The 2022 Gold Medal Jury noted the exponential impact Meyer has had on the architecture community through his work as a firm leader and as an educator at the University of Minnesota’s College of Design. In addition to a legacy of award-winning design work, Meyer has significantly influenced and guided current and future generations of architects. His design of the Mill City Museum project brings a new design language to a historic shell. Meyer's work to co-found a sustainable design centered practice and create a transition to second-generation, woman-owned leadership are standout contributions to Minnesota’s architecture community.
“For a field too easily criticized for the ego of some of its most visible practitioners, Tom Meyer serves as the antidote to that sometimes-unfair characterization,” said nominator Tom Fisher, Assoc. AIA. “His openness to new ideas, his unpretentious acceptance of diverse points of view, his ability to evolve and remain relevant, and his willingness to serve the community in which he lives and works make him a superb architect and an ideal candidate for the Gold Medal.”
Within the community, Meyer has served as a trustee of the Mississippi River Fund, a member of the Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership, and a member of the Vikings Stadium Implementation Committee.
“Tom’s vision was to connect Minneapolis to its riverfront origins,” said Julie Snow, FAIA, 2014 Gold Medal recipient. “To realize this vision, years after his graduate thesis predicted a civic return to the river, is extraordinary. Minneapolis owes a great debt to Tom Meyer and others who were responsible for creating a downtown residential neighborhood anchored by civic institutions and park space. The Mill City Museum anchors the district. ... If our public buildings reflect our community’s highest aspirations, I consider this to be Tom Meyer’s crowning achievement — one for which all Minnesotan’s should be proud — as it beautifully addresses why we are here.”
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Clients also laud the powerful impact of Meyer's work on Minnesota’s communities and his ability to navigate significant challenges.
“Together, we worked through the complex issues surrounding the project, solving difficult problems and working effectively with the many stakeholders,” said Nina Archabal, Emeritus Director of the Minnesota Historical Society. “With Tom’s leadership, we delivered a building that is the jewel of the Minneapolis riverfront, providing a historic context for the Guthrie Theater and the reuse of the nearby mills and new construction in the area.”
Meyer has served as a member of the University of Minnesota’s College of Design Advisory Board, Co-Chair of the university’s School of Architecture 2013 Centennial Committee, and as a faculty member in the University of Minnesota College of Design. In supporting the efforts of Renée Cheng, FAIA, Malini Srivastava, AIA, and others, Meyer helped develop the Consortium for Research Practices, which supports student research and collaboration with working practitioners, continuing today as the Master of Science in Architecture Research Practices program.
He was elevated to the AIA College of Fellows in 2006 and is a past President of AIA Minnesota. Meyer led the process as Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle, Ltd., transitioned to new ownership and became MSR Design.
