2017 SPARK Lifetime Achievement Award

The College of the Arts is proud to announce the selection of Edward C. Mathes, AIA to receive our 2018 SPARK Lifetime Achievement Award. Mathes, is a native of New Orleans. He attended the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia from 1961 through 1964 and is a proud ‘68 graduate of the Architecture Program at the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now UL Lafayette). He has been chairman of Mathes Brierre Architects since 1982. Mathes Brierre is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful architecture firms; Mathes has been a principal of the firm since 1972, and has directed growth of the firm to a respected multidisciplinary practice. His experience range from the design of corporate office headquarters, and telecommunication complexes, to the design of music schools and performance spaces at high schools and universities, as well as varied museum types.

In 2013, Mathes showed his gratitude to UL Lafayette by establishing the Edward C. Mathes/BORSF Endowed Superior Graduate Student Scholarship in Architecture. In 2015, he also established the Edward C. Mathes Endowed Lecture Series in Architecture. In short, Mathes has represented his alma mater well through his accomplishments as an architect and his ongoing support for UL Lafayette School of Architecture and Design. Mathes will be formally named as this year’s SPARK honoree at the 2017 Beaux Arts Ball. He will join the ranks of our previous honorees; A. Hays Town, Elmore Morgan Jr., Joe Stewart, George Rodrigue, Keith Sonnier, Dicky Landry, Eddie Cazayoux, Herman Mhire and others.