Gensler's Brian Vitale  designs it all. Here with his wife Kristen at the AIA's holiday party last month at the Wit Hotel, Brian was named Young Architect of the Year for projects as small as a 5k-SF bank branch in Indiana to Wisconsin's largest solar field on the Johnson Controls  campus. He submitted a portfolio of 15 works, divided into categories of built, prospective, and conceptual projects.

He tells us the Johnson Controls project is one of his faves, and says it's the most sustainable campus in the world. The solar field powers 25% of the campus, and the windows are designed to block out UV rays, while still allowing natural light to most offices. The project included three renovations and two new buildings, connected by indoor hallways—especially important in Wisconsin winters.

In the city, Brian worked on the new Erickson Institute  at 111 W. Illinois, a graduate school focusing on early childhood education. He also worked on Barneys of New York's flagship store in Milwaukee and a small bank in Indiana where green architecture helped bring new customers. Brian tells us he decided to be an architect in grade school. So did we . . . but he actually did it.