PHOENIX, AZ- CATALYST ARCHITECTURE's leadership in sustainability was recently recognized with the honor of a nomination for the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Sustainable Firm of the Year Award.  The award is designed to acknowledge a firm’s history of commitment to sustainability, as well as their contribution to the Institute, their community and the profession over a period of ten years.  In his nomination letter, the Chair of the AIA 2009 Architect’s Medal and Special Awards Committee states that "the committee felt [CATALYST] would be a strong candidate [for the award]” and that “[CATALYST’s] body of work, as well as service to the profession and community, exemplify what the award is meant to recognize.”

CATALYST has a long-standing commitment to sustainability that reaches back over the twenty and thirty-six year careers of its principal architects, Matt Ackerman and Jeff Zucker.  On July 4th, 1976 while the country celebrated its bicentennial of independence, Jeff Zucker placed the cornerstone of his Ohio Stone Cabin over the inscription: "This house is dedicated to American energy independence."  His first home in Prescott received a citation from the Energy Efficient Building Association (EEBA) for residential construction.  Jeff's commitment to conserving resources and fostering community led him to create the first Cohousing Community in Arizona, Manzanita Village of Prescott, in the late 1990's.  More recently, Jeff was retained to provide sustainable consulting for two large-scale master-planned communities in Nevada.  He recently completed his term as President of the Grand Canyon Chapter of the AIA and is currently the Resident Architect at Arcosanti, the world's first prototype Arcology.

Commitment to Activism, Education and Outreach
In the spring of 2003, Matt was awarded the US Green Building Council's LEED professional accreditation, making him the first LEED accredited architect in Yavapai County.  As 2008 Chairman of the AIA Grand Canyon Chapter of COTE (Committee on the Environment), and as an Advisory Board member of CAZREN (Central Arizona Renewable Energy Network), Matt has continuously advocated for the advancement of sustainable planning, design and building practices.  He chaired the Mayor's 2050 Smart Growth Committee, which has been instrumental in prompting the City of Prescott to move forward on adopting a form-based building code.

Most recently, in March of this year, the firm was contracted for the design of a 15,300 square foot LEED-Platinum seeking Visitors Center and Administrative Building for the US Fish and Wildlife Service San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex, in California.  A long list of commissions, presentations, chairmanships and community service projects have filled in the intervening years; many of them are ongoing efforts in CATALYST's corporate culture of Activism, Education and Outreach (CA~AEO).  Together, Matt and Jeff  have promoted CATALYST's commitment to creating uniquely comfortable living, playing, and working spaces that place us in harmony with our neighbors, our communities, and our environment.
 
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CATALYST ARCHITECTURE is an award winning, full-service sustainable design firm with offices in Prescott, and Flagstaff Arizona. The firm specializes in master planning, public/tribal, commercial, and custom residential work, with an emphasis on high-performance, resource-efficient design and construction practices.  With both principals Jeffrey L. Zucker and Matthew B. Ackerman LEED accredited, Catalyst is committed to the thoughtful integration of our natural and built environments.