For architect and MAF board member Robert (Bob) Daverman, AIA, architecture, art, and design have literally been a family affair. His father, also named Bob, was an engineer who loved architecture; his mother Katherine was a painter; and his family tree features multiple generations of architects. Bob fell in love with architecture and building at an early age and it became his career.
Bob brought his passion for architecture to serving MAF. He is a long-term MAF board of trustees member, and served as board secretary for five years. He also led the MAF Auction for Education committee for a decade, where he was instrumental in helping to raise tens of thousands of dollars for MAF’s scholarships and educational programs. For his long-term commitment to MAF and its mission to make lives better through architecture, Bob has been selected as the 2024 recipient of the MAF Leadership Award.
“On behalf of MAF, we are pleased to name Bob as this year’s recipient of the MAF Leadership Award,” said Chuck Lewis, AIA, 2024/2025 MAF President. “His generosity and tireless devotion to MAF have helped us to grow our programs and enable their future success. As chair for MAF’s Auction for Education for over a decade, he approximately doubled the amount of income generated by auction activities during his tenure. We are grateful for Bob’s friendship and everything he does for MAF.”
Bob has been heavily involved in AIA (American Institute of Architects) Grand Rapids, having served as chapter president in 2002 and 2004. He recently served on the planning committee, chairing the silent auction for ‘Brick by Brick ‑ Foundation for the Future’, a benefit to support the AIA Grand Rapids Student Scholarship Endowment. The event, which took place at the Grand Rapids Art Museum’s (GRAM) Cook Auditorium, netted an estimated $14,000 for the scholarship endowment (the scholarship is administered by MAF). Read about the Brick by Brick event elsewhere in this newsletter.
Through leadership and donations, he is helping to establish the AIA Grand Rapids scholarship program. The scholarships are designated for undergraduate or graduate students pursuing a career in architecture. Recipients can be a resident of the AIAGR Chapter region attending any college or university, or a non-resident attending a college or university in the AIAGR Chapter region. Bob also served as an AIA Michigan director for six years.
Bob has led his own firm, Grand Rapids-based Daverman Architecture, since 2013. He began his architectural career in 1973 at Daverman Associates, a firm co-founded by his late father. The Daverman name’s long architectural history in Grand Rapids dates to 1903: first as the J & G Daverman Company, followed by Daverman Associates, which was sold in 1977 on the retirement of the founding partners (that firm is now part of AECOM).
Generosity runs in the Daverman family, and Bob’s parents established a donor-advised fund with the Grand Rapids Community Foundation enabling Bob to give back to organizations he is passionate about. Through the donor advised fund, Bob established The Daverman Fund at MAF, intended for unique architecture-based projects that don’t fall under a specific grant. The Daverman Fund has helped support projects including MAF’s ArchiTreks video series, and the Grand Rapids walking tour map developed by AIA Grand Rapids. “It is a privilege for me to honor my parent’s legacy and appreciation of architecture, and to collaborate with my MAF friends through projects that help others understand the benefit of having architecture in our lives.”
Read the MAF Donor Profile article featuring Bob from our July 2018 newsletter