2019 Design Awards Announced

AIA Virginia is pleased to announce the 2019 Awards for Excellence in Architecture. Also known as the 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. Award categories include Architecture, Contextual Design, Historic Preservation, Interior Design, and Residential Design. These 22 projects will be celebrated at the Visions for Architecture gala on Friday, Nov. 8, 2019, at the Hilton Downtown Richmond.  Jury Chair Ann Beha, FAIA, will offer insights from the jury at Architecture Exchange East at 2:45 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8.

In the ARCHITECTURE category

The jury considers aesthetics, adherence to the client wishes, proven and projected building performance, and concept development during its deliberations.

Awards of Honor

Blue Ridge Orthodontics

Blue Ridge Orthodontics (Ashville, N.C.)
This project brings an infusion of well-considered craft and good planning into the medical office building type. Light materials convey cleanliness without being institutional and the views to the outdoors convey a sense of tranquility.

Architecture Firm: Clark Nexsen
Owner: Blue Ridge Orthodontics
Contractor: Beverly-Grant, Inc.
Photographer: Mark Herboth Photography, LLC


Google at 1212 Bordeaux

Google at 1212 Bordeaux (Sunnyvale, Ca.)
This thoughtfully-planned project is well connected to its compact setting. The materials and bridges help achieve unity and visibility in this highly-collaborative office space.

Architecture Firm: Parabola Architecture
Owner: Google
Contractor: Devcon Construction, Inc.
Photographers: Prakash Patel Photography (featured) and Kevin Burke Photography


Rhodes College Robertson Hall

Rhodes College Robertson Hall (Memphis, Tn.)
This was an appealing, engaging response to a clear historic context. The architects “pushed it” despite prescriptive exteriors. Fewer materials make the project more coherent and more powerful.

Architecture Firm: Hanbury
Owner: Rhodes College
Contractor: Grinder Tabor & Grinder
Photographer: Robert Benson Photography

Awards of Merit

The Brendan Iribe Center for Computer Science and Engineering

The Brendan Iribe Center for Computer Science and Engineering (College Park, Md.)
As a campus gateway, this succeeds in place-making. It showcases “the arrival” with a strong, contemporary statement. The interiors are varied and welcoming, legibly emphasizing STEM education.

Architecture Firm: HDR Architecture, Inc.
Owner: University of Maryland
Contractor: Whiting-Turner Contracting Company
Photographer: Dan Schwalm | HDR


Elon W. Rhodes Early Learning Center

Elon W. Rhodes Early Learning Center (Harrisonburg, Va.)
The scale is good and the planning is extremely strong. Public circulation is active and the adjacencies and flexibilities will make this a long-term asset to the school system.

Architecture Firm: VMDO Architects
Owner: Harrisonburg City Public Schools
Contractor: Nielsen Builders
Photographer: Alan Karchmer


Hotels at The Wharf – Canopy by Hilton & Hyatt House

Hotels at The Wharf – Canopy by Hilton & Hyatt House (Washington, D.C.)
An Urbanistic success! The simple, slender façade and skillful massing create active, outdoor spaces which are full of life and urban vitality. The podium and geometries are considerate of site, scale, and marketplace conditions.

Architecture Firm: SmithGroup
Owner: Hoffman-Madison Waterfront
Contractor: Donohoe Construction Company
Photographers: Hoachlander Davis Photography (featured), Photofusion Media, Alex Fradkin


Howard University Interdisciplinary Research Building

Howard University Interdisciplinary Research Building (IRB) (Washington, D.C.)
This project makes a strong, simple statement. It is powerful yet restrained in composition with a clear and dynamic street presence.

Architecture Firm: HDR Architecture, Inc.
Owner: Howard University
Contractor: Turner Construction
Photographer: Ari Burling | Architectural Photography


WTCC Parking Deck 2

WTCC Parking Deck 2 (Raleigh, N.C.)
As a parking garage at community college, this really is a good citizen. The cladding and crenellations are good solar control strategies and the views and daylight promote safety and clear wayfinding.

Architecture Firm: Clark Nexsen
Owner: Wake Technical Community College
Contractor: SKANSKA
Photographer: Mark Herboth Photography, LLC

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.

Awards of Merit

550 East Water Street

550 East Water Street (Charlottesville, Va.)
This project claims its own identity while still successfully responding to its site between the rail tracks and street. It’s a wonderful example of good urban infill.

Architecture Firm: Formwork Design Office, LLC
Owner: 550 E. Water St., LLC
Contractor: Martin Horn, Inc.
Photographer: Kevin Blackburn Photography and Michael Stavaridis (featured)


Claude Moore Education Complex (Roanoke, Va.)
With its simple streetscape and successful interior kitchen and training facilities, this is architecture that respectfully contributes to the neighborhood’s vibrant history.

Architecture Firm: Spectrum Design, PC
Owner: Roanoke Higher Education Authority
Contractor: Avis Construction
Photographer: Boyd Pearman Photography


Re-Imagining Benefield

Re-Imagining Benefield (Richmond, Va.)
This is a successful representation of how an engaged design team and a participatory community can work together to create a design that reflects a neighborhood’s values while pushing it to be all it can be.

Architecture Firm: HKS, Inc.
Owner: Boaz & Ruth
Contractor: Urban Core
MEP: Integral Group
Structural Engineer: Dunbar Milby Williams Pittman & Vaughan, PLLC
Renderings: HKS, Inc.

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.

Award of Honor

Spencer Carriage House Deep Energy Retrofit

Spencer Carriage House Deep Energy Retrofit (Washington, D.C.)
This is a robust example of repurposing that is both sensitive to history and appealing to a contemporary audience. Balancing the client’s net-zero energy goals with responsible historic preservation is well-documented and laudable.

Architecture Firm: Peabody Architects, Building Envelope and Restoration
Owner: Lew Hages and Gerard Boquel
Contractor: Ari Fingeroth
Interiors Architect: Yoko Barsky, Deco Design Studio
Photographer: David Peabody, Buzz Photo (featured)

Awards of Merit

The Cavalier Hotel Rehabilitation

The Cavalier Hotel Rehabilitation (Virginia Beach, Va.)
The design confirms the connection between the hotel and its rich history. Structural solutions are well considered and very innovative.

Architecture Firm: Hanbury
Owner: Gold Key / PHR
Contractor: W.M. Jordan Co.
Photographer: Robert Benson Photography


The Lockkeeper’s House

The Lockkeeper’s House (Washington, D.C.)
The exterior, interior, and landscape are all well executed — it feels like welcoming back a lost treasure.

Architecture Firm: Davis Buckley Architects and Planners
Owner: National Park Service
Client: Trust for the National Mall
Contractor: Hensel Phelps
Photographer: Michael Ventura Photography

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.

Awards of Merit

118 East Main St.

118 East Main St. (Charlottesville, Va.)
The small footprint feels airy and enlarged. The simple, disciplined approach optimizes the two windows and is an excellent example of understated elegance.

Architecture Firm: Bushman Dreyfus Architects
Owner: West Cote Properties, LLC
Contractor: Longview Management & Construction Co., LLC
Photographer: Virginia Hamrick


San Francisco Tech Company

San Francisco Tech Company (San Francisco, Ca.)
The efficient, modular approach celebrates the steel frame.  The industrial ambiance and mezzanine are very successful and the floor trenching creates future flexibility.

Architecture Firm: Parabola Architecture
Client Liaison and Project Management: Alex Neuhold Consulting
Contractor: Devcon Construction, Inc.
Photographers: Prakash Patel Photography (featured) and Kevin Burke Photography


Watergate 502

Watergate 502 (Washington, D.C.)
This is a reinstatement and enlargement of thoughtful modernism. The curved element, integrated columns, and angularity of the plan are well-handled.

Architecture Firm: Robert M. Gurney, FAIA, Architect
Owner: (Withheld)
Contractor: Added Dimensions, Inc.
Interior Design: Baron Gurney Interiors
Photographer: Hoachlander Davis Photography

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 Honor

Chapman Stables Housing

Chapman Stables Housing (Washington, D.C.)
The design offers hints at the structure’s history, expressing how the building has evolved over time. The massing and site planning are notable.

Architecture Firm: Studio Twenty Seven Architecture
Owner: 57 N Street LLC
Contractor: GCS | Sigal
Photographer: Hoachlander Davis Photography
Civil Engineer: Christopher consultants
Structural Engineer: Ehlert Bryan
MEP Engineer: Meta Engineers
Landscape Engineer: Clinton & Associates


Mid Century Modern Residence

Mid Century Modern Residence (Bethesda, Md.)
This design respected the form of the original house and amplified it. The new co-exists harmoniously with the original. The composition is clear and the landscape is elegantly integrated.

Architecture Firm: Studio Twenty Seven Architecture
Owner: Tori and Sam Wales
Civil Engineer: Christopher consultants
Structural Engineer: Ehlert Bryan
MEP Engineer: Provectus
Contractor: Washington Landmark Construction
Photographer: Hoachlander Davis Photography


Mossy Rock

Mossy Rock (Free Union, Va.)
This simple new construction features clean lines and beautiful use of materials. The scale of the outdoor porch is appealing and well-connected to the landscape.

Architecture Firm: Bushman Dreyfus Architects
Owner: Anonymous
Contractor: Dammann Construction
Photographers: Stephen Barling (featured), Will Kerner

Awards of Merit

AUTO-haus

AUTO-haus (Washington, D.C.)
The spatial properties of the existing condition were optimized to create a courtyard-like feel. The industrial vocabulary was consistent and clever.

Architecture Firm: KUBE architecture PC
Owner: Nick Rubenstein & Jennifer Hsu
Contractor: ThinkMakeBuild
Photographer: Hoachlander Davis Photography


Lyon Park House

Lyon Park House (Arlington, Va.)
This light-filled renovation recalls the original while still being adventurous. It conveys a message about future possibilities while still being a good contextual neighbor.

Architecture Firm: Robert M. Gurney, FAIA, Architect
Owner: (Withheld)
Contractor: Arta Construction
Structural Engineer: D. Anthony Beale LLC
Photographer: Hoachlander Davis Photography


About the Jury

Ann Beha, FAIA, Jury Chair, Principal at Ann Beha Architects
Rodrigo Abela, ASLA, PLA, LEED AP BD+C, Principal at Gustafson Guthrie
Sara Caples AIA, LEED, Principal at Caples Jefferson Architects
Anthony Pangaro, Partner at Millennium Partners (retired)
James Elmasry, AIA, LEED AP, Senior Program Planner at Yale University

Read more about the jury.

About the Awards for Excellence in Architecture

All entries must be the work of architects who have an office in Virginia or are members of AIA Virginia. The location of projects is not restricted, but any built work submitted must have been completed after January 1, 2011. Un-built work was also considered, as long as it was commissioned by a client as opposed to hypothetical work completed in the mode of research or academic training.

Design Awards for 2013 Announced

Across five award categories — Architecture, Contextual Design, Historic Preservation, Interior Design, and Residential Design — 29 projects were recognized for design excellence in 2013. Five separate juries identified 16 Honor Awards, 12 Merit Awards, and one special citation from a pool of 139 submissions. The awards recognize the very best work by designers working from Virginia. Held annually, the Awards for Excellence (also known as the Design Awards) celebrate projects no older than seven years that contribute to the built environment as clear examples of thoughtful and engaging design.

The 2013 Virginia Society AIA Awards for Excellence in Architecture presented by IMAGINiT Technologies, are sponsored by IMAGINiT Technologies, Donley’s, First Light VA, Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas + Company, GeoEnvironmental Resources, Inc., Williams Mullen, and McPherson Design Group.

The winning projects will be the subject of an exhibition at the Virginia Center for Architecture called Design 2013: A Retrospective of Winning Work running Oct. 24, 2013–Jan. 5, 2014. The Opening Reception is Oct. 24 from 5:30–7:30 p.m.

Western Carolina University Health & Human Services by Clark Nexsen. Photo by Mark Herboth Photography.
Western Carolina University Health & Human Services by Clark Nexsen. Photo by Mark Herboth Photography.

In the ARCHITECTURE category

In deliberations, the jury—chaired by Thompson E. Penney, FAIA—considered aesthetics, adherence to the client program, proven and projected building performance, and concept development.

The three Architecture Honor Award recipients for 2013 are:

Western Carolina University Health & Human Sciences by Clark Nexsen
“A successful contrast to the natural setting out of which it grows, the building carefully pushes in the hillside contours, preserving a sensitive environment and gracefully stepping down the site,” noted the jury.

RdV Vineyards Winery by Neumann Lewis Buchanan Architects. Photo by Gordon Beall.
RdV Vineyards Winery by Neumann Lewis Buchanan Architects. Photo by Gordon Beall.

RdV Vineyards Winery by Neumann Lewis Buchanan Architects
“The structure is beautifully integrated with its spectacular site,” the jury said. “The interiors are quite bold and very well detailed and executed.

Buckingham County Public School by VMDO
“The masterful stitching together of two outdated mid-century schools into a new elementary school is very sophisticated, yet, at the same time, is very approachable for children,” said the jury.

The Architecture Jury also recognized four projects with Merit Awards:

Park Shops by Clark Nexsen

Buckingham County Primary and Elementary Schools by VMDO Architects. Photo by Alan Karchmer.
Buckingham County Primary and Elementary Schools by VMDO Architects. Photo by Alan Karchmer.

Tred Avon River House by Robert Gurney, FAIA

Verde Dining Facility by Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas, and

Barcode House by David Jameson, FAIA

 

In the CONTEXTUAL DESIGN category

The awards for contextual design recognize 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.

The Context Jury, chaired by R. Randall Vosbeck, FAIA, awarded three projects with Honor Awards:

Holaday Athletic Center, U.S. Air Force Academy by Cannon Design
The project is notable“for its sustainable, contemporary design, which is most respectful of its well-known mid-century surroundings,” stated the jury.

Becherer House by Robert Gurney, FAIA, Architect
The jury noted the exquisite detailing and overall design as the deciding elements in convincing them that this project is relevant to its wooded setting.

Headquarters for Ruppert Nurseries by  Muse Architects
“This complex of new and remodeled buildings respects the 1898 Queen Anne Victorian farmhouse on the site,” said the jury of the nursery’s “overall agrarian character.”

The jury also awarded four projects with Merit Awards:

Duncan, McMurty, Baker & Will Rice Colleges of Rice University by Hopkins Architects, design architect, and Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas, executive architect

E. Claiborne Robins Stadium, University of Richmond by BCWH, architect of record, and McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, associated architect

Bedford Hall Visual Arts Building, Longwood University by Moseley Architects, architect, and HGA, consulting visual arts design architect

University of Mary Washington Residence Halls Renovation by Bowie Gridley Architects

Additionally, the jury recognized The One Nest by McGraw Bagnoli Architects, with a special citation as a clever interpretation of a rural farmhouse related to its countryside site.

 

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—chaired by 2014 national AIA Custom Residential Architecture Network Chair David Andreozzi, AIA—looked at each submission in its totality toward meeting those goals.

The Residential Design jury selected four projects for Honor Awards:

Three of those are by Robert Gurney, FAIA, Architect:

308 Mulberry, which the jury called “absolutely brilliant, a truly spectacular example of a minimally and expertly detailed project that respects the context of a site as well as the history of an existing structure.”

Difficult Run Residence which was called “a remarkable renovation,” by the jury. “Like the rolling landscape, the roof gracefully folds and rolls, thus unifying the house. It is quite an honor to the original architect.”

and

WISSIOMING2. “The lines of the house form a myriad of squares and volumes,” observed the jury. “Its connection to its vernacular is spellbinding from every direction.”

The jury also honored A Move to the City by Muse Architects. “This project’s exterior skin was restored from the last century, and its interior is transformed for the next century.”

The jury recognized Ocean Walk, by Studio Twenty-Seven Architecture, with a Merit Award.

 

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 took into consideration adherence to local, state, and national criteria for historic preservation.

The Historic Preservation jury—chaired by Associate Dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Gaines B. Hall, FAIA—recognized one with an Honor Award.

For the Honor Award, the jury recognized the National Academy of Sciences restoration by Quinn Evans Architects, which they called “beautifully executed. It followed the best of preservation practice in an exemplary way. This is a first-rate renovation of a landmark building.”

They recognized three projects with Merit Awards:

The Restoration of the 1917 Chesterfield Courthouse by Davis Buckley Architects & Planners

The State Theatre Restoration by Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas, and

The Pierce Mill Complex by Quinn Evans

 

In the INTERIOR DESIGN category

Interior design project of distinction evince 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.

The Interior Design Jury—chaired by Jose Castillo, cofounder of arquitectura 911sc in Mexico City—recognized five projects with Honor Awards; three by Robert Gurney, FAIA, Architect:

Lorber Tarler Residence, with its “clean palette of materials, finishes, and colors as well as the specific role the stair plays in organizing space and bringing in natural light.

Watergate Apartment, as “a clever use of geometry to achieve a better integration for what otherwise would feel like a small apartment. This space honors the legacy of Moretti’s 1960s masterpiece.”

and

5110-½ Offices, was lauded by the jury for how it draws light “into the deepest parts of the office. The organization in plan is warm, clean, and professionally formal.”

The jury also recognized the North Avenue Dining Hall at Georgia Tech by Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas for “the way the project establishes a relationship between interior and exterior and between existing and new.

and

The Allsteel Showroom by Hickok Cole for its “sensitive integration of brand into physical space. The relationship between different ceilings, floorings, and lighting achieves an unmistakable identity and character.”