Notable architect, planner named recipients of alumni awards
The Department of Environmental Design at the College of Communication, Media, Design and Information has announced the recipients of its 2025 alumni awards. This year’s honoree for the Distinguished Alumni Award is Sarah Broughton (EnvDes’96), while the Young Designer Award recipient is Mackinzi Taylor (EnvDes’17).
The Environmental Design Alumni Awards honor individuals who have demonstrated leadership and made significant contributions to the design and architectural professions.
CMDI will celebrate this year’s winners from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 30, at the Environmental Design Building. The celebration kicks off in the ENVD Gallery with an exhibit featuring work from the award recipients. Light refreshments will be served. The awards ceremony begins at 5:30 p.m. in ENVD 134, featuring presentations from each winner. All members of the CMDI community are welcome to attend.
Schedule of events:
3:30 to 4:30 p.m. | Alumni panel with students (ENVD 134)
4:30 to 5:30 p.m. | Reception and exhibit (ENVD Gallery)
5:30 to 6:30 p.m. | Awards ceremony (ENVD 134)
Distinguished Alumni Awardee:
Sarah Broughton FAIA, NCIDQ, founding principal, Rowland+Broughton Architecture
Since founding R+B in 2003 with her husband, John Rowland AIA, Broughton has embraced a holistic model of practice, continuously elevating the firm’s reputation for excellence in design. She champions the firm’s overriding belief that sustainable design is an integral component to delivering high-quality, thoughtful projects that stand the test of time. The health and well-being of clients are critical, and inclusivity is a hallmark of all interactions.
Broughton’s experience includes high-end hospitality and residential architecture, interior design, urban design, and historic preservation. Her design leadership spans studios in Aspen and Denver, with projects ranging from coast to coast and beyond. In 2022, as a licensed architect, Broughton was elevated to the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows, which recognizes significant contributions to the profession of architecture and society.
Broughton has held multiple leadership positions at R+B, including chair of the Aspen Historic Preservation Commission and 2023 AIA Colorado president, and is frequently invited to sit on awards juries and speak on panels, webinars and podcasts. Under her leadership, R+B has been named AIA Colorado Firm of the Year, and team projects have received awards from AIA Colorado, IIDA, ASID Colorado and PSMJ, among others, plus being featured in dozens of publications.
In addition to her architectural leadership, Broughton and Rowland are the authors of Designing Aspen: The Houses of Rowland+Broughton, which showcases 10 remarkable residential projects set against the spectacular backdrop of Aspen and the Rocky Mountains. Deeply engaged in the arts and culture community, Broughton serves on the board of trustees for the Aspen Music Festival + School as secretary, is a board member of the Aspen Art Museum and was the guest curator of the museum’s inaugural design room.
The firm’s convergent design philosophy led to an invitation for the firm to participate in the 2023 Venice Architectural Biennale, hosted by the European Cultural Centre, an international platform that highlights innovative architectural thinking and fosters dialogue between global designers, institutions and the public.
Young Designer Awardee:
Mackinzi Taylor
Taylor is a passionate and dedicated planning professional with a background in landscape architecture, urban design, land use and policy planning, and community engagement. She contributes strong organizational skills, aesthetic and accessible products, and clear communication to her projects, as well as a deep love for the American West. After five years in consulting, she is thrilled to be working in the nonprofit space where she can partner with communities to reach implementable solutions and envision a more livable future.
Taylor lives in Loveland with her fiancé, Scott, and their many plants. She is a project manager for Community Builders, a nonprofit that assists local leaders in building healthy, equitable and prosperous communities. Outside of work, you can find her climbing at one of the many local crags, biking to a brewery, backpacking in canyon country or hosting game night. She is a certified planner with a bachelor’s degree in environmental design from the University of Colorado Boulder.