Tony Atkin, 1950-2015
We mourn the loss of Tony Atkin, FAIA, who founded our firm Atkin Olshin Schade Architects in 1979. Tony succumbed to thyroid cancer on May 21st after a nearly two-year battle. During this time he continued to work, teach, and support those around him. His death came shortly after that of his husband Tom Pederson earlier this year.
Tony was an inspiration for all of us. A singular designer, he guided many of our projects. His creative vision and passion for architecture and planning elevated the work of our offices in Philadelphia and Santa Fe. Tony’s designs made transformative improvements to the communities with whom we worked. Tony was a natural teacher, in our practice, at his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, where he was on the faculty of the Graduate School of Design, and at the University of New Mexico. He authored and edited three books, including Structure and Meaning in Human Settlements (2005), for which he contributed a chapter on the evolution of settlement at the Zuni Pueblo. He recently supported the completion of the master plan for Colorado College and began designs for Santo Domingo Pueblo, Los Poblanos, and the Santa Fe Botanical Garden—wonderful projects that will be realized by our Santa Fe office. We will miss Tony. His vision and humanity will inform our practice as it continues to grow and thrive.
– Sam Olshin and Michael Schade
