Fay Jones' Birthday Events Feature Awarding of Inaugural Legacy Medals

Photo of Fay Jones courtesy of the Ernie Jacks Collection, Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries

An archival photo shows, from left, John Williams, chair of the architecture department, and professors Fay Jones, Ernie Jacks and Herb Fowler in the Fine Arts Center Gallery on the University of Arkansas campus in the 1960s. The Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design will host special events Wednesday, Jan. 31, in Vol Walker Hall to celebrate what would have been Fay Jones' 103rd birthday.

In recognition of what would have been the 103rd birthday of its namesake, the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design will host special events Wednesday, Jan. 31, in Vol Walker Hall on the University of Arkansas campus.  

As part of this special day, David Salmela, a Minnesota-based architect, and David McKee, a Fayetteville-based architect, will be honored as the inaugural recipients of the Fay Jones School Legacy Medal in Architecture. This award has been conceived to honor and extend the legacy of the school’s namesake, the architect E. Fay Jones, and his work in Arkansas, the greater region, the United States and internationally.  

“Fay Jones’ life was characterized by a spirit of generosity, a dedication to the place and people of his upbringing, deep relationships with his clients and their commissions, and a commitment to the practice and discipline of architecture,” said Peter MacKeith, dean of the school. “His work, mainly achieved at the scale of residential and small sacred commissions, is characterized by an attentiveness to the particulars of siting and environmental circumstances, and to the specifics of constructed space, configured natural light and the crafting of natural materials. 

Fay Jones at the drawing board.

“In identifying inaugural recipients for the Fay Jones School Legacy Medals,” MacKeith continued, “we sought architects practicing within Arkansas and outside the state whose careers and body of work resonate with these aspects of Fay Jones’ life and work. Each in their own way, the work of both David Salmela and David McKee resonates and sustains the Fay Jones legacy.” 

The medals will be awarded during a 4:30 p.m. ceremony held in Ken and Linda Sue Shollmier Hall, with a program that will include a short presentation by Salmela and remarks by McKee. Salmela and his son, Kai Salmela, whose design practice is Salmela Architects in Duluth, Minnesota, both will be in attendance, as will members of McKee’s family.  

Celebratory cupcakes for Jones’ birthday will be served following the awards ceremony on the first floor of Vol Walker Hall. 

ABOUT DAVID SALMELA

David Salmela, a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, is a self-taught architect. Since growing up on a dairy farm in central Minnesota, he has spent his life discovering design opportunities within the cultures and landscapes of Minnesota and the Upper Midwest. His prolific career spans nearly 50 years comprising well over 200 projects and over 80 regional, national and international awards, including numerous national American Institute of Architects Awards, 30 regional AIA Awards and the AIA Minnesota Gold Medal. 

Salmela’s journey into architecture was an unconventional one. Despite a several-week stint at the University of Minnesota, his only formal education was limited to a single drafting course. His initial attempts at finding architectural work were met with rejection, leading him to drafting work at several engineering firms. He would eventually land a job at an architectural office located in the Iron Range mining region of northern Minnesota, where he would spend 20 years learning his craft and cultivating an approach to design that would eventually garner regional and national recognition. 

In 1994, he founded Salmela Architect from his home office in Duluth, Minnesota. The portfolio of work that was developed over the subsequent 30 years is a testament to his versatility, ranging from the intimate scale of saunas to expansive public spaces like the Gooseberry Falls Visitors Center. His residential projects such as the Jackson Meadow development and Brandenburg’s Ravenwood Studio showcase his ability to create spaces that are both personal and reflective of the broader culture. From residential homes and restaurants to manufacturing facilities and office spaces, his projects span a wide spectrum, each showcasing his ability to tailor a simple, practical approach to the idiosyncrasies of the people, programs and places that form the basis for each project.  

Salmela’s work is greatly influenced by his Finnish roots, in particular the work of Alvar Aalto. His projects reflect a keen awareness of natural light, a sensitivity to the natural environment and the use of design to achieve an economy of means.  

He is equally influenced by his upbringing on a farm, where he learned about the relationship of buildings to the landscape, and the relationship of form, function and expression.  

Lastly, he is a product of the region in which he was born. His relationship with his clients, builders and craftspeople is collaborative, reciprocal and long-term. Nearly all of his projects are built within the northern Great Lakes region of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. This focus on a single region enables a depth of knowledge and a greater sensitivity to the particularities of each place. Above all else, his work is rooted in a love of this region and in a sincere interest in the people and their stories. 

ABOUT DAVID MCKEE 

David McKee brings a broad and unique experience to the practice of architecture. While completing a B.F.A. at the U of A in the early 1970s, he worked in construction as a mason and carpenter. Upon completing his Bachelor of Architecture in 1982, McKee was asked to join the firm of Fay Jones and Associates — one of the premier firms in the region, if not the entire country, at the time. Following Jones’ retirement in 1997, the firm of Maurice Jennings + David McKee was established.  

In 2006, McKee initiated his own firm, which has continued to approach each project with enthusiasm and creativity. David McKee Architect PLLC focuses on both preservation and restoration of residences, as well as unique commercial properties often involving projects that were originally designed by Fay Jones. The firm’s new build designs evoke mid-century modern, minimalist and industrial influences. 

Jones, FAIA, was born Jan. 31, 1921, in Pine Bluff and grew up in El Dorado. He later attended the earliest architecture classes offered at the U of A, in the architecture program founded by John G. Williams. Jones graduated in the first class of architecture students and eventually returned to teach for 35 years and serve as the school’s first dean. 

In his professional practice, he designed 135 houses and 15 chapels and churches across the country, most of which were in Arkansas. He was a recipient of the American Institute of Architect's highest honor, the AIA Gold Medal, in 1990. He died Aug. 30, 2004, at age 83.  

About the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design: The Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas houses undergraduate professional design programs of architecture, landscape architecture and interior architecture and design together with a liberal studies program. The school also offers a Master of Design Studies, with concentrations in health and wellness design, resiliency design, integrated wood design, retail and hospitality design, and preservation design. The DesignIntelligence 2019 School Rankings Survey listed the school among the most hired from architecture, landscape architecture and interior design schools, ranking 10th, 14th and eighth, respectively, as well as 28th among most admired architecture schools. 

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.