Architect Malorie Hepner, AIA, Madison, has been selected to receive the 2023 Young Architect Award presented by AIA Wisconsin, the state society of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

The AIA Wisconsin Young Architect Award annually honors individuals who, in the early stage of their professional career, have demonstrated exceptional leadership and contributed significantly to the profession of architecture and the community at large. Architects licensed ten or fewer years are eligible for the award. The award recognizes architectural talent and contributions in one or more of the following categories: design excellence, practice, education and service.

Malorie Hepner, AIA, is a service-oriented leader in both her workplace and community at large and a celebrated Architect who has worked on several key projects including a complicated renovation of the University of Wisconsin Health Sciences Learning Center that was needed for the School of Medicine and Public Health’s accreditation.

Malorie Hepner, AIA, joined OPN Architects in 2014 as one of the first employees in the newly opened Madison studio and was elevated to Project Architect in 2022. She oversees the studio’s summer intern program, serves as a member of the firm’s recruitment team at events throughout the country, coordinates the studio’s annual volunteering, pro-bono design services, and donations, and oversees the firm’s weekly and long-range scheduling through her position on OPN’s scheduling committee.  

“Malorie embodies and models OPN’s vision ‘to unite and inspire so that we elevate the human experience.’ She has keen insight, a skillful hand, and a passion to improve the places we inhabit every day… Her level of achievement far exceeds her years of practice. I cannot imagine a more deserving individual for this honor.” – Wesley T. Reynolds, AIA, Principal and Vice President, OPN Architects

Beyond her firm, Hepner coordinates externs from UW-Milwaukee SARUP, participates in critiques at Madison College, and lectures at UW-Madison’s Interior Architecture program. She also mentors high school students through Madison Metro School District. She is a repeat volunteer and advocate for Monona Terrace’s children’s program Terrace Town, is actively involved in Rotary Club of Madison’s diversity, equity, and inclusion committee, and has served as secretary, vice president, and president of AIA Southwest Wisconsin. Hepner is also deeply involved in the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County, serving on their Safety and Facilities Committee for over 4 years and leading OPN’s in-kind design of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County McKenzie Regional Workforce Center, a model which is being used as a pilot project for clubs around the country.

“Malorie truly embodies what it means to be a civic minded member of our community as a committed community member attentive to clean energy, a champion for youth, and an engaged volunteer that prioritizes giving back.” – Sarah Ghee, Ed. D, MSW, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County

Hepner graduated in 2010 from Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, Georgia, where she earned both a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Architecture, minoring in Urban Design.

Hepner will be honored at the 2023 Design Awards Gala hosted by AIA Wisconsin on Friday, September 15, 2023, at Milwaukee’s Mitchell Park Domes. The event is open to the public and tickets are on sale now.

With over 1,600 individual members, AIA Wisconsin represents architects in private practice, business, industry, government, and academia. Founded in 1911, it is the state society of the American Institute of Architects.