The Clinton Sheerr Award
for Excellence in NH Architecture
The Award honors and promotes New Hampshire architects, their commitment to the community, and design that exemplifies excellence at the highest level. The award may also recognize non-architects who have also received Honorary Membership in AIANH and who, through their efforts, promoted excellence in architecture in New Hampshire.
Clinton Sheerr AIA was a well-known New Hampshire architect who died in 1997 and whose uncommon love for the profession and the state is memorialized through this honor award. Sheerr was responsible for designing numerous award-winning New Hampshire buildings, notably the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and St. Paul's Church, and was active in professional and community organizations.
Sheerr exemplified the spirit of great passion for beauty and design, a dedication to the community, and the tenacity to follow one’s tasks and dreams. This award honors other similarly outstanding architects or Honorary AIA members in the state who carry on the tradition of deep love and dedication for the State, its architecture and environment.
Deirdre Sheerr-Gross AIA created the fund for the award in honor of Clint, and it is supported by donations in his memory. The funds are held and managed by the NH Charitable Foundation. The first award was given in 1999 to Jeffrey H. Taylor Hon. AIANH for his contributions to the built environment. The Clinton Sheerr Awards committee headed by Deirdre transferred administration of the program to AIA New Hampshire in 2007 and at that time rewrote the criteria to focus on architects, their work, and their commitment to the community.
2023 // 2022 // 2019 // 2018 // 2017 // 2016 // 2014 // 2013 // 2012 // 2011 // 2010 // 2009 // 2008 // 2007 // 1999
Nomination Criteria:
The Award will be given to an individual primarily domiciled for the past five years in New Hampshire.
The award will consist of a cash prize and an accompanying certificate and will be announced at the Annual AIANH Awards banquet.
Applicants should submit a one-page (maximum) nominating letter, and may append back-up materials. It is anticipated that the applicants and their work will be reasonably well-known already to the NH architectural community. Materials submitted may be used in the promotion of the award.
You may self-nominate or nominate another.
Send nomination letters and materials in PDF format to the AIANH office, bkastel@aianh.org.
Submissions will be received in the first half of 2025.
2023 Winner
Sheldon Pennoyer, AIA
Photo by John Hession, Hon. AIANH
Sheldon Pennoyer, AIA was honored with the 2023 Clinton Sheerr Award for Excellence in New Hampshire Architecture at the annual AIANH Awards Gala in September 2023. Pennoyer was nominated by the previous year’s winner, Alyssa Manypenny Murphy, AIA, who had the privilege of presenting the award.
Through the course of his career, Pennoyer has created an impressive body of work throughout the Northeast. He has been a pioneer in the green building community and long served as the Chair of AIANH’s Environmental Guild (now COTE). His work focuses on sustainable building practices including low embodied energy, strong building envelopes, and reducing the use of fossil fuels and petroleum-based products in construction. His simple, classic design aesthetic exemplifies his belief that “architecture should shape the land and the land should inform and shape the architecture.”
The work of Sheldon Pennoyer Architects has been recognized with awards from Plan New Hampshire, New Hampshire Home, and numerous awards from AIANH, including the Rick & Duffy Monahon Award for Design Excellence in Architectural Restoration and Preservation and the Excellence in Sustainability Honor Award. In 2010, the U.S. Green Building Council awarded a home in their Nubanusit Neighborhood & Farm cohousing community its highest certification, LEED Platinum— the first single-family home in New Hampshire to receive the certification.
Pennoyer has served on the New Hampshire Board of Architects, NCARB, and the AIANH Board of Directors (as President in 2017) and is a recipient of AIANH’s Outstanding Service Award. In addition to all he has contributed to the profession and communities of New Hampshire, Sheldon is an avid backcountry downhill skier, mountain biker, hiker, and advocate for conservation.
“Sheldon has also been an incredible friend and mentor to me. During our time on the AIANH board I admired Sheldon’s critical thinking, consistent follow through, and unflagging good cheer. As a practice leader I am inspired by the quality of design and technological innovation of his work, the positive office culture that he has cultivated, and his commitment to community. I cannot think of an architect more deserving of this award that recognizes “dedication to the architecture and environment of the Granite State.”
2022 Winner
Alyssa Murphy, AIA
Photo by John Hession, Hon. AIANH
Alyssa Manypenny Murphy, AIA, recipient of the 2022 Clinton Sheerr Award for Excellence in NH Architecture, is being honored for her commitment to advancing the architecture profession in New Hampshire and beyond. Murphy, founder and principal of Placework in Portsmouth, is the Editor of AIANH’s quarterly magazine, Forum, a past president of AIANH, and currently serves as New Hampshire’s representative to the national AIA Strategic Council.
Murphy received her award during the AIANH Awards Gala on September 22, from 2019 Sheerr Award recipient Dennis Mires AIA. The Sheerr Award is presented in memory of Clinton Sheerr, an acclaimed New Hampshire architect who died in 1997. The highest honor bestowed by AIANH, the Sheerr Award was established to recognize outstanding architects who exemplify Sheerr’s dedication to the architecture and environment of the Granite State.
Creating transformative design and building a business that’s “a force for good” have been goals of Murphy and her partner Brian Murphy, AIA, since they founded their firm in 2012. Recently Placework became a Certified B Corporation, the first New Hampshire architecture firm to earn this designation. B Corps demonstrate the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. The company has also earned a Just label, issued by the International Living Future Institute, for demonstrating accountability and fostering transparency in its business practices. Murphy believes that communication is an important key to creating positive change. An accomplishment for which she has been recognized is leading the transformation of AIANH’s Forum from a black and white newsletter to a quarterly magazine that highlights the issues and accomplishments of architects throughout New Hampshire. She was inspired to serve as New Hampshire’s first delegate to the AIA Strategic Council based on the AIA’s current twin strategic goals of Climate Action and Equity. These are values that her practice is built on, and that she seeks to engender within the architectural community and the general public.
Prior to founding Placework in 2012, Murphy led education and multi-family housing projects in New York City. At Placework, she leads projects that serve communities for municipal, higher education, and institutional clients.
“Alyssa is an incredible advocate for the environment and equity in architecture. Her work in her firm, as a member and past president of AIANH, and currently as the NH delegate to the AIA Strategic Council, Alyssa’s commitment to the profession and its ethics is truly inspiring.”
2019 Winner
Dennis Mires, AIA
Photo by John Hession, Hon. AIANH
Congratulations to Dennis Mires, winner of the 2019 Clinton Sheerr Award for Excellence in New Hampshire Architecture. The prize was presented by last year’s recipient Randall T. Mudge at the annual Design Awards celebration on March 28. As many members know, Sheerr was an acclaimed architect who died in 1997 at the age of 50, but whose love for the profession is memorialized through this award. The highest honor bestowed by AIANH, the Sheerr Award was established to recognize outstanding architects who exemplify Sheerr’s dedication to the architecture and environment of the Granite State.
Mires launched his career in the 1970s after graduating from the University of California, Berkeley with a bachelor’s degree in architecture. After serving at the air base in Westfield, MA., this retired U.S. Air Force major opted to stay in New England, working for firms in Boston and Manchester. Since opening his eponymous firm in 1980, Dennis has been the principal designer for thousands of projects – from state and municipal buildings to institutional, commercial and residential developments in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut and Colorado. Clients frequently cite his expertise, calm demeanor and talent for turning their visions into successful realities.
The Sheerr Award joins Mires’ many other honors, which include 6 AIANH Excellence in Architecture Awards, 10 Manchester Historic Preservation Awards, 5 NH Preservation Alliance Awards, over 70 Home Builders and Remodelers Association of NH Cornerstone Awards, and 6 Associated Builders & Contractors NH/VT Chapter Excellence in Construction Awards. Throughout his nearly 50-year career, Dennis has served on countless civic boards and committees, and his work has been featured in the Boston Globe and New Hampshire Home magazine, among several publications. A past director of AIANH, Mires also received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from the NH Institute of Arts.
“Dennis is a true professional of the utmost integrity. He is not only an excellent architect, but also represents his clients and his profession with the knowledge, experience and honesty that embodies everything that the Clinton Sheerr Award represents.”
2018 Winner
Randall T. Mudge, AIA
Photo by John Hession, Hon. AIANH
The 2018 Clinton Sheerr Award for Excellence in New Hampshire Architecture was bestowed on Randall T. Mudge, AIA. The award honors and promotes New Hampshire architects, their commitment to the community, and design that exemplifies excellence at the highest level. The award is named after Clinton Sheerr AIA, a well-known New Hampshire architect who died in 1997. Sheerr exemplified great passion for beauty and design, a dedication to the community, and the tenacity to follow one's tasks and dreams. The award honors other similarly outstanding architects in New Hampshire who carry on this tradition of deep love and dedication for the State, its architecture and environment. At the annual AIANH Awards Ceremony on January 5, 2018 at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, NH, Mr. Mudge was presented this prestigious award by Carolyn Isaak, Hon. AIANH, former Executive Director of AIANH and, herself, a past recipient of the Sheerr Award.
New Hampshire native, Mr. Mudge received degrees from UNH (BA in Fine Arts - Painting and Graphics), Montana State University (B.Arch.) and Yale University (M.Arch.). During his early career Mudge worked for Cesar Pelli in New York assisting with the design and development for the renovation and expansion of the Museum of Modern Art in NYC.
In 1981 Mudge moved back to New Hampshire to open a practice in Lyme. Randall T. Mudge and Associates handles a variety of residential and commercial project types: renovations and new construction from small to large. Mudge knows that an excellent client is one who works with you, so he and his employees listen carefully and make sure their designs reinforce the client’s vision, have a tangible value, and provide a positive addition to the community. They practice sustainable design, promote the reuse of buildings and building elements, and create buildings with the latest technologies, but which are also beautiful.
Many of Mudge’s buildings in the Upper Valley have won AIA New Hampshire Design Awards, such as Dartmouth Hitchcock’s Child Care Center, Dartmouth College’s Corey Ford Rugby Clubhouse, Zin’s at Hanover Inn, the PowerHouse Mall, and a private residence. He’s also won PlanNH Awards for the Circle Camp on Spectacle Pond and Ledyard National Banks; and a NH Preservation Alliance Award for rehabilitation work on the NH State Library. Among the many other buildings to his credit are David’s House, the addition to the Hanover fire station, the renovation of the Hanover Town Hall, the Lebanon District Court, and additions to the Hood museum and Spaulding Auditorium.
Mudge was an AIANH Board member from 1988-94, serving with Clinton Sheerr, and was president in 1992-93. He has been president of the Hanover Rotary Club and the Hanover Hockey Association and served on many other boards. Currently, he is president of the Hanover Improvement Society.
Mudge has been described as an “unfailing optimist.” Having weathered several recessions, but never called it quits, Mudge has said he has “learned you can survive these things and get through to the next cycle.”
To see more of Mudge's award-winning projects, click here.
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Working with Randy was a wonderful process. It felt almost like a family affair. He is an excellent communicator, there were no surprises, and the process was always fun. I hope that Randy and his staff are as proud of what they’ve done for us, as we are of the project.
Dana and Martha Robes
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Randy’s ability to achieve the consistent results he produces are attributable to a range of special skills… He is a great listener. His designs work. They are quite simply elegant and beautiful. He makes suggestions that result in lasting and impactful change. He thinks of the little things… and, he has a great sense of humor. Randy rolls with the punches and comes up smiling.
Dave Hewitt
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Randy has been associated with the Bank since its founding. During those 26 years, he has been the consummate professional, instrumental in guiding us and helping us imbed Ledyard’s brand. I look forward to continuing to work with Randy in the years to come.
Greg Steverson, COO/CFO of Ledyard Bank
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Randy cares about the quality of his work, cares about his employees, colleagues, and his community, and who has dedicated his efforts to those ends.
Patricia Sherman FAIA, Juror
2017 Winner
Carolyn Isaak, Honorary AIANH
Photo by John Hession, Hon. AIANH
The 2017 Clinton Sheerr Award for Excellence in New Hampshire Architecture was bestowed on Carolyn Isaak, Honorary AIANH. The Award honors and promotes New Hampshire architects, their commitment to the community, and design that exemplifies excellence at the highest level. The award may also recognize non-architects who have also received Honorary Membership in AIANH and who, through their efforts, promoted excellence in architecture in New Hampshire. The award is named after Clinton Sheerr AIA, a well-known New Hampshire architect who died in 1997. Sheerr exemplified great passion for beauty and design, a dedication to the community, and the tenacity to follow one's tasks and dreams. The award honors other similarly outstanding individuals in New Hampshire who carry on this tradition of deep love and dedication for the State, its architecture and environment.
At the annual AIANH Awards Ceremony on January 20, 2017 at the Manchester Country Club, Carolyn was presented this prestigious award by Patricia Sherman FAIA, herself a past recipient of the Sheerr Award. In her comments, Sherman stated, "Carolyn has architecture in her DNA. She is the daughter of an architect, the niece of an architect and the aunt of an architect. With such genetic history Carolyn was more than just the Executive Director of AIANH for 17 years. She understood and loved the profession and mentored a fledging NH chapter of AIA to become a star in the AIA galaxy of chapters.
Through bear and bull design markets Carolyn kept AIANH solvent and a friend to its members. She produced the NH Forum monthly newsletter and kept us all up to date on state and national issues. She fostered the NH Architecture Foundation, its scholarship programs and its support of the wonderful educational outreach programs, Learning By Design, that AIANH conducts in the schools.
In 2007 AIANH received a $10,000 Challenge Grant from AIA National to create a demonstration project in their home state. Our ambitious two-year project, The Redevelopment of Mill Plaza in Durham, required significantly more money than the grant provided so Carolyn not only raised some of the additional money needed for the project but spent many hours coordinating the efforts of the many volunteers who made this it such a success, receiving a commendation from AIA National and an award from the NH Planners Association.
In 2013 AIANH created the NH Architects and Engineers Emergency Response Task Force (NH AEER TF) to serve as second responders in disasters. To protect these volunteers from liability NH needed to add architects and engineers to the Good Samaritan Law, which had to go through the challenging legislative process before becoming law in 2015. Carolyn, working behind the scenes, shepherded this law through the approval maze using her political skills, charm and thorough knowledge of the Architectural and Building professions to persuade and educate legislators of the value of such a law.
Knowing the importance of sustainable and carbon neutral planning and design in preserving the health of our state and our planet, Carolyn worked with the Environmental Guild to produce six Integrated Design/Integrated Development conferences, which drew leading presenters from around the country and participants from throughout New England. In 2014 she led an effort to bring Architecture 2030’s AIA + 2030 Professional Series to New Hampshire. Building on that momentum, she guided the AIANH Board and the Guild in developing New Hampshire’s own 2030 & Beyond Series, providing tools for our members to design and build to meet the 2030 Challenge.
Carolyn retired from the position of Executive Director in October 2016. She continues to be involved with AIA as the Executive Director of AIA New England.
2016 Winner
Fred Urtz, AIA
The 2016 Clinton Sheerr Award for Excellence in New Hampshire Architecture was bestowed on Frederick W. Urtz AIA. The Clinton Sheerr Award honors and promotes New Hampshire architects whose architecture demonstrates excellence in design at the highest level. The award is named after Clinton Sheerr AIA, a well-known New Hampshire architect who died in 1997. Sheerr exemplified great passion for beauty and design, a dedication to the community, and the tenacity to follow one's tasks and dreams. The award honors other similarly outstanding architects in New Hampshire who carry on this tradition of deep love and dedication for the State, its architecture and environment.
Fred Urtz has a talent for connecting with people on a very personal level. Whether a fellow professional, client, contractor, co-worker or community volunteer; anyone who comes in contact with Fred can’t help but to be drawn to him by his sincerity and enthusiasm. A sincerity and enthusiasm not only for design, but for the community at large. Urtz’s positive impact on New Hampshire’s built environment is nearly immeasurable. For more than 35 years he has led the design of notable projects from corner to corner of the State and beyond. His work is distinguished by his unique creativity, commitment to innovation, and passion for improving the lives of others.
In 1982, Urtz joined Lavallee Brensinger Architects in Manchester and soon took on the position of president, dedicating himself to the firm’s Education Design Group. A thought leader, Urtz has led the way for school designs that promote collaborative learning and support both traditional and emerging educational models. He also advocates for schools as multi-purposed community resources; sources of civic pride that serve the broader population.
Urtz has personally led the programming and design of dozens of educational and civic projects, many of which have been recognized regionally and nationally for their programming and design excellence (including 11 AIA New Hampshire Design Awards). He pushes himself and his co-workers to be creative and to design classrooms, gymnasiums, theaters, dormitories, lecture halls that are stimulating to the students and supportive of educators.
Fred is also recognized for his mentoring of the many young interns and architects who have worked for him directly; his patience, sense of humor, passion, and dedication to the profession have been thoroughly instilled in numerous professionals in the architectural community.
Many in the wider community also know Urtz for his volunteer efforts. He has spent countless hours serving on various boards and in leadership roles with organizations that support many of New Hampshire’s young people, including CASA and Easter Seals. His longstanding commitment to these organizations on a local level eventually led to his tenure on Easter Seals’ National Board of Directors, a position he held for several years.
Jurors for the awarded noted that “By any measure — program and design innovation, aesthetic excellence, project delivery, client satisfaction, community service, or simply the breadth and duration of his work — Fred Urtz AIA is a most worthy recipient of the Clinton Sheerr award.”
“It was recently shared with me that more than 20,000 of New Hampshire’s students are impacted on a daily basis by Fred’s designs. What an incredible number and what an incredible responsibility.”
2014 Winner
Rick Monahon, AIA & Duffy Monahon
( Bestowed Posthumously )
Photo by John Hession
The 2014 Clinton Sheerr Award for Excellence in New Hampshire Architecture was bestowed posthumously on Duffy Monahon and Rick Monahon, AIA. In addition to awarding the Clinton Sheerr Award to the Monahons, AIANH has instituted a new award, the Rick and Duffy Monahon Award for Excellence in Architectural Preservation, which will begin with the 2015 Design Awards program.
Rick and Duffy Monahon were two extraordinary people who gave generously throughout their careers in the areas of architecture, preservation, and planning. Rick began his architectural practice in Peterborough, NH, in the early ’70s, with the rehabilitation of the historic Harrisville mills (a project that he continued to work on until his death). After meeting Duffy, and their subsequent marriage, they worked together at their firm, Richard M. Monahon, Jr. AIA Architects, housed in the Granite Block in Peterborough.
They were both passionate about history and finding new uses for old buildings and so it made sense that they would become intensely involved in planning and historic preservation. In their hometown of Peterborough Rick helped grow the Peterborough Players facility from a simple barn into a true summer theater complex. They both took great pride in Duffy’s renovation of the historic Dublin Lake Club and her discoveries and subsequent restoration of the concealed jewels of the Wilton Town Library.
Rick twice served as a director on the AIANH Board of Directors and was a founding member of the NH Preservation Alliance. He also served on the board of Plan NH and undertook numerous pro-bono design charrettes and consultations, just to lend a hand and help a good project move forward. He was a member of the Peterborough Planning Board and the NH State Board of Architects, of which he had taken chairmanship shortly before his death.
Duffy was driven in her quest to preserve our most loved buildings and landmarks and was always out-there, a fearless leader. Many would eventually come to realize how right she was about guided community conservation in both man-made and natural environments. She was involved with the Peterborough Conservation Commission and the Heritage Commission and can be credited with preserving several historic buildings in Peterborough.
The two of them also continued to push back the encroaching vegetation of time on their land to when it was farmed and did much to frame the issues of community farming.
The Executive Director of the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance, Jennifer Goodman, said the Monahons “seemed to collect new ideas and new friends wherever they went, and inspired their peers, clients, and a new generation of architects and preservationists.” They were visionaries and a source of energy.
The Monahons won numerous awards over the years from AIANH: Newbury Center Meeting House; Dublin Lake Club; Gregg Free Library, Wilton; a private home in New Mexico; Stefansson Nef Photographic Studio, Peterborough; Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center Student Apartments, Greenfield; Shops at Granite Hill; Hooksett; Parish Hall of the All Saints Episcopal Church, Peterborough; Peterborough Savings Bank addition; and the Main House Renovation and Addition at the Dublin School.
The Town Hall, Temple; Searles Library, Windham; and the Brown Block, Keene, all received awards from the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance.
“The recipients of this year’s Clinton Sheerr Award have given and given to their communities and the State of New Hampshire for decades, constantly protecting and rebuilding our past, while looking toward our future. Our communities, and the built environment of these communities, are culturally richer for Rick and Duffy.”
2013 Winner
Barry Brensinger, AIA
Photo by John Hession
Barry Brensinger AIA is the winner of the 2013 Clinton Sheerr Award, New Hampshire's premier award honoring architects and architecture that exemply excellence in design at the highest level. Barry is a well-known architect in New Hampshire whose firm, Lavallee Brensinger Architects, has long been recognized as one of the leading design firms in the State and in northern New England. Brensinger joined the company in 1978 and became a partner in 1980, when he made a personal commitment to make it a top design firm. Over his 32 years of his leadership, he has accomplished that and much more.
Brensinger’s passion for design and his commitment to design excellence have been recognized by the 23 AIANH design awards Lavallee Brensinger has received over the past 29 years. Major designs include the Verizon Center, Manchester City Hall Plaza, the Manchester Airport Terminal, Christa McAuliffe Planetarium, St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua, and the new Manchester Department of Public Works Administrative Building.
In the late 1980s Brensinger led his firm to a decision to add healthcare design as a core practice area. Assuming primary leadership of this effort, Barry built a strong professional team and encouraged research into best practices and evidence-based design. Under his leadership the firm’s Healthcare Design Group has become one of the most experienced healthcare planning and design teams in the region, and currently has healthcare projects in all seven Northeast states.
Throughout his career, Barry has maintained an unwavering commitment to community service. He has served as chair of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and the Manchester Regional Community Foundation. He has been named the Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year as well as its Business Person of the Year. He has also chaired the Chamber itself. Active in community affairs, he was the vice chair of Catholic Medical Center, chair of NH Business Committee for the Arts, and trustee for Neighborworks Manchester. He has been a member of UNH Manchester, NH Community Technical College Manchester, and NH Technical Institute Advisory Boards, Salvation Army Advisory Board, Chair of Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Director of Child Health Services, and Vice President of the Manchester Boys and Girls Club.
“Barry’s ongoing commitment to design excellence has been responsible for a higher public appreciation of design and in enhancing awareness of the built environment. Clint Sheerr’s deep love and dedication to New Hampshire, its architecture and environment are echoed by Barry’s passion for his profession and the numerous civic organizations to which he has donated his time and efforts. I can think of no more deserving recipient of this prestigious award than Barry.”