Michael Poris, founder and principal of McIntosh Poris Architects in Detroit, (MPA) has been honored with the American Institute of Architects Michigan 2025 Hastings Award, one of the highest individual distinctions granted by the state chapter of the AIA.
The award recognizes an architect’s lasting contributions to the profession, design excellence, and leadership in advancing Michigan’s built environment.
The Hastings Award is presented annually to an architect whose career demonstrates both design excellence and a profound impact on the profession in Michigan. Poris has been recognized for his leadership in shaping Detroit’s urban fabric and for a body of work that consistently elevates design quality across a range of project types. The honor follows MPA’s Firm Award from AIA Michigan in 2024, as well as Poris’ Charles Blessing Award from AIA Detroit in 2022.
“AIA Michigan is proud to recognize Michael Poris with the Hastings Award,” says Dan Pitera, president of AIA Michigan. “Michael Poris as well as the entire team at McIntosh Poris Architects represent the union between talent and commitment to Detroit. They are some of the few architects that have been bringing their unique design abilities to create community-focused projects in Detroit long before many others.”
In addition to this individual recognition, MPA received four AIA Michigan 2025 Design Awards for projects that highlight the firm’s broad range of expertise and its commitment to community-centered design.
The Freelon at Sugar Hill, recipient of the Community Impact Award, is a mixed-use affordable housing development in Detroit’s Midtown, designed in partnership with Perkins & Will for Develop Detroit and the Preservation of Affordable Housing. Completed in 2022, the project includes retail, residential units, and parking, while honoring the neighborhood’s history as a hub for Black musicians and artists.
The design incorporates the work of local artists and applies trauma-informed strategies, with units dedicated to veterans, fulfilling the client’s mission of providing high-quality housing for all. Sustainable practices were central to the project, which earned Enterprise Green Community certification.
The jurors noted: “A project that has and will have an impact on the community. This project shows how good design and planning can change the image and reputation of a community.”
