2022 Design Awards :: Winners
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The reimagined historic structure creates a dynamic new setting to foster greater social and cultural engagement among the broader community. In preserving the original service station, the project celebrates the past while addressing new functionality necessary for the Covid era. The design also translates a vehicular-dominated space into one that promotes more walkability from the surrounding built fabric.
A delightful adaption of an existing utilitarian white elephant into offices. Not only is the most sustainable building the one that already exists, this project’s efficiency would have impressed Buckminster Fuller. Beyond the utility of the reborn Quonset hut, it serves as an inspiration for efficient design. Where some architects might have shied away from dealing with such restrictions, these architects responded “No way are we tearing this thing down…”
Occupying an eclectic physical context, this 14-story building successfully finds a middle ground, negotiating the disparate heights of surrounding high-rise buildings with lower-rise buildings and nearby open spaces. The designers effectively integrated material, scale, rhythm and texture to create a modern interpretation of the warehouse façades that were once prevalent in the area.
AWARD OF COMMENDATION
Delgado Community College:
Advanced Technology Center
Holly & Smith Architects, APAC
www.hollyandsmith.com
Architecture deferring to nature – this building is a lesson for the students even before they walk in the door. The elegant composition will get even better as the live oak tree that it embraces continues to mature. As a project with a modest construction budget, the jury was impressed with the attention to detail – especially the way the design serves as an “expression” of the STEM program within.
The designer’s sensitive attention to scale and proportion allows this bold addition to fit successfully into its context. The angled siting of the building allows for the creation of a larger footprint affording more flexible spaces, framing views to the adjacent quad, and seamlessly connecting to the circulation patterns in the adjoining historic structure. The bold design extends into the lobby with a prominent sculptural steel ramp/stair.
This workplace renovation combines a sustainable renewal of an existing “underloved” building with a design that promotes health and wellness. The jury appreciated the complete interior transformation, which includes vertical connections between floors, open workstations and shared spaces with views through large glass walls, and warm materials throughout. Interaction and socialization were a focus of the design, which feels unified while also providing flexibility and a variety of spaces.
Faced with an extremely tight budget, the designers employed an economy of materials and site strategies to create a simple space for collective enjoyment. The subtle manipulation of the ground plane raises the building platform and creates a sloped grade to meet it. Mirroring that platform with bleacher-style seating on the other side results in a simple, unpretentious, shaded and protected space that encourages active and passive communal activity.
AWARD OF MERIT
Betty & Edward Marcus Sculpture Park at Laguna Gloria
Trahan Architects
www.trahanarchitects.com
Architecture as a work of art! A cross between a Richard Serra sculpture and Mies’ Barcelona Pavilion. The Corten steel operates as both a sculptural and space-making element. It also marks time, as its color and texture will continue to change. This is a good example of a building that will get better with age, and the design is timeless.
HONOR AWARD
Sugar Roots Outdoor Kitchen
The Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design
small.tulane.edu
This project was a pleasure to review. It is small but mighty, providing a plethora of social and environmental benefits. It is also beautifully designed and detailed, incorporating community, accessibility, and landscape. This team should be commended on their presentation, as they included very strong diagrams that clearly explain their design ideas and convey the construction process. This project serves as a model for an efficiently-constructed and welcoming community space.
The overall goal of “affordability through design” got the jury’s attention. With both a difficult site and program, the building joins disparate functions, and makes room on the site for outdoor space, while articulating distinct entries for each program. The unusual stepping strategy not only expresses the modular nature of the residential portion of the building but provides some natural shading from the setting summer sun.
Rooted in a more traditional architectural vocabulary, Octavia Residence offers fresh, light-filled spaces that connect interior to exterior. The massing and verticality of the residence’s carefully studied proportions gives an unexpected feeling of openness to the spaces within. Strong attention to detail is illustrated on the interior, and the pool and courtyard operate in a clear dialogue with the architecture.
The jury appreciated the goal of this project to build higher density within a smaller footprint. The residence incorporates natural light and ventilation, while allowing room on the site for landscape. The roof “folds up” from the main volume, angling south to allow for solar panels. Shaded outdoor spaces support outdoor activities, and the use of reclaimed terracotta tiles adds a level of both craft and sustainability.
This is a beautifully executed revitalization of a 19th century Treme Neighborhood residence. There is a simplicity and elegance to the modern interventions on the interior, which are offset from the original exposed brick walls, creating the perfect complement to the well-preserved historic features. The jury appreciated the salvaging of historic material for re-use, and the photos clearly illustrate the detailed and sensitive renovation process.
This sensitive “rehabilitation” of a 19th century commercial building illustrates a highly successful preservation/restoration project. The jury was impressed with the clarity of intention, precisely articulating the work that was done, as well as the goals of the project team. The new porcelain panels that replace the metal “slipcover” bring the Mid-Century Modern façade back to life, and the drawings and photographs thoroughly explain the restoration process.
This project is a thorough investigation into the impact that flood hazards present to the City of Charleston. The detailed attention to environmental impact is an important recognition of a coastal community’s vulnerability to heightened climatic events. The inclusion of a toolkit and planning strategies provide a path forward for mitigating catastrophic outcomes from such inevitable events.
AWARD OF MERIT
USM Executive Education Center
EskewDumezRipple and unabridged Architecture
www.eskewdumezripple.com
This project is both graceful in its siting and in the architectural form of the buildings. It’s a beautiful example of architecture that celebrates and is interwoven with its natural surroundings. The design minimizes site impact, operating in and around an existing grove of live oak trees. The jury appreciated seeing early design sketches, which explained the thought process and material selection.
This extremely thorough presentation studies the impact of climate change on the City of New Orleans. Rather than reacting to the challenges we face, the project proposes “proactive thriving.” Reconnection and “bridge(ing)” neighborhoods are recurring themes, including numerous strategies for activating underutilized areas of the city. Finally, the goal of creating a nexus between government, infrastructure and community will develop opportunities for the community to thrive into the future.
Located at the heart of St. Roch, POP! House is reflection of its multi-faceted owners: an environmental lawyer + director of water ballets coupled with an ER doctor + lighting designer. POP! House is an acknowledgment of their earliest meditations on the city: colorful, celebratory, ephemeral, collective. It is also a reflection of their desire to build something that is simultaneously contemporary and contextual to the neighborhood. The home is organized on two wings: the east wing includes 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms; the west wing includes: a double-height living room, a Julia Child-esque pegboard kitchen, and a costuming room at the mezzanine.
INDUSTRY AWARD
The Rupa and Tarun Jolly Science and Technology Building at Isidore Newman School
Woodward Design+Build
www.woodwarddesignbuild.com
The jury appreciated the project goal of creating a new science building that serves as an educational tool for students. The focus on energy-usage and sustainability, with solar panels, stormwater retention, and a “weather station,” emphasizes the importance of building for climate change. The exposed systems (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) educate the students on how buildings function, and the design-build construction process helped manage cost relative to value.
Cassidy embodies all the qualities of a successful “citizen architect” – she’s an excellent designer, a leader in architectural organizations, and an advocate for her community. She has focused her career on projects that go beyond their architectural objectives to benefit the world around them, and she explores her interest in social justice and equitable spaces through her work. Her goal of designing with “respect, empathy, and humility” illustrates the critical responsibility she takes on.
Blake is a motivated young professional, who has demonstrated a strong commitment to excellence in the varied scales of his work. Furthermore, he has been successful in building relationships with clients, colleagues, and the broader community. His work ethic, attention to detail, and vision are admirable characteristics for an emerging architect, and we see a bright future ahead.