Albert Simons Medal of Excellence

Overview

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The Albert Simons Medal of Excellence is an honor awarded by the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina, recognizing individuals who have made exceptional contributions to architecture, historic preservation, urban design, and the wider built environment. Established in 1996, the medal commemorates the legacy of Albert Simons (1890–1980), a prominent Charleston architect, preservationist, educator, and advocate whose work helped define the city’s approach to historic conservation during the 20th century.^[1] ^[2]The award is considered one of the most prestigious distinctions in the fields of architecture and preservation.^[3]

History

The College of Charleston’s School of the Arts created the Albert Simons Medal of Excellence to honor the memory and professional ethos of Albert Simons, a professor, architectural historian, and preservation pioneer who played a central role in shaping Charleston’s early planning ordinances, zoning policies, and architectural review processes.^[4] Simons was instrumental in the establishment of the nation’s first historic district (Charleston’s 1931 Old and Historic District) and influenced national standards for preservation practice.^[5] Originally awarded biennially, the medal has been presented to scholars, practitioners, public officials, and designers whose work reflects Simons’ dedication to cultural stewardship, architectural integrity, and the thoughtful evolution of historic environments.

Award Criteria

Recipients of the Albert Simons Medal of Excellence are selected for their significant achievements in one or more of the following areas:

Architectural design and contributions to the advancement of architectural practice
Historic preservation, including research, conservation, or policy leadership
Urban design and planning, with emphasis on human-scaled and historically sensitive environments
Cultural heritage stewardship, education, or public advocacy
Lifetime contributions to the fields represented by Simons’ work.

The selection process is administered by the College of Charleston School of the Arts, typically with input from faculty, preservation professionals, and invited reviewers.^[6]

Significance

The Albert Simons Medal of Excellence is recognized within the fields of architecture and historic preservation as a marker of high professional distinction. Recipients are often individuals whose work has meaningfully shaped architectural discourse, influenced policy or preservation standards, or contributed to the stewardship of culturally important places. The award also reinforces Charleston’s long-standing leadership in preservation practice and reflects the College of Charleston’s continuing commitment to education in the arts, design, planning, and heritage conservation. Notable recipients of the Albert Simons Medal of Excellence have included the following:

Andrés Duany – architect, urban planner, and founder of the New Urbanism movement^[7]
Hon. Joseph P. Riley Jr. – former mayor of Charleston for more than 30 years^[8]
John D. Milner, FAIA – architect^[9]
Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk – architect, educator, and co-founder of the Congress for the New Urbanism^[10]
HRH King Charles III – for outstanding work in traditional architecture, urban planning, and historic preservation^[11]
Allan Greenberg – classical architect and educator^[12]
Richard Hampton Jenrette – businessman and preservation philanthropist and Thomas Gordon Smith –architect and professor^[13]
Antoinette Lee – historian and author^[14]
Robert A.M. Stern – architect, author, educator, former dean of Yale Architecture School^[15]
Peter Pennoyer – architect^[16]
Martha A. Zierden — curator of historical archaeology at the Charleston Museum^[17]
James C. Thomas Jr. – preservationist and advocate^[18]
John Henry Dick – artist and conservationist^[19]
Marion Werkheiser and Greg Werkheiser – pioneers in cultural heritage law and technology for heritage tourism^[20]
Joseph McGill - author and founder of the Slave Dwelling Project^[21]
Adele Chatfield-Taylor - former president and CEO of the American Academy in Rome^[22]

Albert Simons Medal of Excellence

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