2007 RESULTS

The sixteenth annual Inform Awards showcase 19 outstanding projects in the categories of interiors, exteriors, and landscapes, chosen from a field of 210 entries. The jury of Phoenix architects selected seven honor awards, 11 merit awards, and a Special Award for a community outreach project. The winners represent an eclectic mix of work, including a mountaintop yoga studio, a retail shop that demystifies the purchasing of wine, and the landscape design for the Asia Trail at the National Zoo.

The Jury
Wellington Reiter, AIA
This year's jury was chaired by Wellington "Duke" Reiter, AIA, Dean of the College of Design at Arizona State University. In addition to his academic role, Reiter is charged with shaping the future of the university's downtown Phoenix Campus to accommodate 15,000 students. Prior to his appointment at ASU, he served on the faculty at MIT.

Kelly K. Bauer, FIIDA
Kelly Bauer is a partner of Richard+Bauer, winner of a 2007 AIA national Honor Award for the Meinel Optical Sciences Laboratory. With more than 22 years of experience as an interior designer and project manager, her many accolades include being named 2007 Designer of the Year by Contract magazine. Bauer is a 1982 graduate of the University of Arizona.

Jack DeBartolo, Jr., FAIA
A longtime leader in the Arizona architectural community, DeBartolo has done work in campus planning and high-tech research laboratory, educational, and healthcare facilities resulting in more than  $1 billion of significant architectural projects. He studied architecture at the University of Houston and Columbia University.

James E. Richard, AIA
Jim Richard is the architectural design principal of Richard+Bauer, which focuses on higher education, research facilities, and library design. During its 10-year history, the firm has won 50-plus regional, national, and international awards and was recognized as an "Emerging Voice" in the profession by The Architectural League of New York. Richard is a graduate of the University of Arizona.

The Awards

Shack at Hinkle Farm
Jeffery S. Broadhurst, AIA
HONOR AWARD

Much more than a lean-to, yet not quite a fully stocked cottage, the Shack at Hinkle Farm in Upper Tract, W.Va., is the perfect mountain getaway. Situated on the southern slope of South Fork Mountain, the board-and-batten structure embraces its bucolic surroundings. An aluminum-and-glass garage door, for example, gives way to a cantilevered wood deck, and a removable canvas awning provides shade and shelter. Rainwater collected from the roof feeds an outdoor shower system, while small windows allow access to mountain breezes. "We all want one," the jury enthused. "There's nothing extraneous here - it's just the essence of what it needs to be. And the engagement with the outdoors is so exciting."
Owners: Jeffery & Gail Broadhurst

Yoga Studio / Guest House
Carter + Burton Architecture
HONOR AWARD

In just 600 square feet, the architects of this Clarke County yoga studio have created a harmonious, serene place for body and mind. The studio serves double duty as a living space and retreat, so beds and storage units are ingeniously built into the floor with retractable doors. The curving shape of the studio maximizes sunlight, while the beeswax walls form a blank canvas on which the trees outside cast dappled shadows. Jurors praised the building interior and the cleverness of creating beds that fold into the floor. "The texture and the materials here - and the connectivity to the outside - are really strong," they added. "It's an interesting dialogue of material and functionality. It also seems well crafted."
Interior Designer: Michelle Timberlake, Carter + Burton Interiors
Owners: Paul and Annie Mahon
Contractor: Charles Snead & Co.

The Asia Trail
Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects
MERIT AWARD

The challenge for modern zoo designers is to create habitats that are as ecologically viable and complex as the natural world. Along the quarter-mile length of the Asia Trail at Washington's National Zoo, visitors get the palpable sense of a connected and interdependent ecosystem as they wander through the habitats of seven endangered species, including clouded leopards and giant pandas. "The big idea is what strikes us - the site and the events along the way," the jury said. "It's a wonderful intervention of different experiences. Each spot along the way is new - these shapes or these enclosures, these semi-enclosures, the railings all have a whole different quality. And the use of materials has a nice textural quality."
Architect: Chatelain Architects
Owner: Smithsonian Institution
Contractor: Hensel Phelps Construction Co.

Spiral Bench
Amber Snipes
MERIT AWARD

Nothing may be more banal in appearance, and yet more welcoming to the footsore, than a bench. Not much is needed other than sturdy support for one's back and bottom. Yet the design for the Spiral Bench elevates those expectations considerably. Made from a series of 18-inch-square maple frames, the bench achieves its kinetic form by rotating the frames. In addition, the delicate composition minimizes the amount of material being consumed. Jurors complimented the bench's strong, bold form. "Seen in the landscape, it is a really wonderful little shape. And it is just right as an object in the park."
Advisor: Prof. Novem Mason, UNC-Greensboro

Society for Neuroscience
Envision Design
MERIT AWARD

At the Washington, D.C., headquarters for the Society for Neuroscience, an organization that fosters information exchange among scientists, new office space is organized around a central stair connecting three floors. The centerpiece of the stairway is a giant, three-dimensional artwork inspired by a widely recognized sketch of pathways in a mouse's brain. Using computer technology, the sketch was translated into a three-dimensional relief and fabricated on 16 fiberboard panels using the CNC (computer numerically controlled) router at The Catholic University of America. High-intensity LED lighting adds drama to the painted panels. "It's just a really wonderful looking piece," observed the jury. "The fact that it also ties the vertical circulation together is really pretty nice."
Owner: Society of Neuroscience
Contractor: Spaulding & Slye

Stuart-Hobson Middle School Library Renovation
CUA Design Collaborative
SPECIAL AWARD

Parents in the Capitol Hill district of Washington, D.C., sought help in improving substandard public school libraries, and a team of faculty and students from The Catholic University of America answered the call by renovating the Stuart-Hobson Middle School Library. Their design goal: transform the space into a setting that inspires exploration. To encourage this, the team chose an alien environment - the desert of the southwestern U.S. - as its theme. Natural rock formations inspired a new architectural landscape of shelves and tables. The component pieces were produced on a CNC (computer numerically controlled) milling machine to allow for customization and control costs. "The idea of looking at it as three-dimensional topography inside the room is pretty interesting," the jury remarked. "The investigation is so strong that it deserves to be recognized."
Owner: District of Columbia Public Schools
Faculty Advisors: Luis Eduardo Boza, Michelle A. Rinehart, and David Shove-Brown, AIA
Contributors: Dietze Construction Group (construction); Global Engineering Solutions, Inc. (engineering)

Comet Ping-Pong
CORE Architecture + Design
HONOR AWARD

With its 1980s pop music playing in the background and gritty decor, Comet Ping-Pong in Washington, D.C., is not your typical red-roofed pizza joint. The designers stripped the silk wallpaper from this former Asian restaurant and removed its dropped ceilings, leaving decayed layers of aging plaster and 16-inch raw timber rafters exposed. The focal point is a 24-seat communal table, while booths made of reclaimed barn wood ring the perimeter. Three ping-pong tables invite post-meal calorie burning. Steel light fixtures and a stone bar contribute to the urban ambiance. "It's a delightfully relaxed environment, like a pair of worn blue jeans," the jury said. "It's got a tattered edge that feels real soft and comfortable, yet there's a certain sophistication about it. And the way the lighting is handled creates a nice geometry."
Owner: Carole Greenwood & James Alefantis
Contractor: James Alefantis
Contributor: Joel Wills (steel & lighting design)

Q Place Residence
KUBE Architecture
HONOR AWARD

Unlike prototypical loft apartments - in which furniture is arranged in an open space to create the sense of rooms, at the Q Place Residence the architects instead introduced screens to define the otherwise-open living areas. The impression of programmed space is encouraged, for example, through the use of a wood-and-steel screen at the entry courtyard and a translucent screen (made of recycled plastic) separating the dining room and stairs. Sustainable elements of the interior include floors made of bamboo and recycled rubber in high-traffic areas, such as the kitchen. "In comparison to the tear-downs or complete renovations we've seen in other projects, this one really worked with the existing structure and brought out the best of it," the jury noted. "The architect revealed pieces of the original and took the vocabulary one step further, rather than superimposing a new language."
Owners: Bill Braveman & Wendy Lynch
Contractor: DMI Development Group

365: AIGA Annual Design Exhibition 26
Gensler
MERIT AWARD

To unify the disparate projects displayed in the annual design exhibition of the American Institute of Graphic Arts, as well as the expo's attendant posters, brochures, and other printed materials, the designers came up with an astonishingly simple-yet-effective graphic element - the light bulb. So as visitors viewed each component of the exhibition, which showcased the top graphic art of 2005, a motion sensor triggered a light bulb inside a translucent panel highlighting the "big idea" behind each entry. The jury noted: "What was interesting about this one was the plug-in nature of the exhibits, where they plug into the overhead track. It was all so nicely conceived and uniformly designed so that it was like walking into a room full of light fixtures. It had a nice continuity."
Owner: American Institute of Graphic Arts
Fabricator: Applied Image

Little Durham Office
Little
MERIT AWARD

Located in what was once a heavy, foreboding tobacco warehouse, the Durham, N.C., offices of Little now seem lighter than air. The architects set off the cast-in-place concrete structure by building partitions and a steel mezzanine that appear to float within the building envelope. The open feel is enhanced by a large gallery and meeting space that includes a freestanding coffee bar. A wrap-around rail and panel display system allows workers to pin up and review ongoing projects. "There are a lot of nice details that grow out of the space," said the jury. "The industrial quality of the building in combination with the graphic nature of the design really brought the whole scheme together well. And the results give an open feeling that makes you think there's an open culture in the office, which is very important to the collaborative spirit of architecture."
Owner: Little
Contractor: McClung Corporation

Winestore
CORE Architecture + Design
MERIT AWARD

Buying wine - with its myriad sources and vintages - can be an all-too-intimidating experience for the novice. This prototype for Winestore, a wine specialty shop in Charlotte, N.C., aims to take the fear out of wine purchasing while educating consumers. To maximize the store's 1,505 square feet, the designers crafted custom product fixtures that are mounted floor to ceiling and rotate for ease of selection. Bold colors and vibrant graphics also add to the sense that, if drinking wine is enjoyable, buying it can be too. "It's a good linkage of graphics, industrial design, furniture design, interior design, and marketing. This is fresh," the jury said. "It takes the edge off of wine purchasing. It really works hard to say, ‘"This is like buying sunglasses. Don't worry about it.'"
Owner: Winestore Holdings, LLC
Contractor: McAllister Group

1110 Vermont Ave.
Studios Architecture
MERIT AWARD

At 1110 Vermont Avenue, the architects transformed the urban landscape fronting a dated office building with a reworking of the ground-floor space and the insertion of two interactive art pieces that extend the lobby into the public realm. The first, Low Rez, consists of three wall-sized LED screens that capture the movement of pedestrians who pass or enter the building. The second, Hi Fi, is a grove of touch-sensitive stainless steel poles that emit sounds when activated by passersby. "The project addresses an urbanized landscape experience, less dependent on plant material and more about making a connection between the building and the pedestrian," said the jury. "The whole interactive quality is pretty exciting. It engages the street."
Owner: 1110 Vermont Renaissance Associates
Contractor: Hitt Contracting

Ontario Apartment
Robert M. Gurney, FAIA
HONOR AWARD

When the Ontario Apartment Building was constructed in 1906, its builders surely meant for its elaborate Beaux-Arts facades and stairways to evoke an air of drama. A century later, however, much of the building had become dark and disorienting. In this apartment conversion, the architect created a spare, modern space through the generous use of glass and translucent panels. Not all is light and white, however; as a contrast, the bedroom and study feature dark stained-oak flooring. "It's sophisticated - very restrained and mature," the jury said. "It's just a beautiful composition. Everything is so purposeful."
Interior Designer: Therese Baron Gurney, ASID
Owner: Name withheld
Contractor: Added Dimensions

SK Suite
David Jameson Architect
HONOR AWARD

Set in contrast to its context, this modern bath and bedroom suite is inserted into the existing framework of a 1980s house. Refined wood, metal, and stone elements are juxtaposed and distilled as tectonic elements that weave together the disparate functions of bathing, sleeping, and dressing. "We were all taken with the quality of finish and the level of craftsmanship required to design and build that space," the jury agreed. "The scale is intimate and comfortable. And there's a lot of emphasis on the minimum - trying to deal with the reductive thinking, even in the bathroom with the faucets and the mirror."
Owner: David Kuney and Cathy Simon
Contractor: Madden Corporation, Inc.

Wu and Burnett Residence
Studio27 Architecture
MERIT AWARD

A small program yielded big results in this tiny renovation, which set out to rework an attic stair, convert the attic to usable space, and upgrade a bathroom. Working with the constraints of a townhouse prototype, the design carved out unnecessary structure and enclosure to accentuate vertical movement. In the end, natural light flows freely into the core of the house, illuminating the carefully detailed insertions and transitions. Jurors lauded the skillful combination of materials and high degree of craft. "It has a wonderful clarity to it," they said. "And it's real earnest, with a resulting softness in character."
Owners: Peter Wu & Michelle Burnett
Contractor: Mechelis Constructions, Inc.
Contributors: Ehlert/Bryan, Inc. (structural engineering)

W Street Residence
Division1 Architects
MERIT AWARD

Located in the arts district of the Shaw Neighborhood in Washington, D.C., this house occupies a prominent corner lot. Three stories tall, the main dwelling provides open-plan living on the upper two levels and includes a separate efficiency apartment on the ground floor. The signature space inside the house is a double-height living room featuring an operable window wall that fully opens to an exterior porch. An open-tread stair leads from the kitchen and library/bedroom spaces up to the master bedroom suite. "Here it was hard to separate the architecture from the interior, because it is such an integrated piece," the jury noted. "But we recognized the strength of the interior spaces and their definition of purpose, and the interconnection between the levels is reinforced with forms, thicknesses, and proportions."
Owners: Ali R. Honarkar & Mustafa Ali Nouri
Contractor: Act, Inc.

Contemporaria Showroom
David Jameson Architect
MERIT AWARD

The concrete ramp at the entrance to the Contemporaria furniture gallery in Washington, D.C., is surprisingly graceful. Descending the curved ramp, customers feel like they've entered a special, rarefied place. Yet the sandblasted concrete walls and metal joists never let them forget that it's an urban one too. Far from being dark, the below-grade store is flooded with light from existing clerestory windows that illuminate the modern furniture within. "There's a singularity of statement - really nice, very unified," the jury observed. "The architect is exploring the idea of interior as topography. Even the handrail is more of an art piece, rather than a piece of utility."
Owner: Deborah Kalkstein
Contractor: International Builders, Inc.

Georgetown Square
Shinberg Levinas Architectural Design
MERIT AWARD

Domesticity and high art coexist in this Georgetown Square residence in Washington, D.C. While maintaining the house’s historic façade, the architects transformed the interior space into a modern gallery for living. The long white background of the living room, for example, provides ample space for exhibiting both large sculptures and small objets d’art. At the same time, the room invites lounging and conversation, with interior flooring that slips beyond the threshold to the pool’s edge outside. Jurors praised the designers for responding appropriately to the historic context of the house, while still achieving a bold, contemporary interior. "You are led skillfully through the space - being guided through the changes in functionality from an austere, exhibit environment to a warmer living and gathering space."
Owner: Name withheld
Contractor: Restoration Unlimited

SoundExchange
Envision Design
HONOR AWARD

When SoundExchange, a firm that advocates for recording artists' royalties, decided to move into an 8,000-square-foot space in downtown Washington, D.C., music was an obvious source of inspiration. Yet the architects chose subtle elements that would appeal to recording industry insiders, such as wall partitions that are angled to resemble recording studios and sound-attenuating foam pyramids in conference rooms and other areas. Low walls and a generous use of glass contribute to a creative, collaborative atmosphere. "It's a great synthesis of graphic design, materials, and color - just seamless that way," the jury said. "They did a lot with a reasonable budget. It wasn't over the top. In fact it achieves quite an impact through its modesty."
Owner: SoundExchange
Contractor: Bognet Construction