Announcing Gerald Bauer and Austin Tunnell as the Winners of the 2020 Award for Emerging Excellence in the Classical Tradition

By ICAA March 20, 2020

Gerald Bauer (left) and Austin Tunnell (right)

Gerald Bauer and Austin Tunnell have been named the joint winners of the 2020 Award for Emerging Excellence in the Classical Tradition. The Award, which is now in its fourth year, is a collaboration between the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA), The Prince's Foundation, and the International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture & Urbanism (INTBAU). Open to applicants around the world, the Award aims to shine a light on exceptional talent exhibited by young professionals in classical and traditional architecture, landscape and interior design, building crafts, urban design and planning, and the allied arts. This year, for the first time, the Award jury chose to present the award to two individuals in distinct categories: Architecture and Building Craft.



Gerald Bauer has received the Award in the field of Architecture. He received his Master of Architecture degree in 2014 at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, and a Master of Classical Architecture and Urbanism degree at the University of Notre Dame in 2017. Gerald has since worked for several firms in restoration and new construction, and currently is an architect at Wade Weissmann Architecture in Milwaukee, where he works on residential and hospitality design. His research and work has focused on restoring beauty and sustainability to the global architectural discourse.



Bay detail for a proposed school of decorative arts in Chicago, by Gerald Bauer

On receiving the Award, Gerald wrote: "As designers, I believe we have an immense responsibility in shifting the focus of our contemporary discourse from the egocentric and the ephemeral to one of humanity, permanence, and social responsibility. It is an immense honor to be recognized by a group who not only shares this affinity, but actively facilitates it through the patronage and practice of traditional building arts. This honor has further validated my belief in historical precedent as an indispensable paradigm to inform original, meaningful, and sustainable buildings and places."

Proposed addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum Complex by Gerald Bauer

Austin Tunnell, who has received the Award in the field of Building Craft, is the founder of Building Culture, a design and build firm based in Oklahoma. In 2012, Austin left his job as a CPA to study and work in urbanism, design, and building. Trained first and foremost as a mason, Austin designs all of his own homes and manages the construction of each element. His passion is using human-scaled design and traditional, enduring materials to create new beauty and pursue humanist ideals.

Work on Frederick Hollow, a solid brick lake home in Carlton Landing, Oklahoma, by Austin Tunnell

"I am deeply honored to receive the Award for Emerging Excellence in the Classical Tradition from these prestigious institutions," Austin commented on receiving the Award. "In a world of throw-away buildings and inhuman architecture, traditional practices are a light in the darkness. By traditional I do not mean any particular style, but a value system—one committed to beauty, virtue and human flourishing. These institutions, and the people who comprise and support them, have been fighting the good fight for a long time, and this award encourages me to continue doing my part."



Paneled door in custom built home The Franklin, with decorative nails, mortise lock, and unlacquered brass hardware, by Austin Tunnell

The winners will be honored at a ceremony in conjunction with the Arthur Ross Awards in New York City, and will receive a cash prize. Please note that given growing concerns regarding COVID-19, the ICAA has made the decision to postpone the Arthur Ross Awards to a later date agreeable to all our winners: Monday, October 5th, 2020.



The ICAA would like to thank our 2020 Award for Emerging Excellence Sponsor, Robert Bump Construction.



About the ICAA

The Institute of Classical Architecture & Art’s (ICAA) mission is to advance the appreciation and practice of the principles of traditional architecture and its allied arts by engaging educators, professionals, students, and enthusiasts. The ICAA is headquartered in New York City with regional Chapters across the United States. It offers a wide array of programs that are designed to promote the appreciation and practice of classical and traditional design, including classes, travel, lectures, and conferences. It publishes an academic journal called the Classicist as well as the acclaimed book series called the Classical America Series in Art and Architecture. The ICAA’s Arthur Ross Award annually recognizes and celebrates excellence in the classical tradition internationally. The ICAA was honored to bestow an Arthur Ross Award on HRH The Prince of Wales in the Patronage category in 1990.

About INTBAU

INTBAU was established in 2001, and has since gained over 5,500 members worldwide. INTBAU works under the patronage of its founder, HRH The Prince of Wales. INTBAU’s mission is to support traditional building, the maintenance of local character, and the creation of better places to live. This is done through workshops, summer schools, study tours, conferences, awards, and competitions. Their three objectives are to research, educate, and engage as widely as possible on the value and relevance of traditional architecture and urban design. INTBAU is a unique, established resource for global knowledge of traditional architecture and urban design. INTBAU's active network consists of individuals and institutions who design, make, maintain, study, or enjoy traditional buildings and places.

About The Prince's Foundation

The Prince's Foundation was created in 2018, as a result of the consolidation of four existing charities, The Prince's Foundation for Building Community, The Prince's Regeneration Trust, The Great Steward of Scotland's Dumfries House Trust, and The Prince's School of Traditional Arts.



The Prince's Foundation by focusing on three core tiers - Education, Projects, and Attractions - delivers work to improve the built environment, save heritage, and promote culture and education. Through education The Prince's Foundation aims to create sustainably planned, built, and maintained communities, championing and celebrating the most important part of any community: its people. The charity continues to train a generation of architects, masterplanners, and placemakers, in order to ensure the continuation of the kind of timeless skills which have been developed over generations.