Join AIA Virginia for our Procrastinator series – a series of Lunch-n-Learn sessions for those who still need LUs and specifically HSW credits before December 31, 2023.
Each approved course is worth 1 AIA LU | HSW credit.
We hope you’ll join us below:
(click the subject below to be taken to registration link)
AIA Virginia is pleased to announce the 2023 Design Awards. These honors celebrate projects no older than seven years that contribute to the built environment and are clear examples of thoughtful, engaging design. Within each of the award categories, consideration was given to sustainability, affordability, social impact, innovation, durability, addressing the natural and built context, and meeting the specific needs of the client.
From a field of 144 entries, only 14 were selected by the jury for recognition. These few projects stood above the rest as particularly notable. Awards of Merit are presented to those projects worthy of recognition and an Award of Honor is reserved for those projects deemed by the jury to be truly exceptional. Consideration is given to aesthetics, social impact, innovation, context, performance, and stewardship of the natural environment — with particular emphasis on the Framework for Design Excellence.
About the Jury A committee of esteemed architects chaired by Ray Calabro, FAIA, judged the entries for AIA Virginia’s 2023 Awards for Excellence in Architecture. Joining Calabro on the jury are Jennifer Devlin-Herbert, FAIA; Omar Gandhi, FRAAC; and Karen Lu, AIA.
In the ADAPTIVE OR CONTINUED USE category
The work of retrofitting, renovating, adapting, and remodeling existing buildings accounts for almost half of U.S. architecture billings. This award celebrates design interventions upon existing buildings that help achieve carbon reduction through creative reuse and adaptation.
Award of Honor
The Assembly (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Images courtesy of ZGF Architects. Photos by Connie Zhou and Halkin Mason Photography.
Architecture Firm: ZGF Architects Owner: University of Pittsburgh General Contractor: Turner Construction Structural Engineer: Thornton Tomasetti MEP Engineer: Affiliated Engineers, Inc. Photographers: Connie Zhou and Halkin Mason Photography
Jury Comments: We appreciated the significant yet respectful transformation of the existing building, particularly the double-height glazed space. The adaptive reuse of the assembly bays into open, flexible spaces for research is great.
In the ARCHITECTURE category
The jury considers aesthetics, adherence to the client’s wishes, proven and projected building performance, and concept development during its deliberations.
Award of Honor
The Center of Developing Entrepreneurs (Charlottesville, Va.)
Images courtesy of Wolf Ackerman. Photos by Alan Karchmer.
Architecture Firm: WOLF ACKERMAN Associate Architect: EskewDumezRipple+ Owner: CSH Development General Contractor: Hourigan Group Photographer: Alan Karchmer
Jury Comments: We appreciated the attention to design at every level: a clever site response to the Halprin master plan, great massing strategies, and beautiful use of material and detailing at both interior and exterior. We applaud the integration of high sustainability goals/LEED Platinum.
Awards of Merit
Church Hill North – The Kitchens at Reynolds (Richmond, Va.)
Images courtesy of Quinn Evans. Photos by Ansel Olsen.
Architecture Firm: Quinn Evans – Architect of Record O’Neill McVoy Architects – Design Architect Owner: Church Hill North Holdings LLC General Contractor: Hourigan Structural Engineer: Silman MEP Engineer: Valley Engineering Civil Engineer: Timmons Consultant: Clyde Construction Engineering Photographer: Ansel Olsen
Jury Comments: We admired the social program of this building and its response to serving the surrounding community. It has a strong diagrammatic response to the site, and we appreciated the bold forms and use of materials. It will be great to see how it performs after all spaces are inhabited.
Thurston Hall Renovation (Washington, D.C.)
Images courtesy of VMDO Architects. Photos by Alan Karchmer.
Architecture Firm: VMDO Architects Owner: The George Washington University General Contractor: Clark Construction Photographer: Alan Karchmer
Jury Comments: A few simple moves result in a thoughtful yet dramatic renovation to maximize daylight and connection to the outdoors. This is a case study for adapting existing buildings, especially student housing, which is an important component of student wellness and building community on any campus.
In the HISTORIC PRESERVATION category
The historic preservation category focuses specifically on excellence in strategies, tactics, and technologies that advance the art, craft, and science of preserving historically significant buildings and sites. The jury takes into consideration adherence to local, state, and national criteria for historic preservation.
Awards of Merit
Warm Springs Pools (Warm Springs, Va.)
Images courtesy of 3North. Photos by Gordon Gregory.
Architecture Firm: 3North Owner: The Omni Homestead Resort General Contractor: Lionberger Construction Structural Engineer: 1200 Architectural Engineer, PLLC Photographer: Gordon Gregory
Jury Comments: We applaud this gentle restoration of beautiful 19th-century wood bathing structures. The elegance comes from the restraint and what they chose to restore rather than reimagine. Appreciated the clarity of the submission and the photos of the project history.
Renovation of Historic Camping Cabins, Douthat State Park and Fairy Stone State Park
Images courtesy of PMA Architecture. Photos by Yuzhu Zheng and Dave Chance Photography.
Architecture Firm: PMA Architecture Consulting Architect: Stemann | Pease Architecture Owner: Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation General Contractor: Thor Construction LLC Photographers: Yuzhu Zheng and Dave Chance Photography
Jury Comments: This project honors the existing historic cabins in a thoughtful way. We appreciated the accessibility story, the highly crafted additions, and treating these modest buildings with a gentle touch.
In the INTERIOR DESIGN category
Interior design projects are judged on mastery of composition, functionality, material and color palettes, and well-integrated adherence to the highest levels of accessibility, health and safety, environmental, and occupant-comfort considerations, standards, and regulations.
Honorable Mention
Symphony Orthodontics (Bristow, Va.)
Images courtesy of OLI Architecture PLLC. Photos by Susuan Stripling.
Architecture Firm: OLI Architecture PLLC Architect of Record: Aurora Architects LLC Owner: Dr. Zahra Heidari General Contractor: Liberty Group LLC Millworkers: Hachi Collections, LLC and Epic Enterprises Inc. Photographers: Susuan Stripling and Cameron Davidson
Jury Comments: We appreciated the commitment of both client and designer to crafting an immersive environment. Appreciate the floor plan and a series of minimal but highly refined and crafted spaces.
In the RESIDENTIAL DESIGN category
Aesthetic appeal and functionality are two long-established criteria for home design, as are affordability and resource efficiency. The jury looks at each submission in its totality toward meeting those goals.
Awards of Merit
Foal House and Studio (Charlottesville)
Images courtesy of Gehrung Graham LLC. Photos by Virginia Hamrick.
Architecture Firm: Gehrung Graham LLC Owner: Audrey & Mark Graham General Contractor: Jobes Builders (phase 1) and Promethean Homes (phase 2) Lighting Design: MSLD Landscape Architecture: JCLA Studio Photographer: Virginia Hamrick
Jury Comments: We applaud this project’s commitment to Passive House design. It is one of the few residential projects to actually provide EUI data and the commitment to sustainability is noteworthy.
Nebo House (Nebo, N.C.)
Images courtesy of Fuller/Overby Architecture. Photos by Paul Warchol.
Architecture Firm: Fuller/Overby Architecture Owner: Katherine Overby Contractor: Cottonwood Development Structural Engineer: Nat Oppenheimer, Silman Mechanical Engineer: Mark Cambria, Fusion Systems Photographer: Paul Warchol
Jury Comments: We liked the unusual forms and the way the house engages with the steep terrain. Despite the modest scale (2600 SF), the interiors are dramatic spaces filled with light. We appreciate the inventive floor plan.
In the SMALL PROJECTS category
Design excellence can be achieved, no matter the size or scope of a project. These awards celebrate projects with modest budgets that have a substantial impact. Small Project Awards are given in three categories, offering opportunities for recognition to a wide range of project sizes and budgets. All projects must demonstrate design achievement, including how the project fits into its environment and how the project connects to the Framework for Design Excellence.
Projects under 5,000 Square Feet
Award of Honor
CASA Playhouse/Play Factory (Richmond)
Photos by Hanbury.
Architecture Firm: Hanbury Owner: Henrico CASA Contractor: DPR Construction Photographer: Hanbury
Jury Comments: We loved the sense of playfulness that pervades every aspect of this modest project. And we appreciated the use of modest, reclaimed/donated materials to achieve a visual richness.
Award of Merit
Episcopal Church of the Resurrection (Alexandria)
Images courtesy of Cunningham Quill Architects. Photos by Allen Russ Photography, LLC.
Architecture Firm: Cunningham Quill Architects Owner: Church of the Resurrection Contractor: Dominion Construction Group Landscape Architect: Campion Hruby Landscape Architects Civil Engineer: Walter L. Phillips, Inc. Structural Engineer: Ehlert Bryan Consulting Structural Engineers MEP Engineer: Interface Engineering, Inc. Lighting Design: MCLA Architectural Lighting Design
Jury Comments: The jury appreciated this project’s focus on developing a sacred space within modest means. The resulting interior space is filled with light and is sensitively positioned on the site.
Projects up to $150,000
Honorable Mention
Tangential Timber (temporary pavilion reinstalled at multiple sites)
Images courtesy of After Architecture, LLC. Photos by After Architecture, LLC.
Architecture Firm: After Architecture, LLC & University of Virginia Before Building Laboratory Owner: University of Virginia Before Building Laboratory Fabrication Team: Sonja Bergquist, Sophie Depret-Guillaume, Cecily Farrell, Abbey Partika, Russell Petro, Emily Ploppert, Jonathan (Yianni) Spears, Jolie Talha, Annabelle Woodcock Photographer: After Architecture
Jury Comments: The jury recognized the proposed use of offcut/waste material into an inventive structural system. This type of thinking/research could be applied to many areas of the building profession.
In the CONTEXTUAL DESIGN category
The awards for contextual design are chosen based on outstanding architecture that perceptibly reflects the history, culture, and physical environment of the place in which it stands and that, in turn, contributes to the function, beauty, and meaning of its larger context.
Award of Honor
U.S. Embassy Campus Niamey (Niamey, Niger)
Images courtesy of Page Southerland Page, Inc. Photos by Amber Renee Design and Kevin Scott.
Architecture Firm/Architect of Record: Page Southerland Page, Inc. Design Architect: Miller Hull Partnership Owner: U.S. Department of State Contractor: BL Harbert International, LLC Geotechnical Engineer: Schnabel Engineering Civil Engineer: KPFF Consulting Engineers MEP Engineer: Mason & Hanger Structural Engineer: Ehlert Bryan Consulting Structural Engineers Blast Engineer: Weidlinger Associates, Inc. Photographers: Amber Renee Design and Kevin Scott
Jury Comments: The jury appreciated the sensitive response of this building to its climate and cultural context. We particularly liked the use of locally sourced materials and the way texture and color are woven into the scheme.
In the UNBUILT WORK category
Unbuilt work was considered, as long as it was commissioned by a client as opposed to hypothetical work completed in the mode of research or academic training.
Honorable Mention
ReGen LA (Los Angeles)
Images courtesy of Tomas Eliaeson.
Designer: Tomas Eliaeson
Jury Comments: We acknowledge the aspirational qualities of the project, which are evident at many levels. Planning principles and sustainability strategies are woven together, demonstrating the need for this type of thinking at all scales of development.
Registration is now open for the largest annual gathering of architects and design professionals in the mid-Atlantic: Architecture Exchange East 2023. We are excited to reconvene in person this year and we’ve built in plenty of opportunities to (re)connect with your colleagues!
ArchEx 2023 features carefully curated roundtables, educational sessions, tours, engaging special events, and vendors in the ArchEx Exhibit Hall — all organized around our theme of Collaboration & Connectivity.
We’ve focused on creating interactive experiences with opportunities for peer-to-peer sharing and hands-on learning.
Online Registration>> now closed. You can register onsite Nov. 1-3, 2023
We hope you’re as excited as we are to come back together for this annual (re)union of the profession!
The William C. Noland Medal, as the highest award bestowed on a member architect, is intended to honor a distinguished body of accomplishments, sustained over time, that spans a broad spectrum of the profession and that transcends the scope of normal professional activities. For 2023, the medal is awarded to Brian J. Frickie, FAIA.
As senior principal, president, and CEO of Arlington’s Kerns Group Architects, Frickie has helped his firm earn more than a dozen design awards. Within the firm he has institutionalized a practice culture that encourages young professionals to take on leadership roles on projects, in the office, in the AIA, in the profession, and in their communities.
But it is his service to the profession at state, local, and national levels that sets him apart as a worthy recipient of the Noland Medal. As his nomination asserts, “his visionary activism and collaborative, participatory style uphold the profession’s stature, elevate the organization’s relevance, and empower individual architects.” Over four decades, Brian has worked through local, state, regional, and national AIA components and in community organizations to highlight the instrumental roles architects can have in solving society’s most pressing issues.
As president of AIA Virginia, Frickie implemented initiatives to reconnect architects in schools and firms, to rebuild relationships among architects at all levels of the AIA, and to prepare future leaders. As charter member and later chair of the AIA National Small Firm Roundtable (SFRT), Brian refined and refocused the SFRT to… “advance the mutual interests of architects practicing in small firms,” and rebranded it as the Small Firm Exchange (SFx). Within the SFx mission, Frickie conceived AIAKinetic, the SFx APP (Architects’ Professional Primer), and served as its program director and managing editor. And, while representing The Virginias on the AIA National Strategic Council, he convened the Professional Development Study Group and chaired the AIA National Strategic Planning Committee in creating AIA’s 2021-2025 Strategic Plan, which is now being implemented.
Frickie has devoted his career to preparing future generations of architects to take on the mantle of creating a better environment for society, becoming more effective leaders, and developing a better profession. His vision of a year-long leadership development academy for emerging professionals came to fruition in 2009 as AIA Virginia’s Emerging Leaders in Architecture (ELA) program, now one of the oldest and longest continuously operating leadership programs for architects in the country.
For his passionate service, Brian Frickie, FAIA, will be presented with the Noland Medal at the Visions for Architecture event on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, at the Hippodrome Theatre in Richmond.
Shannon Dowling, AIA, principal and learning environments strategist at Ayers Saint Gross in Richmond, will be presented AIA Virginia’s 2023 Award for Distinguished Achievement. The Award for Distinguished Achievement recognizes either a singular achievement by an architect or the work of an entire career in any of the following: design, practice, education, service as a “citizen architect,” service to the profession, or initiatives to advance social justice, equity, diversity, or inclusion.
Dowling focuses on creating research-driven and student-centered learning environments. Equipped with an extensive knowledge of educational trends and challenges, she always works with the physical and psychological needs of students in mind. She collaborates closely with educators, students, and administrators to create inspirational yet functional space in which every student feels comfortable, safe, and ready to succeed.
in 2020 and 2021, as the recipient of a fellowship from the Society for College and University Planning, Dowling worked with students to create a playbook for the planning and design of diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus environments. The playbook, including the voices of more than two dozen institutions and more than 200 students, offers student-informed design strategies to create a more supportive physical environment for historically marginalized students.
Published in 2022, Dowling’s research project entitled Peripheral Vision: Planning and Designing Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Learning Environments – and its accompanying playbook – breaks down simple steps that institutions and designers can take to eliminate barriers to access and make existing and future spaces more welcoming and comfortable for a diversity of student populations. Dowling has written about her research and collaboration with students in numerous national publications and presented it widely. As the SCUP leadership notes, “The project has been far-reaching and impactful, not only for our SCUP constituency but many others who are committed to equitable and inclusive design.”
Dowling’s advocacy has extended to her local community and Richmond Public Schools. She lent her graphic design support to teachers in the Support Our Schools movement, actively contributing to raising awareness about the need for improved facility conditions and better teacher pay. Shannon’s dedication to fostering diversity and equity is evident through her volunteer work with Full STEAM Ahead, introducing middle school females to STEM professions, as well as her participation in numerous Career Fairs at local schools. Additionally, she has taken the initiative to lead camps and workshops, introducing children to the profession of architecture and inspiring the next generation of architects.
For her passionate service, Shannon Dowling, AIA, will be recognized with the Award for Distinguished Achievement at the Visions for Architecture event on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, at the Hippodrome Theatre in Richmond.
AIA Virginia announces the call for applications for the 2024 class of Emerging Leaders in Architecture (ELA): An Honors Academy of AIA Virginia.
The application and more information are available here>> The application deadline is Nov. 10, 2023.
ELA is an intensive program of educational sessions structured around presentations, discussions, team exploration, analysis, consensus-building, collaboration, and case study activities undertaken over the course of a year by a small cadre of participants selected for their potential to be outstanding contributors to the profession and the community. Facilitators and mentors who are established leaders in the building, finance, non-profit, development, university, legal, consulting, and design professions and in the community at large develop and deliver the sessions, designed to provide participants with advanced knowledge and skills related to specific areas of leadership and practice.
The program consists of monthly, day-long seminars, work sessions, or class project presentations, culminating at a presentation at Architecture Exchange East in November.
The seminars are interactive, drawing on real examples and actively involving participants. They rotate among sites in Roanoke, Charlottesville, Richmond, Alexandria, and Norfolk in conjunction with the firms, schools, and the local AIA component in each area.
The class project for 2024 will be in Northern Virginia, so many sessions and the project workdays will be located in the Northern Virginia area.
How to Apply The committee seeks applicants from three categories:
Component Nominees: Each of the five AIA Virginia local component Boards may nominate one or more individuals for admission to the program. One participant will be selected from each component for a total of five. If interested, please contact your local AIA chapter representative. Each chapter sets its own deadline and application requirements for these positions.
Student Nominees: Each Virginia Architecture School (UVA, VT, Hampton, and WAAC) may nominate one or more students for admission to the program. One participant will be selected from each school for a total of four. If interested, contact your department Chair/Dean.
Open Applications: Applicants may apply on their own or be nominated by someone else. Seven participants will be selected from among these applicants.
The application and more information are available here>> The application deadline is Nov. 10, 2023.
If you have any questions, please contact Cathy Guske, Member Services Director, cguske@aiava.org
