities should be designed to rehabilitate and incarcerate, not punish, Ziskind saw an opportunity to solve a social issue through architecture. Since then, more than 200 correctional facilities throughout the world have been created under his direction, each of them reflecting important advancements in correctional architecture. Many of the facilities he designed in the decade between 1970 and 1980 incorporated new generation methodologies that wouldn't become industry standards until decades later.

As a pioneer in bringing innovative concepts to correctional facility design, Ziskind was among the first to design facilities incorporating many new generation practices, such as unit management, bi-nuclear program areas, mini-jails, and direct supervision. A major factor in his success has been his ability to reach out to clients and other stakeholders and guide them towards solutions and philosophies that exceed their expectations.

He is currently working on a project for the Iowa Department of Corrections. The agency is looking to expand the state's women's correctional facility. Ziskind and his team were asked to rethink the prison building type from the ground up, and develop a 21st century facility that would integrate gender, health, and age-responsive programming into the fabric of design, ultimately serving as a model for future facility development.  

Because the resulting design was such a dramatic departure from conventional facilities, the client took the unusual step of asking Ziskind and his team to represent them in presenting the design to State Board of Corrections. It was unanimously approved and groundbreaking took place in last July.

As the only women's facility in the country with an assisted living facility and mental health care integrated into housing units, the Iowa project illustrates a new model for corrections.

"It's been an absolute delight working with Iowa as we're trying to accomplish things people have never seen before in a correctional facility," Ziskind said.

With more than 1,700 employees in 32 offices, STV is a leader in providing architectural, engineering, planning, environmental services and construction management services for buildings and facilities, transportation systems, and infrastructure. STV is ranked 30th in Architectural Record's Top 150 architecture firms and 44th in Engineering News-Record's Top 500 Design Firms survey. STV is 100 percent employee-owned. For more information, visit our website at www.stvinc.com or follow @STVGroup on Twitter.

SOURCE STV Incorporated