MDC Affiliate Tim Griffin Elevated to AIA College of Fellows

Carl Steinitz (left) and Tim Griffin at the April 2018 GeoDesign workshop, Minneapolis UM Campus

MDC Affiliate Tim Griffin Elevated to AIA College of Fellows

Congratulations to MDC Senior Research Fellow Timothy J. Griffin, AIA, LEED AP. In February Tim received the spectacular news that he had been elevated to the AIA College of Fellows, AIA’s highest membership honor. His induction into the College of Fellows will be held on June 22, during the 2018 AIA National Convention in New York City. Fittingly, the ceremony will take place at the historic St. Patrick’s Cathedral. According to the AIA website, the award is given to “architects who have made significant contributions to the profession and society and who exemplify architectural excellence…”.

This describes Tim to a tee.  As his 35-page application clarifies, Tim has been a tireless design professional for more than three decades plying his skills as an architect, urban planner, gifted teacher and community activist. Tim’s practice embodies the creed ‘good design can solve bad problems.’  An AIA member since 1991, he has served chapters in the Chicago, Minneapolis, and Saint Paul. “I am simply pleased and honored to be elevated to the AIA College of Fellows,” Tim stated.  “It’s nice to be recognized and credentialed at this phase of one’s career.” About being elevated to the status of Fellow, the AIA website also notes “the judging is rigorous” and that only “3 percent of AIA members” receive this distinction.

“Tim Griffin has been a leader in the urban design community in the Twin Cities for a long time,” says MDC Director Tom Fisher. “His elevation to the AIA’s College of Fellows recognizes that contribution and the impact he has had here in engaging communities in participatory and effective urban design efforts.”

As an Affiliate, Tim has led or contributed to several MDC projects including the Destination Medical Center in Rochester, MN; Minneapolis’ Towerside Innovation District near the U of M; the Minneapolis Post Office reuse design, which was the focus of Tim’s Cdes Urban Design Studio, and unveiled to the public in April; the Glenwood Corridor Convening, the Rondo Land Bridge; and, the early design phase development of Saint Paul’s Creative Enterprise Zone.

Tim holds degrees in Architecture and Urban Planning from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and his urban design work began in Chicago in 1983 where he was a founding member of the Friends of the Chicago River. He also contributed to the Chicago River Urban Design Guidelines that began the incremental development of the Chicago Riverwalk and the Chicago Architecture Foundation Chicago River Tours. In 1991 he moved to the Twin Cities.

Since arriving here, Tim never looked back and his impact on Twin Cities urban design is noteworthy and his accomplishments are many. His vision, finely-honed urban design skills, and keen ability to listen to the ideas and opinions of others were demonstrated again and again as director of the Saint Paul on the Mississippi Design Center, at the Saint Paul Riverfront Corporation, from 2001-2016. Guiding the thoughtful reconnection of downtown Saint Paul to the Mississippi Riverfront, which was laid out in an updated version of the Mississippi Development Framework, Tim, SPRC staff, and his team of stakeholders (full disclosure, I was a member of the DC Adjunct Team from 2001-2013) spearheaded more than $100 million of public realm improvements. This included 4 new city parks, the restoration and repurposing of the historic Union Depot, housing for the homeless, the award-winning ballpark CHS Field, and the innovative River Balcony, to mention a few.  Tim also led the Central Corridor Design Center that created the framework for the 12-mile light rail line corridor between downtown Saint Paul and downtown Minneapolis, which opened in 2014 . Among other elements, the CCDC framework comprised 11 transit stations, a Public Art Plan, and new housing and economic initiatives. A key component was Tim’s design concept of a ‘stacked green infrastructure.’ His adherence to a framework process was also applied to the development and reuse of 26 miles of Mississippi Riverfront, a 20-yr. project that began in 2012 and is formally called The Great River Passage.

Tim also contributed to the Saint Paul Street Design Manual (2013), Walk Bike Roll (2013), a deck of pedestrian, bicycle and disability access best management practices, that is used in Saint Paul’s Complete Street Design process, and the Water Quality Manual (2007).

If “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” Tim’s work ethic and Design Center model of adhering to a community-based vision and a framework process to solve design problems has been imitated. It is now the practice of other cities such as Charleston, Kansas City, Rochester, Seattle and Pittsburg, among others.  MDC is proud to have Tim on our team.

Mason Riddle