We want to congratulate Donna Phaneuf, our founding owner, on receiving the AIAHR distinguished achievement award! During her career, Donna has not only been able to single-handedly form a team that is highly successful in producing informed design decisions, but has molded processes, through 30 years of testing, into educational tools that redefine the relationship an architect has with their client and community.
VIA design received the AIAHR Historic Preservation award in honor of our transformational project the New Point Comfort Lighthouse. The lighthouse has survived many environmental disasters and abandonment, but it stands as a reminder of the nation’s first efforts to establish commerce during Thomas Jefferson’s presidency. The design and construction team brought forward a complete restoration of the existing Lighthouse including the installation of scaffolding, sandstone repairs, masonry repairs, replacements of windows and doors, repairs to gallery catwalk, repairs to lantern room, foundation repairs, waterproofing, installation of solar panels and other electrical work, remediation of asbestos and lead, and installation of site signage. We enjoyed being a part of the team to preserve and restore the national treasure.