Hoyt Architects is proud to announce that Gary Hoyt, its founder, president and design director, has been elevated to the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) 2024 College of Fellows. Hoyt is the only architect based in Florida to receive the AIA’s highest membership honor in 2024. The AIA College of Fellows was developed to elevate architects who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession and made a significant contribution to architecture and society on a national level. Only three percent of AIA members have attained the distinction. Hoyt has more than 30 years of experience in the design field as an architect and urban designer. He founded Hoyt Architects in 1993 as an architecture and urban design firm committed to creating vibrant, walkable cities. The firm has grown to include 25 design professionals, 30 XR artists, program engineers and cross-disciplinary collaborators that collectively create a diverse range of architectural projects and digital twins — accurate, up-to-date virtual models of real-life places and physical entities that support informed design decisions through simulation, testing and monitoring. Hoyt Architects provided the platform for Hoyt’s vision for “The Studio” as an integrated architectural design and visualization laboratory, research hub and practice. Hoyt is also the co-founder of Imerza, an international industry leader in architecture, engineering and construction software that facilitates interactive, real-time modeling for design teams. Some of Hoyt-Imerza’s notable Sarasota-area projects include Selby Library, Ed Smith Stadium, Patriot Plaza, Colonial Oaks Park, Lakewood Ranch Main Street, and downtown Sarasota’s Bayfront Park. Their projects also include Daytona Beach Gateway, along with interactive virtual models of Lake Nona in Orlando and Water Street in Tampa. Beyond Florida, they have developed digital twin models for the redevelopment of the historic Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington D.C. and Qiddiya, a new city in Saudi Arabia. For more information about Hoyt Architects and its services, please visit hoytarchitects.com.