Joanne Aitken, FAIA is the recipient of the
2024 AIA Pennsylvania Medal of Distinction, the chapter’s highest honor for a living member. An accomplished architect, educator, and civic leader, Aitken has made significant contributions to the architectural profession and the built environment in Pennsylvania and beyond.
She is an Adjunct Professor at Drexel University and a retired Senior Associate at KieranTimberlake, where she specialized in higher education design. Aitken holds a Master of Architecture from Harvard University and a BA from St. John’s College. Her leadership includes serving as President of AIA Philadelphia, where she helped launch the first Charter High School for Architecture and Design (CHAD), and as Chair of the Design Advocacy Group (DAG) of Philadelphia, promoting civic engagement and design excellence.
Aitken’s work emphasizes adaptive reuse, climate-responsive design, and community-focused projects, including the transformation of the Calvary Methodist Church into the Calvary Center for Culture and Community and the establishment of the West Philadelphia Streetcar Suburb National Register Historic District. Her career is marked by a commitment to advancing architectural education, fostering public discourse on design, and elevating the profession’s role in civic life.