Widely regarded as one of the leading design practitioners in the Midwest, Substance Architecture co-founder Paul Mankins dedicated his career to designing significant award-winning projects, influencing aspiring architects, and promoting design at the highest levels before retiring from Substance in 2022. For Paul, architecture reflects the values of its place—focused, direct, and tailored to the specific physical and cultural context. This philosophy remains fundamental to the culture of the firm today.  

Paul's efforts resulted in a significant body of work recognized with more than 130 design awards, including more than 65 from the AIA. He continues to extend this passion for design by serving as a frequent speaker and design awards juror nationwide. In recognition of his accomplishments, Paul received the Design Achievement Award from Iowa State University’s College of Design in 1998. In addition, he has been recognized with some of the highest individual honors bestowed by the AIA including the Young Architects Award (2003), admission to the College of Fellows in Design (2004), the Richard Upjohn Fellowship (2011), and the AIA Iowa Medal of Honor (2013). In 2022, Paul received the AIA Award for Excellence in Public Architecture. He is one of just fifteen private-sector architects recognized in the thirty-year history of the award. In 2023, Paul served as Chair of the AIA’s Committee on Design.