Ann Beha facts for kids

Ann Beha is a famous American architect born in 1950. She started her own architecture firm, Ann Beha Architects, in Boston, Massachusetts. Her company designs amazing buildings and helps restore old ones.

Ann Beha: A Master Architect

Early Life and Learning

Ann Macy Beha was born in New York City on June 26, 1950. She went to Wellesley College and graduated in 1972. Later, she earned a Master of Architecture degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1975.

While at MIT, Ann started a group that used architecture to help communities. After graduating, she worked in MIT's architecture department. In 1987–88, she was a special fellow at Harvard University Graduate School of Design. In 2023, she received an honorary degree from Wheaton College in Massachusetts.

Building a Career in Architecture

Ann Beha began her career helping community groups. She worked with them to save and reuse old, historic buildings. Her work grew, and she started her own architecture firm in the early 1980s.

Her company, Ann Beha Architects, is now called Annum Architects. It is based in Boston but works on projects all over the country and even internationally. They focus on important historic buildings and design new ones for cultural places, schools, and public spaces.

Some of her firm's cool projects include:

• The Music Building at the University of Pennsylvania.
• The New Britain Museum of American Art in Connecticut.
• The Carl A. Fields Center at Princeton University.
• The Portland Art Museum in Oregon.
• Saieh Hall for Economics at the University of Chicago.
• A new Student Life and Performance Center at the New England Conservatory of Music.
• An addition to Cornell Law School.
• The Cambridge Public Library and the Liberty Hotel in Boston.

Ann also led the Humanities Quadrangle project at Yale University. She continues to work as a Senior Collaborating Architect for Annum. Her firm was chosen by the U.S. Department of State for big projects. These include restoring the U.S. Embassy in Athens and creating master plans for the U.S. Embassies in Manila and Paris.

Amazing Projects and Awards

Ann Beha's work has won many awards. These awards come from groups like the American Institute of Architects and the Society for College and University Planning. She also received special awards from local historical groups.

Some of her top honors include:

• The 25th-anniversary award from the Massachusetts Historical Commission.
• A Lifetime Achievement Award from the Victorian Society in America.
• The 2004 Women in Design Award of Excellence from the Boston Society of Architects.
• The Alumnae Achievement Award from Wellesley College.
• The Award of Honor from the Boston Society of Architects in 2018.
• The first-ever honor award from the US State Department's OBO Industry Advisory Group.

Ann Beha has also given talks at many universities and museums. She has shared her knowledge at places like Columbia University, MIT, Yale, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

She was a trustee and past president of Historic New England. She also served on committees at the Museum of Fine Arts. Ann is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. She was also a special visiting professor of architecture at Yale University.

Selected Awards

• Society of Architectural Historians Honor Award, 2023.
• Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, Wheaton College, 2023.
• US Department of State Inaugural Design Leadership Award, Bureau of Overseas Building Operations.
• Boston Society of Architects Honor Award, 2018.
• Women in Design Award, Boston Society of Architects, 1998.
• Wellesley College, Alumnae Achievement Award.
• AIA Awards for Design Excellence from national and state chapters.
• Society for College and University Planning Design Awards in 1997, 1999, 2008, 2010, 2019, and 2020.
• The Cambridge Public Library project received an Honor Award for Architecture from the American Institute of Architects.

See also

In Spanish: Ann Macy Beha para niños