2014 Design Awards Announced

Posted on by cguske

Virginia Architects are honoring the very best work by designers working in Virginia in the 2014 Awards for Excellence (also known as the Design Awards). These awards celebrate projects no older than seven years that contribute to the built environment and are clear examples of thoughtful and engaging design. This year juries have identified 12 Honor Awards and six Merit Awards. Award categories include Architecture, Contextual Design, Historic Preservation, Interior Design and Residential Design.

These projects will be on display at the Virginia Center for Architecture in Design 2014: A Retrospective of Winning Work, Oct. 30, 2014–Jan. 4, 2015. 

(image galleries follow each category announcement)

In the ARCHITECTURE category

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

Architecture Honor Award Recipients:

  • 4 Springs Lane (Rappahanock, Va.) by Robert M. Gurney, FAIA, Architect
    “Beautifully composed on the site,” says the jury, “with a logical, clear floor plan that embraces and frames views of the landscape.”
  • Smith Creek Park (Clifton Forge, Va.) by the design/buildLAB
    “The beautiful, sculptural forms relate strongly to the site and amplify the sound of the creek,” comments the jury.
  • NOAA Center for Weather & Climate Prediction (College Park, Md.) by HOK
    “It houses a federal agency – and the design relates to and beautifully reflects their mission,” notes the jury.
  • Catherine Burrow Refectory Renovation & Addition (Memphis, Tn.) by Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas + Company
    “This project rises to the challenge of expanding an existing building on a campus with a strong historic character,” the jury remarks.
  • St. Ignatius Chapel at The Calcagnini Contemplative Center (Bluemont, Va.) by Dynerman Architects pc
    The jury notes the “incredibly warm and inviting interior space.”
  • Union Station Bus Terminal (Washington, D.C.) by Studio Twenty Seven Architecture
    “With only a few moves, the architects enlivened what is for most people, a dreary commuting experience,” says the jury.

Architecture Merit Award Recipients:

  • NYU-DC (Washington, D.C.) by Hickok Cole Architects
  • DC Consolidated Forensic Laboratory (Washington, D.C.) by HOK

 

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.

Contextual Honor Award Recipients

  • Charlottesville Strategic Investment Plan (Charlottesville, Va.) by Cunningham | Quill Architects, PLLC
    The jury applauded the depth of this vision plan that addresses ecology, retail, community services and mixed-income housing.
  • Round Hill Farm Pavilions and Landscape (Orange, Va.) by Spatial Affairs Bureau
    “Reflects the agrarian sensibility and arrangement of a family farm without resorting to pastiche.”

 

 

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.

Residential Design Honor Award Recipients:

  • Hampden Lane House (Bethesda, Md.) by Robert M. Gurney, FAIA, Architect
    The jury notes the project’s “strong, simple forms and an elegant use of industrial materials.”
  • Komai (Alexandria, Va.) by Robert M. Gurney, FAIA, Architect
    “This is a textbook example of taking a severely constrained site and turning it into something noteworthy,” says the jury.

 

 

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.

Historic Preservation Honor Award Recipient:

  • The Beacon Theatre (Hopewell, Va.) by Commonwealth Architects
    The jury says “the renovation of the theater and the adaptive reuse of the adjacent building demonstrates comprehensive preservation – careful research, beautiful restoration and thoughtful adaptive reuse in support of new programmatic requirements and economic realities – which will serve as a catalyst for continued downtown revitalization.”

Historic Preservation Merit Award Recipients:

  • Sherman Building Reconstruction (Washington, D.C.) by Quinn Evans Architects
  • Roanoke City Market (Roanoke, Va.) by Cunningham | Quill Architects, PLLC
  • Gadsby’s Tavern Ice Well (Alexandria, Va.) by BELL Architects and Larson / Koenig Architects

 

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.

Interior Design Honor Award Recipient:

 

  • NOC Conversion (Washington, D.C.) by Robert M. Gurney, FAIA, Architect
    The jury says this project “made an undesirable unit very desirable. Difficult to achieve.”

Interior Design Merit Award Recipient:

  • Gallaudet University Student Housing Commons Interiors (Washington, D.C.) by Studio Twenty Seven Architecture

 

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 the Virginia Society of the American Institute of Architects. The location of projects is not restricted, but any built work submitted must have been completed after January 1, 2007. Un-built work was also be considered, as long as it was commissioned by a client as opposed to hypothetical work completed in the mode of research or academic training.

The 2014 Awards for Excellence in Architecture are sponsored by Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas + Company, GeoEnvironmental Resources, and Jack Davis, FAIA.

About the Virginia Society of the American Institute of Architects
The Virginia Society of the American Institute of Architects is a professional association representing nearly 2,500 members. Founded by 5 architects in 1914, the Virginia Society AIA has represented the professional interests of architects and allied professionals in the Commonwealth of Virginia for 100 years. For more information, contact the Virginia Society a (804) 644-3041 or visit www.aiava.org.

2014 Design Awards Jury Announced

Posted on by cguske

The Virginia Society AIA announces the jury chairs for the 2014 Awards for Excellence in Architecture. For 2014 there are five categories in the Awards for Excellence: Architecture, Historic Preservation, Interior Design, Contextual Design, and Residential Design. Entries will be accepted through 5 p.m. June 27 and project submissions are due by 5 p.m. on July 25.  See the Call for Entries for descriptions of each of the 5 awards categories. 

Ray Calabro, FAIA
Principal, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
In his nearly 20-year career with Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Ray Calabro’s work has emphasized the relationship of a building to its surrounding landscape. He believes that architecture is a thoughtful response to the culture and spirit of each place. This vision and commitment is most clearly demonstrated by the award-winning Grand Teton Discovery and Visitor in Jackson, Wyoming. Calabro regularly leads the Bohlin Cywinski Jackson team in a collaborative design process to achieve extraordinary, award-winning buildings including visitor centers, corporate headquarters, academic buildings for science and research, and private residences across the western United States and Canada.

Calabro frequently speaks at regional, national and international design conferences, and serves as a juror and design critic at leading schools of architecture and design.

Jean Carroon, FAIA
Principal, Goody Clancy
Jean Carroon leads Goody Clancy’s extensive preservation and renovation practice. She has received national recognition for her special expertise in applying sustainable design technology to historic buildings and has been appointed to Boston mayor Menino’s Green Building Task Force and the Advisory Board of the Green Roundtable’s Nexus Green Building Resource Center. Her book, Sustainable Preservation: Greening Existing Buildings, was published in 2010 by John Wiley & Sons. She is also a recognized expert in the design of accessibility solutions for historic buildings. She has led Goody Clancy’s restoration of some of the most distinguished landmark buildings in the country, including H.H. Richardson’s Trinity Church in Boston. She has also directed the renovation of a number of venerated buildings on historic university campuses throughout New England.

Carroon lectures frequently on preservation and sustainable design topics to local and national audiences, including the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. She has participated in panels and symposia for the General Services Administration, AIA Livable Communities, the Association for Preservation Technology, and the Green Building Alliance, and is a member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation Sustainability Coalition. She earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Architecture at the University of Oregon.

Awards are presented each November at Architecture Exchange East. Winning projects are also honored during the Visions for Architecture gala, in Inform magazine, and serve as the subject of an annual exhibition at the Virginia Center for Architecture.

The 2014 Awards for Excellence in Architecture are sponsored by Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas + Company, GeoEnvironmental Resources, and Jack Davis, FAIA.

Enter the 2014 Design Awards>>

Call for Entries: 2014 Design Awards

Posted on by cguske

Join the Virginia Society of the American Institute of Architects, the Virginia Center for Architecture, and Inform magazine in a celebration of the very best work from designers working from Virginia.

The Awards for Excellence in Architecture recognize outstanding design— both built and un-built — in five categories: Contextual Design, Residential Design, Architecture, Historic Preservation and Interior Design.  All entries must be the work of architects who have an office in Virginia or are members (including associate members) of the Virginia Society AIA. The location of projects is not restricted, but built work must have been completed after Jan. 1, 2007. Un-built work will also be considered, as long as it was commissioned by a client as opposed to hypothetical work completed in the mode of research or academic training.

Awards certificates are presented each November at Architecture Exchange East, the Virginia Society’s annual conference. They are also honored during the Visions for Architecture gala, in Inform magazine, and serve as the subject of an annual exhibition at the Virginia Center for Architecture.

The 2014 Awards for Excellence in Architecture are sponsored by Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas + Company, GeoEnvironmental Resources, and Jack Davis, FAIA.

DEADLINES

Entries: 5 p.m. on July 7, 2014
Project submissions: 5 p.m. on July 25, 2014

FEES

VS AIA Members: $190 first project; $160 each additional project
Non-member Architects (with an office in Va.):  $245 first project; $215 each additional project
VSAIA Associate Members: $80 each project

CATEGORIES

[adrotate banner=”55″]Contextual Design
Buildings do not exist in isolation. The Award for Contextual Design recognizes 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. Evaluation criteria include:

  • Does the design contribute to the fabric of the surrounding physical context through tangible qualities such as scale, form, materials, and architectural vocabulary?
  • Does the design demonstrate an understanding of the history and culture of the place and embrace traditions relevant to its context?
  • Does the design creatively embody the identity or mission of the client?

Requirements for submission should include a description of the context and how this context is reflected in the design, as well as images (photographs or drawings; at least two) that distinctly reveal the surrounding context of the project.

Residential Design
Aesthetic appeal and functionality are two long-established criteria for home design. More frequently, especially in the last several years, families have also been looking for affordability and resource efficiency. The jury will focus on the issues of:

  • Design that suits the needs of the home owner or resident, regardless of any particular style, and is easily maintained, filled with adequate natural light and fresh air, energy and water efficient, and is universally accessible.
  • Community building, in that the residence is well-sited with respect to views and amenities such as transit, shopping, recreation, and congregation.

Submissions should include a description of the sustainability and community-building programmatic aspects of the residence, interior and exterior photographs, plans, and/or drawings, and a site plan.

Architecture
Designers may submit projects of all types (including residential) for consideration in the Architecture category. In their deliberations, the jury will consider aesthetics, adherence to the client program, proven and projected building performance, and concept development. As with all categories, entrants will submit a project description and five pages of illustration, each of which may contain plans, sections, renderings, photographs, and captions, as the entrant deems suitable to describe the outstanding elements of the project.

Historic Preservation
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 will also take into consideration adherence to local, state, and national criteria for historic preservation.

Interiors
Interior architecture projects of distinction will 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. Submissions will highlight accommodation of project goals, including the client’s specific programmatic requirements, in a single page of text supplemented with five pages of illustrations in PDF format.

The Juries

The juries for each of the five categories comprise architects, educators, and related professionals working outside the mid-Atlantic region who are well-recognized for their work pertaining to their particular categories.

Enter>>

Design Awards for 2013 Announced

Posted on by cguske

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.”

 

Jury Announced for 2013 Design Awards

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The Virginia Society AIA announces the jury chairs for the 2013 Awards for Excellence in Architecture.

Architecture Category Jury Chair: Thompson E. Penney, FAIA, Chairman/President/CEO of LS3P, headquartered in Charleston, S.C. He served as the 2003 AIA National President. Thom Penney is responsible for the overall firm management and organizational vision of his large firm as well as a design-review resource available to all project teams. He brings knowledge and familiarity with regional construction practices and extensive personal experience in design excellence.

Contextual Design Jury Chair: R. Randall Vosbeck, FAIA, was the 1981 AIA National President, cofounder of Vosbeck, Vosbeck, Kendrick & Redinger in the 1960s, worked with the Washington, D.C., office of DMJM, from which he retired and moved to Vail, Colo., in 1994. Randy Vosbeck has an abiding respect and devotion to the profession of architecture and a thorough understanding of the mid-Atlantic context.

Historic Preservation Jury Chair: Gaines B. Hall, FAIA, Associate Dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts and the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and professor of architecture within that college. He was Vice President of Kirkegaard Associates in Chicago for 21 years and served as an AIA National Vice President in 1984. Gaines Hall also recently completed a years-long restoration of Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1900 Bradley House in Kankakee, Ill.

Interior Design Jury Chair: Jose Castillo is cofounder of arquitectura 911sc in Mexico City. He also teaches at the Harvard GSD, where he received both his master’s and doctorate degrees in architecture, and has taught at the University of Pennsylvania, Tulane, and the Universidad Iberoamericana. He has curated exhibitions for the Venice, Rotterdam, and Sao Paulo Biennales and is on the advisory board of SciArc’s Future Initiatives program.

Residential Architecture Jury Chair: David Andreozzi, AIA, based in Rhode Island, will chair the national AIA Custom Residential Architecture Network in 2014. His firm’s design philosophy is to control and organize the design and construction of every aspect of his home designs, which have been featured extensively, including on HGTV and in House Beautiful and Better Homes and Gardens. He also chairs the selection team for an upcoming book, AIA/CRAN Residential Collection | Houses for All Regions.

The 2013 Design Awards are sponsored by Donley’s.  

Enter the 2013 Design Awards>>

10 Tips for Terrific Design Award Submissions

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2005 AIA Stock Images - Core - Cunningham & Quill - Hickok Warner Cole - HSMM - OTJ ArchitectsDoesn’t it sometimes seem as if you see the same firms receiving all the design awards year in and year out? It can be frustrating, especially when you know your own work is at least as compelling visually and functionally. So what’s the secret? As former Architecture Editor in Chief Don Canty used to say about getting published: “Do good work and tell us about it.” Okay, so you do good work, now here are a few tips on the most effective way to tell the jury about it in your awards submissions.

1) Keep it simple.

Your design solution is bound to be extremely involved … every project is, even seemingly simple ones. Jury members know this too. But put yourself in their shoes. In the first round of project reviews, they typically have only a minute or two to review each submission. There is often a certain feeling of sensory overload. Focus on no more than three outstanding features of your project that you feel will capture the jury’s attention (more on that in a moment) and focus your presentation on that.

 

2) Make it visual.

This might seem obvious, and it is. But you would not believe the number of entries that come in with no apparent attention given to the quality of the photographs and renderings. Some jury members are taken by whiz-bang CAD manipulations; some prefer hand-drawn design-development studies. Submit whichever you are strongest in. But do consider that when they see obviously altered images or poorly executed drawings, the odds are that they will skip to the next submission without digging any deeper into yours.

3) Keep it short.

Text is important in focusing a jury member on the impact of your project. But—especially in the first round—he or she isn’t going to want to read a dissertation. State your thesis and caption your illustrations, certainly, but do it in a way that it is most easily absorbed in a quick read-through.

 

4) Be positive.

Especially in effective interventions, some submissions give undue attention to what was being fixed. A “before” shot is best conveyed small and in black and white so that the “after” shots are what draw the eye. And as far as the impression you want to leave with the jury, every client, consultant, and regulator is always the best you’ve ever worked with. Leave the jury members believing that you enjoy what you’ve accomplished as part of a well-honed team.

 

5) Remember the client.

And speaking of the client, don’t forget to mention how the project makes life better for the owners and users of what you have created.

 

6) Remember the environmental impact.

It’s almost a cliché anymore, but do remember to mention—even if only in passing—those measures you have taken to reduce carbon emissions, manage storm water runoff, and, in general, be resource efficient.

 

7) Emphasize the context.

As one can see in some of the recent mega-projects in China, for instance, sometimes having no context is in itself a context. But if you don’t somehow explain the setting for your design solution—in pictures or text—and if the jury members are not able to visit the project (which is most often the case), then you are doing your work a disservice. Try to give the jury a sense of the experience of the building and how it fits into its place.

 

8) Think of resilience.

This element is fairly new as an expressed architectural concept. It has to do with how your project helps people recover from natural and anthropogenic disasters. It might not be part of the jury members’ conscious decision making, but if your project addresses resilience in a notable way, it’s a good thing to point to as one of your building’s outstanding characteristics.

 

9) Do some basic research.

If you can find out who the jury members are going to be, spend some time learning what kinds of projects they design and what kind of styles or features they highlight in their own projects. This isn’t cheating, it’s knowing your audience and focusing your message to capture their attention.

 

10) Give appropriate credits.

Giving credit is free. And, if your project does receive an award, your consultants and the people in your firm who were most involved and invested in the project will feel much more appreciated if their joint achievement is acknowledged. And remember, the design-team identification information is concealed from the jury (although with some high-visibility projects they are bound to know, of course). You have just as good a chance to be awarded as the firms you see in all the magazines … if you pay as much attention to your submission as you do to the projects of which you are most proud.

Now, get out there and create some winning entries! The 2013 Awards for Excellence in Architecture is accepting entries through June 28.

Call for Entries: Design Awards 2013

Posted on by cguske

Join the Virginia Society of the American Institute of Architects, the Virginia Center for Architecture, and Inform magazine in a celebration of the very best work from designers working from Virginia.

The Awards for Excellence in Architecture recognize outstanding design— both built and un-built — in five categories: Contextual Design, Residential Design, Architecture, Historic Preservation and Interior Design.  All entries must be the work of architects who have an office in Virginia or are members (including associate members) of the Virginia Society AIA. The location of projects is not restricted, but built work must have been completed after Jan. 1, 2005.

Awards certificates are presented each November at Architecture Exchange East, the Virginia Society’s annual conference. They are also honored during the Visions for Architecture gala, in Inform magazine, and serve as the subject of an annual exhibition at the Virginia Center for Architecture.

The 2013 Awards for Excellence in Architecture are sponsored by Donley’s.

DEADLINES for the 2013 Awards Program:

Entries are due June 28.

Project submissions are due July 26.

The fee schedule for the 2013 awards program is:

Virginia Society AIA Members—$190 for the first project and $160 for each additional project

Non-member Architects (with an office in Virginia)—$245 for the first project and $215 for each additional project

Virginia Society AIA Associate Members —$80 for each project

Contextual Design
Buildings do not exist in isolation. The Award for Contextual Design recognizes 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. Evaluation criteria include:

  • Does the design contribute to the fabric of the surrounding physical context through tangible qualities such as scale, form, materials, and architectural vocabulary?
  • Does the design demonstrate an understanding of the history and culture of the place and embrace traditions relevant to its context?
  • Does the design creatively embody the identity or mission of the client?

Requirements for submission should include a description of the context and how this context is reflected in the design, as well as images (photographs or drawings; at least two) that distinctly reveal the surrounding context of the project.

Residential Design
Aesthetic appeal and functionality are two long-established criteria for home design. More frequently, especially in the last several years, families have also been looking for affordability and resource efficiency. The jury will focus on the issues of:

  • Design that suits the needs of the home owner or resident, regardless of any particular style, and is easily maintained, filled with adequate natural light and fresh air, energy and water efficient, and is universally accessible.
  • Community building, in that the residence is well-sited with respect to views and amenities such as transit, shopping, recreation, and congregation.

Submissions should include a description of the sustainability and community-building programmatic aspects of the residence, interior and exterior photographs, plans, and/or drawings, and a site plan.

Architecture
Designers may submit projects of all types (including residential) for consideration in the Architecture category. In their deliberations, the jury will consider aesthetics, adherence to the client program, proven and projected building performance, and concept development. As with all categories, entrants will submit a project description and five pages of illustration, each of which may contain plans, sections, renderings, photographs, and captions, as the entrant deems suitable to describe the outstanding elements of the project.

Historic Preservation
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 will also take into consideration adherence to local, state, and national criteria for historic preservation.

Interior Design
Interior Design projects of distinction will 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. Submissions will highlight accommodation of project goals, including the client’s specific programmatic requirements, in a single page of text supplemented with five pages of illustrations in PDF format.

The Juries

The juries for each of the five categories comprise architects, educators, and related professionals working outside the mid-Atlantic region who are well-recognized for their work pertaining to their particular categories.

2012 Design Awards Announced

Posted on by cguske

Design Awards 2012 presented by IMAGINiT TechnologiesThe Society announces the recipients of the 2012 Awards for Excellence presented by IMAGINiT Technologies. From a pool of 150 entries, 19 projects were recognized with awards.

The awards are a celebration of the very best work from designers working from Virginia. Held annually, the Awards for Excellence (also known as the Design Awards) recognize projects no older than seven years that contribute to the built environment as clear examples of thoughtful and engaging design. This year, two new categories were added—Contextual Design and Residential Design—bringing the number of awards categories to five (the other three being Architecture, Historic Preservation, and Interior Design).

The program juries were chaired by Ronald J. Battaglia, FAIA in the Historic Preservation category; Joseph Bilello, Ph.D., FAIA, in the Architecture category; Mary A. Burke, FAIA, IIDA, in the Interior Design category; Casius Pealer, Esq., Assoc. AIA, in the Residential Design category; and Graham S. Wyatt, AIA, in the Contextual Design category.

Recipients of the Awards for Excellence presented by IMAGINiT Technologies will be honored during Architecture Exchange East, at the Visions for Architecture gala on Nov. 9, 2012, at the Hotel John Marshall; in Design 2012, a special exhibition at the Virginia Center for Architecture opening on Oct. 25, 2012; and in Inform magazine.  Winning projects will be profiled on readinform.com in the coming days.

The Virginia Society AIA Awards for Excellence in Architecture presented by IMAGINiT Technologies are sponsored by IMAGINiT Technologies, a Rand Worldwide Company, Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas + Company; SKANSKA USA,  Haynes Whaley Associates, Inc. and Vanderweil Engineers, LLP.

Winners of the 2012 Award for Excellence presented by IMAGINiT Technologies are:

ARCHITECTURE CATEGORY

AWARDS of HONOR
Myriad Botanical Gardens
Oklahoma City, Okla.
Gensler (Washington, D.C.)

Wissioming Residence
Glen Echo, Md.
Robert M. Gurney, FAIA, Architect with Brian Tuskey

AWARDS of MERIT
Affiliated Dermatologists of Virginia
Richmond, Va.
SMBW Architects

Indiana University CyberInfrastructure Building
Bloomington, Ind.
SmithGroupJJR (Durham, N.C.)

University of South Florida School of Music
Tampa, Fla.
Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas + Company with Performance Architecture

Weatherhead Hall
New Orleans, La.
Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas + Company with John C. Williams Architects

 

CONTEXTUAL DESIGN CATEGORY 

AWARD of HONOR
Carole Weinstein International Center
Richmond, Va.
Glavé & Holmes Architecture

AWARDS of MERIT
James P. Muldoon River Center
St. Mary’s City, Md.
Muse Architects

Riverside Barbeque Pavilion at Yellowstone Bend Ranch
Big Timber, Mont.
Muse Architects

 

RESIDENTIAL DESIGN CATEGORY

 

AWARDS of HONOR
Restoration/Renovation of an Addition to a 1930s Residence
Washington, D.C.
Muse Architects

Dogtrot at Stony Point
Charlottesville, Va.
Hays + Ewing Design Studio

Janelia Farm Apartments
Ashburn, Va.
WDG Architecture

 

INTERIOR DESIGN CATEGORY 

AWARDS of HONOR
Design Army HQ
Washington, D.C.
Studio Twenty Seven Architecture

Winkler Family Trust
Alexandria, Va.
KGD Architecture

AWARDS of MERIT
Advisory Board Company Crimson
Austin, Tex.
SmithGroupJJR (Washington, D.C.)

Architectural Office
Washington, D.C.
SmithGroupJJR (Washington, D.C.)

 

HISTORIC PRESERVATION CATEGORY

AWARD of HONOR
McCormick-Goodhart Mansion
Langley Park, Md.
Bucher/Borges Group

AWARDS of MERIT
Garrett Hall
Charlottesville, Va.
Architectural Resources Group with Frazier Associates

Robert H. Smith Center at Montalto
Charlottesville, Va.
Glavé & Holmes Architecture

 

Design Award Jury Chairs Announced

Posted on by cguske

The five chairs of the 2012 Virginia Society AIA Awards for Excellence in Architecture presented by IMAGINiT Technologies juries are Ronald J. Battaglia, FAIA, Historic Preservation; Joseph Bilello, Ph.D., FAIA, General Design; Mary A. Burke, FAIA, IIDA, Interior Design; Casius Pealer, Esq., Assoc. AIA, Residential Design; and Graham S. Wyatt, AIA, Contextual Design.

The awards are a celebration of the very best work from designers working from Virginia. Held annually, the Awards for Excellence in Architecture recognize projects no older than seven years that contribute to the built environment as clear examples of thoughtful and engaging design. Winners will be honored at a special session during Architecture Exchange East and at Visions for Architecture. Winning projects will also be the subject of the fifth annual Design Awards exhibition at the Virginia Center for Architecture, and featured in Inform magazine. Entries are being accepted through July 13. The 2012 VSAIA Awards for Excellence presented by IMAGINiT Technologies are sponsored by IMAGINiT Technologies, a Rand Worldwide Company,  SKANSKA USA,  Haynes Whaley Associates, Inc. and Vanderweil Engineers, LLP.

Each chair will convene jury deliberations in August.

Ronald J. Battaglia, FAIA
Historic Preservation Jury Chair Ronald J. Battaglia, FAIA

Ronald J. Battaglia, FAIA

Historic Preservation Jury Chair

Ronald Battaglia is the managing principal of Flynn Battaglia Architects. On a project level, he works closely with all project teams in design development. In his more than three decades of professional practice, Battaglia has led a wide variety of projects, a significant portion of which have involved historic sites, communities, and buildings listed on the local, state, or national register. Through this work, the firm has established a standard of care for projects based on thoughtfulness and sensitivity in the application of historic planning and design standards. Flynn Battaglia designers are noted for their careful evaluation of original techniques balanced with current technology to maintain the integrity of historic resources. Their range of services encompasses historic surveys and National Register nominations; design for restoration, rehabilitation, and adaptive reuse; preservation planning and design; conservation and cyclical maintenance plans; and interpretation of historic sites.  His projects include restoration of Louis Sullivan’s Guaranty Building, Richard Upjohn’s St. Paul’s Cathedral, E.B. Green’s Administration Building at Niagara Falls State Park, restoration/adaptive reuse of H.H. Richardson’s Psychiatric Center Building 10, and various buildings in Buffalo’s Olmsted Park System.

Elevated to the AIA College of Fellows in 1995 for advancing the science and art of planning and building, he has received numerous state, regional, and national awards for design excellence and innovative use of building materials. His writings and work have been featured in numerous periodicals and books. In addition to his design leadership, Battaglia is avidly contributes to the advancement of the profession. He has been a staunch advocate for emerging professionals and the involvement of architects in their communities.

General Design Jury Chair Joseph Bilello, Ph.D., FAIA
General Design Jury Chair Joseph Bilello, Ph.D., FAIA

Joseph Bilello, Ph.D., FAIA

General Design Jury Chair

Joseph Bilello is a professor of architecture at the Ball State University College of Architecture and Planning. His current research is focused on the role of architects in enhancing community resilience by planning for natural and manmade disasters and facilitating post-disaster recovery. He is also actively studying crowd sourcing as a design and planning approach. Among the subjects he teaches are design studios at all levels, architectural research methods, creativity and risk, professional practice, drawing, and design communications.

Creatively, Bilello maintains a watercolor practice, designs small facilities, and facilitates interdisciplinary projects, which include business entrepreneurship and emerging media.

He was the associate dean responsible for establishing the Texas Tech Research Center and leading the university’s Wind Engineering Research Center. He also participated in field-based historic preservation documentation using laser technology and conducted applied research through the TTU Rural Assistance Initiative, which he chaired.

His work at the national AIA Architectural Education Initiative bridged gaps between education and practice; work that was formative in the AIA’s Building Community, a Carnegie Foundation Report.

He has also taught at The Catholic University of America, the University of New Mexico, California College of Arts and Crafts, and King Faisal University in Saudi Arabia in addition to being a visiting critic at other institutions.  Bilello has served on the Boards of Directors for the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, Architectural Centers, and Research Centers Consortium, the Initiative for Architectural Research, Minnetrista Cultural Center, Indianapolis Regional Development, the Indiana Architectural Foundation, and others. He holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, Washington University, and the University of Maryland.

 

Mary A. Burke, FAIA, IIDA
Interior Design Jury Chair Mary A. Burke, FAIA, IIDA

Mary A. Burke, FAIA, IIDA

Interior Design Jury Chair

Mary Burke founded her New York City-based firm in 2004 and is the driving force behind the firm’s elegant, distinctive, visually rich solutions for residential, hospitality, and commercial projects. Her 35 years of experience includes work in the U.S. and throughout Asia and Australia with such prominent firms as Cetra/Ruddy (with whom she successfully re-branded and launched Peter Cooper Village and Stuyvesant Town), Gruzen Samton (which included directing the design of offices for former President Clinton), HOK, Swanke Hayden Connell, and Tihany International. She led the KPF Interior Architects’ Singapore office, where she directed the design of major interior spaces for United Overseas Bank in their headquarters building designed by Kenzo Tange.

Recognized as a leader in the profession as well, Burke is the 2012 chair of the national Interior Architecture Committee and serves on the AIA New York State Board of Directors. She was the AIA New York Chapter vice president for design excellence and, for five years chaired the New York Chapter Interiors Committee. She is a former Board Member of the New York Chapter of the International Interior Design Association and serves yearly as a juror in the Best of NeoCon competition in Chicago, and is a frequent lecturer and contributor to design publications.

Burke is an Associate Professor in the Interior Design faculty at Pratt Institute and is a frequent guest critic for Pratt as well as for the Architecture School at City College.  She holds a bachelor’s degree in art history from Fordham University, a master’s degree from Columbia University in preservation and restoration of historic architecture, and a BArch from City College.

 

Casius Pealer, Esq., Assoc. AIA
Residential Design Jury Chair Casius Pealer, Esq., Assoc. AIA

Casius Pealer, Esq., Assoc. AIA

Residential Design Jury Chair

Casius Pealer is a principal of Oystertree Consulting L3C, a mission-driven limited liability corporation that provides real estate advisory services to affordable housing developers and public agencies. Oystertree specializes in using green building as an additional tool to achieve long-term affordable housing solutions.

Trained as an architect and a real estate attorney, Pealer has 15 years of community development experience, including 5 years as legal counsel for public housing authorities across the country implementing mixed-finance redevelopment projects. He served as the first director of affordable housing at the U.S. Green Building Council and is a senior advisor for the Affordable Housing Institute in Boston. He was the 2011 chair of the AIA national Housing Committee, which saw the establishment this year of the AIA Custom Residential Architects Network. He is also is an adjunct lecturer for the Tulane University Master of Sustainable Real Estate Development program.

Pealer has been published in the ABA Journal of Affordable Housing and Community Development Law, the AIA Journal of Architecture, and Architectural Record in addition to being a regular speaker at professional conferences nationally. His MArch is from the Tulane School of Architecture and JD from the University of Michigan Law School.

 

Graham S. Wyatt, AIA
Contextual Design Jury Chair Graham S. Wyatt, AIA

Graham S. Wyatt, AIA

Contextual Design Jury Chair

Graham Wyatt is a partner with Robert A.M. Stern Architects, where he has worked since 1983. He has been responsible for a broad range of master planning and building design projects throughout North and South America, and in Europe and Asia.

Wyatt’s major buildings for institutional clients include academic and residential buildings at major universities and independent schools across the country.  Among his major corporate headquarters buildings are the Mexx International World Headquarters in the Netherlands; the Gap Inc. Offices in San Francisco; the Philadelphia Comcast Center; the Plaza at PPL Center in Allentown, Pa.; and the Fed’s Sixth District Headquarters in Atlanta. His portfolio includes award-winning LEED Gold and Platinum buildings, often in historic urban or campus settings.

In 2001-2002 he was the Architect for Downtown Columbus, Indiana, helping to oversee that city’s reputation as an enlightened corporate patron of architecture.

Wyatt’s work has been published in Progressive Architecture, Architectural Record, Architecture, A+U, Baumeister, The New York Times, Time, and The Chronicle of Higher Education. He has also contributed chapters to two editions of Building Type Basics for College and University Facilities.

Wyatt is a graduate of Princeton University, Columbia University and the London School of Economics where he was a Marshall Scholar. He is a member of the Architectural League of New York, the Municipal Art Society, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, the Society for College and University Planning, and the U.S. Green Building Council.

AIA Healthcare Design Awards Call for Entries

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PlansThe AIA/AAH Design Awards showcase the best of healthcare building design and healthcare design-oriented research. The awards highlight the trends of healthcare facilities and the future direction of these facilities. Projects should exhibit conceptual strength that solve aesthetic, civic, urban, and social concerns as well as the requisite functional and sustainability concerns of a hospital. The AIA/AAH will recognize the firms for their contribution to the healthcare environment.

Submit your project or research for the 2012 National Healthcare Design Awards program. Projects should exhibit conceptual strength that address aesthetic, civic, urban, and social concerns as well as the requisite functional and sustainability requirements of a healthcare facility.

Award Categories

A: Built, less than $25 million (construction cost)

B: Built, more than $25 million (construction cost)

C: Unbuilt

D: Innovations in Planning and Design Research (built or unbuilt)

Submission
The submission deadline date of 4:59:59 p.m. ET, Monday, Dec. 19, 2011, will be strictly observed; no exceptions will be made. No entry fee will be refunded for entries that are disqualified, late, or not completed. Payments and submissions will only be accepted online.

Please review the 2012 AIA Healthcare Design Awards walk-through documents before beginning your submission.

Category A Walk Through

Category B Walk Through

Category C Walk Through

Category D Walk Through

For full submission requirements or to submit your project online visit the 2012 AIA Healthcare Design Awards Web page.

2012 Entry Fee (per project)

AIA Member – $300.00
Non-member – $350.00

2012 Jury

Jocelyn Frederick, AIA, (Chair) – Tsoi/Kobus & Associates, Cambridge, Massachusetts
John Castorina, AIA – RTKL Associates, Inc., Dallas
R. David Frum, AIA – Clark/Kjos Architects, Seattle
Anthony Kelly, AIA – The Shore Health System, Easton, Maryland
Susan Lipka – The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston
Steven Steinberg, AIA – Ratcliff Architects, Emeryville, California
Bobbe Young – Steffian Bradley Architects, Boston


Questions?

Please contact kcawards@aia.org..