Three multifamily projects were among the 14 winners in the American Institute of Architects 2017 Housing Awards program. The jury assessed the architectural design, the integration of the buildings into their context, transportation options, and features that contribute to livable communities.
The winners:
Powerhouse carefully fits a dense cluster of 31 super-energy-efficient units into an urban block in Philadelphia. The design navigates existing fabric along a sloping site with a series of building typologies: single-family townhomes, duplexes, and two small apartment buildings. In the Philadelphia tradition of entry stoops, a sequence of entry platforms navigates grade changes, entry stairs, and basement windows. Stormwater is managed on site with green roofs and rain gardens along the curb line. All 31 units achieved LEED Platinum certification.
Hunters View Housing Blocks 5 & 6, San Francisco, designed by Paulett Taggart Architects. These two new blocks of affordable family housing are part of San Francisco’s HOPE SF program to rebuild parts of the city’s deteriorated public housing, even as the current tenants remain in the neighborhood. The design for these two city blocks organizes 53 units into two L-shaped buildings per block to form continuous street frontages and surround two secure shared courtyards. Each building contains stacked multi-level townhouses that step down with the street’s slope.
VIA 57 West, New York, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (architect) and SLCE Architects (associate architect). This pyramid-shaped, 940,012-sf residential building is 467 feet tall, with 709 apartments within 34 above-ground floors. It combines a European perimeter block and a traditional Manhattan high-rise that encompasses a 2,040-sf courtyard.
Related Stories
| Jan 24, 2014
Urban Land Institute, Enterprise outline issues in rental housing shortage: Report
Bending the Cost Curve: Solutions to Expand the Supply of Affordable Rentals outlines factors that impede the development of affordable rental housing – causing the supply in many markets to fall far short of the demand.
| Jan 22, 2014
SOM-designed University Center uses 'sky quads,' stacked staircases to promote chance encounters
The New School's vertical campus in Manhattan houses multiple functions, including labs, design studios, a library, and student residences, in a 16-story building.
| Jan 13, 2014
Custom exterior fabricator A. Zahner unveils free façade design software for architects
The web-based tool uses the company's factory floor like "a massive rapid prototype machine,” allowing designers to manipulate designs on the fly based on cost and other factors, according to CEO/President Bill Zahner.
| Jan 8, 2014
Strengthened sprinkler rules could aid push for mid-rise wood structures in Canada
Strengthened sprinkler regulations proposed for the 2015 National Building Code of Canada (NBCC) could help a movement to allow midrise wood structures.
Smart Buildings | Jan 7, 2014
9 mega redevelopments poised to transform the urban landscape
Slowed by the recession—and often by protracted negotiations—some big redevelopment plans are now moving ahead. Here’s a sampling of nine major mixed-use projects throughout the country.
| Jan 3, 2014
World’s tallest vegetated façade to sprout in Sri Lanka [slideshow]
Set to open in late 2015, the 46-story Clearpoint Residences condo tower will feature planted terraces circling the entire structure.
| Dec 31, 2013
BD+C's top 10 stories of 2013
The world's tallest twisting tower and the rise of augmented reality technology in construction were among the 10 most popular articles posted on Building Design+Construction's website, BDCnetwork.com.
| Dec 27, 2013
$1 billion 'city within a city' development approved by Coachella, Calif., city council
The mega development includes 7,800 homes, a retail center, office space, and nearly 350 acres of open space.
| Dec 23, 2013
MBI commends start of module setting at B2, world's tallest modular building
The first modules have been set at B2 residential tower at Atlantic Yards in New York, set to become the tallest modular building in the world.
| Dec 20, 2013
Can energy hogs still be considered efficient buildings? Yes, say engineers at Buro Happold
A new tool from the engineering firm Buro Happold takes into account both energy and economic performance of buildings for a true measure of efficiency.
