2010 AIA New England Design Awards. Jurors Comments

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1 2010 AIA New England Design Awards Jurors Comments This year we saw 193 submissions that were submitted by New England architects working anywhere in the world, or architects from anywhere in the world, working in New England. Most of the projects represented high-quality and responsible design, even if much of it looked cautious and tame. This wasn t always the case. Some projects seemed overworked, as if the architects were trying too hard or they had been designed during a more excessive age. Our notions about design excellence included restraint, and we loved it when we found places that achieved a sense of joyousness without going over the top. We saw a variety of building types academic, health sciences, chapels, libraries, performing arts, corporate headquarters, housing but very little minimalism or affordable work. Among the traditional typology, a number of poetic themes emerged. Broadly speaking, we found ourselves looking at boxes, pipes, sheds and other sculptural forms cast handsomely over the land. There were plenty of divine details but too much nostalgia for our taste. In fact, we agreed that if a building is restored to its historical character, the architect had better add something fresh. There was plenty of sustainability incorporated throughout these projects. These were substantive implementations, not just conceptual gestures. In fact, the caliber of some of the eco-intelligence here is the stuff that moves a profession forward. Smart presenters let us see that sustainability started with the plan and then demonstrated how it was executed during the build-out. In many instances, it appeared that clients were leading the charge, and we applaud that. The presentations themselves varied from top-notch to tossed together. We were particularly frustrated when it was unclear whether we were being shown a native photo or something that had been heavily Photoshopped. Technology can be desirable during image preparation, but we want to know when it s been significantly used. Also, when the quality of the graphics and images was poor, we simply set the binder aside. Presentations worked best when the narrative succinctly told us about the client s problem, how design was meant to solve it, and then showed images, schematics and diagrams that acted as evidence to prove that the architects had actually accomplished what they d set out to do. At the end of the afternoon, we recognized 18 projects. This work distinguished itself surely and certainly, almost self-selecting for honor. Each was intelligent, inventive and emotionally resonant, inviting its users to linger and be happy.

2 As always, serving as jurors is an education. It was refreshing to review work coming primarily out of New England. The style there is not Chicago style, and its regional aesthetics have diversified a lot since the 70s and 80s, when Boston architects, particularly, gained a lot of attention worldwide. It was great to see such vitality, creativity and contemporary thinking. We want to thank to the nine New England AIA Chapters for this opportunity, and we encourage all architects to continue to share your design efforts through programs such as this. The Jurors Laurence O. Booth, FAIA (Booth Hansen, Chicago) John Eifler FAIA, LEED AP (Eifler & Associates Architects, Chicago) Peter Exley FAIA (Architecture Is Fun, Chicago) Peter Landon FAIA, LEED AP (Landon Bone Baker Architects, Chicago)

3 HONOR AWARDS FOR DESIGN EXCELLENCE Sacred Heart University Chapel (Fairfield, CT) for Sacred Heart University (Fairfield, CT) designed by Sasaki Associates (Watertown, MA) Part of a campus master plan, this newly constructed chapel is very fresh and clean, offering amazing light, inside and out. It s nicely detailed, with stone panels and a metal roof. We particularly like the way the ends of the structure fold downward to embrace the gardens. It s straight out of Rashi Haus, only updated, with all elements working together to create a truly sacred space, the essence of which is often missing in churches that instead rely on paintings and other artifacts that only result in nostalgia. The Macallen Building (Boston) for Pappas Enterprises (Boston) designed by Office da (Boston) with Burt Hill (architect and MEP engineer of record, LEED, Boston) Sited in a bleak, challenging neighborhood, this big but slim condominium wears a very serious, slightly European façade. It looks like a dark gray ship or an old warehouse building that s been updated, energized and located near a cove by the sea. There s a pool that s almost certainly welcome in its urban setting. Big roof decks on each floor and native landscaping work together to evoke a miniature High Line. Bent metal panels are handsome but contrived, meant to conceal a giant wall. This is a very inventive, environmentally sophisticated project, though there is some fluff. HPA Energy Laboratory (Kamuela, HI) for Hawaii Preparatory Academy (Kamuela, HI) designed by Flansburgh Architects (Boston) In this project, we see the future. This is a very forward-looking, zero-net-energy, fully sustainable building. It was conceived as a high-school science center dedicated to the study of alternate energy, and it was an education for us. All the little things were attended to, resulting in a superb sense of space with no sense whatsoever of division between inside and out. It is great design, not just an ecological contraption, though it is a good one.

4 New Cambridge Public Library (Cambridge, MA) for the City of Cambridge (Cambridge, MA) building and interiors designed by William Rawn Associates, Architects (Boston) with Ann Beha Architects (associate architect, interiors and furnishing, Boston) Rational and intelligent, this pair of buildings makes a nice essay in fusion and light, elegantly linking an historic stone structure to an innovative new glass one. Natural materials, including maple and a Vals quartzite floor, bring warmth to the bright new rooms while a lot was done with a delicate touch to restore the original stone building to its former grandeur. We liked the shocking red staircase, walls and ceiling that define the circulation zone. The new building has a great Main Street feel to it, with maximum transparency between the reading areas and the small city park where it is sited. Outdoor Classroom and Vine Trellises for the Arnold Arboretum s Flowering Vine and Shrub Collection (Boston) for Harvard University (Cambridge, MA) designed by Maryann Thompson Architects (Cambridge, MA) Nestled within a 265-acre arboretum originally designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, the site plan for the new garden is lovely, appropriate and human-centered, with a pavilion structure that appears to float above the landscape. Its system employs a series of terraces to provide level ground for planting on a north-facing slope. Stone walls, assembled using centuries-old traditional methods, contrast engagingly with steel beams and columns that support a copper roof. What a nice place to relax! Suliman S. Olayan School of Business, American University of Beirut (Beirut) for American University of Beirut (Beirut) designed by Machado and Silvetti Associates (Boston) with Builders Design Consultants (executive architect and engineers, Beirut) Part of the existing campus at the American University of Beirut, this new building uses historical vernacular devices in a straightforward way that is so simple, so nothing, that all its gestures appear effortless. Amazing textures, layering and pathways lend it a Getty Villa feel. The use of all-natural wood and light in the auditorium space is very elegant. We especially appreciated its scale and the way the building opens as it gets taller. Much was done here for $126 per sf. Anchored in stone, this structure really suits its place. Milton Academy, Pritzker Science Center (Milton, MA) for Milton Academy (Milton, MA) designed by William Rawn Associates, Architects (Boston)

5 This is an inviting, well-oriented and well-presented building that puts its sciencecentered program on display. It was conceived as a classroom in its own right. Designed on a human scale and constructed using lots of handsome materials, including locally sourced copper panels, it offers an appealing exterior view with a terrific enclosure and north-facing glass curtain wall. The green roof and landscaping are elegant, too, and its interiors feel both casual and joyous. We suspect the students must thoroughly enjoy studying here. Academic Commons at Goddard Library, Clark University (Worcester, MA) for Clark University (Worcester, MA) designed by Perry Dean Rogers Partners Architects (Boston) Very creative instincts were at work in this renovation and addition to a 1969 campus library building, and the designer employed a lot of pure vision to make the entire space more livable for its contemporary users. It took real courage to remove the existing concrete ramps at the plaza level because they were interesting, but it was a good move that introduced human scale to a once dark, infrequently used and wind-swept space. The plaza was then enclosed in glass to make it suitable for a variety of academic, peoplecentered purposes. It s a wonderful example of Brutalism gentrified and illustrates how such a building can still exist but be made better. Bluff House (Martha s Vineyard, MA) designed by Maryann Thompson Architects (Cambridge, MA) This house, harmonic with the landscape, makes a lovely sliding gesture as it overlooks an island bluff. The roof is complex, offering graceful tectonic movements against the sky. Textures and colors flow together. The built-in benches provide a subtle, slim boundary between what is otherwise almost total transparency between the interior and what lies outside. Rendered from a strong plan, this is a marvelous place, and we want to spend a weekend there. Wells Fargo Financial (Des Moines, IA) for Wells Fargo Financial (Des Moines, IA) designed by Pickard Chilton (New Haven, CT) with HLKB (architect of record, Des Moines, IA) The exterior wall of this 11-story corporate headquarters is both gorgeous and rationally done. Floor-to-ceiling vision glass offers both daylighting and panoramic views of the city. Highly transparent glass on the south side lets the public look in. It is linked to the

6 rest of the corporate campus and to the central business district by a handsome skywalk. Thousands of feet of energy-efficient light-emitting diodes make the building glow at night like a Japanese lantern. The client should be applauded for funding this project. It is stunning, and they could have made do with less. Sculpture Building and School of Art Gallery (New Haven, CT) for Yale University (New Haven, CT) designed by KieranTimberlake (Philadelphia) This new complex at the edge of an existing campus is elegant and minimalist. It brings the arts district of the university shoulder to shoulder with the neighboring urban community. The simple façades of the buildings change with orientation, allowing a variety of contextual responses. The single-story gallery s wood cladding is particularly handsome, and the overall scale of this insertion is just right. This work is proof that reasonably budgeted, environmentally friendly buildings can be quite beautiful. Atwater Commons (Middlebury, VT) for Middlebury College (Middlebury, VT) designed by KieranTimberlake (Philadelphia) Two new residence halls and a new dining hall supplement three existing buildings to form a new campus commons. All the interiors look handsome, inviting and well detailed. There s real substance in the overall design, though the fascia feels busy, using an array of decorative poles to modulate long walls that are otherwise very interesting. This nit doesn t detract from a superior site plan that introduces a muscular, authoritative essence of calm and well-defined structure to the open space of the commons. AWARDS FOR DESIGN Fleet Library at the Rhode Island School of Design (Providence, RI) for Rhode Island School of Design (Providence, RI) designed by Office da (Boston) The outdated building typology of this historic bank building was too great to lose, so its columns and coffered and groin-vaulted ceiling were retained while the lower level was transformed into a bright, warm library with completely open stacks. The result is something energetic, thrilling and all about playfulness in a serious, studious fashion that does not sacrifice the integrity of the original space. It s humanly focused and sensitive, with interesting little study areas. Everything was rendered using inventive, affordable

7 materials, particularly medium-density fibreboard. We imagine the acoustics in there must be very good. Emerson College, The Paramount Center (Boston) for Emerson College (Boston) designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects (Boston) The site for this mixed-use center included three land parcels on a small urban footprint with limited street frontage. The plan to put these buildings together was ingenious. Design challenges pertaining to the conversion of the decaying 1931 cinema to a full proscenium lyrical theater within the original footprint were huge. The restoration was meticulous, and the interiors are striking. It s clear that the lighting designer and the architect engaged in an intimate dialogue that was expressed inside and out. Fairfield Jesuit Community Center (Fairfield, CT) for Fairfield Jesuit Community (Fairfield, CT) designed by Gray Orgnanschi Architecture (New Haven, CT) The structure of this residence and community center takes strong tectonic forms and slips them very lightly over the land. We were surprised by the large size of the building because the scale is not evident by gazing at its exterior. It s nicely built and very well detailed, with set-in windows that feel sculptural. The interiors look warm and bright, but we questioned the purple carpet in the chapel. Daemen College Research and Information Commons (Amherst, NY) for Daemen College (Amherst, NY) designed by Perry Dean Rogers Partners Architects The interesting exterior slate siding on this building looks like stone. It s brilliantly done and is big enough to handle its triangular shape. The elevations are handsome all the way around. Edges and the acute corner work especially well, creating a good notch into the court, giving that space unusual shape and form. The airy interior feels like an Internet café, with great study nooks that provide a playful aspect and lots of interior scale. Hanover Theater for Performing Arts (Worcester, MA) for Worcester Center for the Performing Arts (Worcester, MA) designed by Lamoureux Pagano Associates (Worcester, MA)

8 During the 1960s, a once-grand Poli Palace in Massachusetts was insensitively cut up into four movie theaters and now has been restored and reconstructed. This required a complex, highly disciplined and demanding process. Unusually careful attention has been paid to the back of the house. The entire interior is very nicely done, and the clients as well as the architects should be lauded for it. North Campus Residence Hall (Bristol, RI) for Roger Williams University (Bristol, RI) designed by Perkins + Will (Boston) Big, bold and powerful, yet rich with intimate spaces, this building shapes the landscape. For student housing, it is especially fresh, first-rate place making. The entries and cutouts are nicely detailed and fit the spirit of student life. Constructed out of extremely economical materials, this place sets a high architectural standard for future campus development. This is a very contemporary environment; it s definitely not your granny s dorm.