Antoine Predock, the architect who designed the McNamara Alumni Center, University of Minnesota Gateway, received an honorary degree from the University’s College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (CALA) in May. The degree, the Doctor of Humane Letters, is the highest honor conferred by the University and is intended to distinguish Predock as one of the leading thinkers and practitioners in the discipline of architecture. In his designs, Predock considers a building’s geographical and cultural setting and incorporates shapes and materials that recall the site’s geological history. Aspects of the McNamara Alumni Center, where the commencement ceremony took place, represent Split Rock, the Iron Range, and the north woods of Minnesota. Predock also gave the commencement address to the CALA graduates. Seated next to the podium is CALA dean Tom Fisher.

In June, the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design selected the McNamara Alumni Center as one of the winners of its 2001 American Architecture Awards. Forty-five awards for buildings around the world were bestowed to U.S. architecture firms from among nearly 300 entries. The winning projects may be viewed at www.chi-athenaeum.org.