The Legacy Award is given in recognition of an individual, group, corporation, institution, church or government entity’s, long standing commitment and contributions to architecture, for their support of the community of North Carolina architects and for their influence on North Carolina architecture. The award will be given from time to time as qualified candidates are brought to the attention of the North Carolina Awards Committee.
The 2019 Legacy Award is posthumously given to Steve Schuster, FAIA and the AIA North Carolina Board of Directors has renamed the award in honor of Steve’s vast contributions to the architectural community and communities across the state.
He obtained his Bachelor of Environmental Design in Architecture at NC State University in 1973 then worked for Brian Shawcroft. He attended the University of Colorado at Boulder for a graduate degree in Architecture in 1977.
After returning to Raleigh, he started Clearscapes in 1981 with sculptor Thomas Sayre.
Referred to by many as “Raleigh’s architect”, Steve spent three decades enriching Raleigh through architecture and design. He was instrumental in downtown Raleigh’s revitalization through his personal efforts and his company, Clearscapes. His effort to spark revitalization began in the 1980s when he moved his home and company into a downtown industrial building.
Steve’s many architectural contributions to Raleigh include the Marbles Kids Museum, Artspace, the North Regional Library, Glenwood South’s Pine State Creamery, and the Raleigh Convention Center. Notable projects also include the Contemporary Art Museum in Raleigh’s Warehouse District as well as the Raleigh Union Station, a project in the Warehouse District that has had significant impact on lower downtown Raleigh.
Steve was awarded the NC State College of Design’s Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2012 and the Designlife Award in 2015. He was awarded the AIA North Carolina Gold Medal in 2012, elevated to the AIA College of Fellows in 2011, inducted into the Raleigh Hall of Fame in 2014 and was the Raleigh News & Observer’s Tar Heel of the Year in 2014.
As a civic leader, he spearheaded the fundraising effort to build the AIA NC Center for Architecture and Design and held leadership positions for Capitol Area Preservation, the Raleigh Historic Properties Commission and the Raleigh Planning Commission. He was also appointed to the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Board of Advisors, served in every leadership position with AIA North Carolina and was a National Director from the South Atlantic Region for the AIA.
Steve leaves a legacy of award-wining architecture, leadership with grace and humility, an indelible imprint on the urban fabric of North Carolina’s capital city, but most importantly a legacy of friendship, mentorship and inspiration with all he touched.