Two School of Architecture Alumni Elevated to AIA College of Fellows

Ali C. Höcek G’87 (M.Arch II) and Katherine M. Hogan ’05 (B.Arch) have received this prestigious honor in recognition of their notable contributions to the advancement of the profession of architecture.

Election to the AIA’s College of Fellows is one of the highest individual honors the institute bestows on members. Out of a total AIA membership of more than 98,000, only 3% carry this distinction.

The elevation to fellowship is conferred on architects with at least 10 years of AIA architect membership and demonstrated influence in at least one of the following areas: promoted the aesthetic, scientific and practical efficiency of the profession; advanced the science and art of planning and building by advancing the standards of practice; coordinated the building industry and the profession of architecture; ensured the advancement of the living standards of people through their improved environment; made the profession of ever-increasing service to society; advanced the science and art of planning and building by advancing the standards of architectural education and training.

Fellows were selected by a 10-member Jury of Fellows. This year’s jury included Chair Carl D’Silva, FAIA, Perkins&Will; Roderick Ashley, FAIA, Roderick Ashley Architect; Margaret Carney, FAIA, Cornell University; Sanford Garner, FAIA, RG Collaborative; Julie Hiromoto, FAIA, HKS; John Horky, FAIA, Ripples, by design; Mary Ann Lazarus, FAIA, Cameron MacAllister; Marilys Nepomechie, FAIA, Florida International University; Anne Schopf, FAIA, Mahlum; Kenneth Schwartz, FAIA, Tulane University; and Jose Javier Toro, FAIA, Toro Arquitectos.

“Being elected to the AIA College of Fellows is one of the highest honors in our profession, and we are delighted to celebrate Ali and Katherine’s induction into this esteemed group of architects,” says Michael Speaks, dean of the School of Architecture. “This distinction celebrates both their outstanding personal achievements and their impactful contributions to architecture and society on a national scale.”

Ali C. Höcek, FAIAAli C. Höcek, FAIA is principal of AC Höcek Architecture LLC (ACHA) and a Turkish American architect with over 30 years of independent practice. Founded in 1997, Höcek’s firm has received numerous awards, including recognition from the AIA, Society of Registered Architects, and the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission, for work spanning museum exhibitions, community-based projects, residential designs, and landmark preservation. Beyond high-end residential projects, ACHA has advanced affordable housing and efficient construction techniques, with community-based collaborations such as the Powell Garden Pavilion and the Brownsville Community Culinary Center (BCCC).

In addition to his professional practice, Höcek has been a professor of architecture at the City College of New York for over three decades. His research explores avant-architectural theories, prefabrication, and the impact of migration and natural disasters on the built environment, often bridging professional and academic realms.

Committed to socially driven design, Höcek co-founded CARRRE (Collective Action for Readiness, Recovery, Resilience), collaborating with AIANY and Salt-Istanbul on post-earthquake rebuilding efforts in Türkiye. His disaster relief design, Deploy, is currently pending a U.S. patent.

Höcek holds degrees from the Rhode Island School of Design, Syracuse University, and the Architectural Association, where he studied with Rem Koolhaas and Zaha Hadid. He later collaborated with Hadid as in-house architectural consultant to the Guggenheim Museum. A fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) Höcek is licensed in five states.

“I am honored to be named a fellow among the exceptional talents and minds of our profession,” says Höcek. “At a time when we are called to be ever more creative, inclusive, and resilient, I hope this recognition not only deepens my own ability to contribute but also amplifies our shared efforts to drive effective change.”

Katherine M. Hogan, FAIAKatherine M. Hogan, FAIA is owner and principal of Katherine Hogan Architects, based in Raleigh, North Carolina. As architect and educator, Hogan approaches each project with the belief that good design can happen at any scale and budget. Throughout her career, she has worked on projects of various scales and typologies, including, institutional, commercial and residential projects. Her firm has crafted a diverse body of work, and has received AIA awards at the local, state and national levels for innovative design solutions to complex problems and for using ordinary materials in inventive ways. Their portfolio represents a fresh, distinctive approach to design, one that balances craft, making and implementation of architecture.

Katherine Hogan Architects was recognized as a 2023 Emerging Voices by the Architectural League of New York and 2024 Best of Practice (Southeast) by The Architects Newspaper. The firm was included in an exhibition at the 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale entitled, A SOUTH FORTY, which included regional firms and aimed to provide an overview of the current vitality of contemporary architecture and design in the American South. They will exhibit this summer as part of the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale entitled, “PORCH: An Architecture of Generosity,” which will feature “the porch”—that quintessentially constructed American place which is at once social, environmental, tectonic, performative, hospitable, generous, democratic.

Hogan earned a Bachelor of Architecture in 2005 from Syracuse University as a University Scholar, with a minor in Italian language. She serves as an Advisory Board member to the Syracuse University School of Architecture and has been a Visiting Critic at the school since 2015.

“I am deeply honored to have been elevated to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects. Being recognized by my peers among such an esteemed committee of Fellows is a tremendous privilege,” says Hogan. “My education in architecture at Syracuse University played a significant role in fostering my passion for design and my commitment to achieving design excellence.”

New fellows will be honored at the AIA College of Fellows Investiture on June 5, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. For more information on the College of Fellows or to view the complete list of newly elevated architect fellows, visit aia.org/design-excellence/college-of-fellows.