The American Institute of Architects (AIA) TAP/CCA Innovation Award honors new practices and technologies that will further enable project delivery and enhance data-centric methodologies in the management of buildings for their entire lifecycle, from design, to construction and through operations. The AIA’s Technology in Architectural Practice (TAP) Knowledge Community, in collaboration with the Construction Contract Administration (CCA) Knowledge Community has selected the recipients for the 2016 TAP/CCA Innovation Awards.
Categories for the TAP/CCA Innovation Awards include: Stellar Design, Project Delivery & Construction Administration Excellence, Project Lifecycle Performance (none selected this year), Academic Program/Curriculum Development and Exemplary use in a Small Firm. The descriptions below give a brief summary of the projects being recognized. You can learn more about these projects by clicking on the name of the project/firm name.
Category A | Stellar Design
Award Citation
Astana Expo City 2017; Astana, Kazakhstan
Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture
Image courtesy of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture
Currently under construction, Astana Expo City 2017 will embrace the exposition’s theme, “Future Energy,” with the aim of reducing the overall energy demand of the site by using both passive and active strategies. All opportunities for power generation were investigated and several were incorporated into the building-design guidelines, including high-performance glazing; energy piles that will reduce energy demand and provide temperature modulation during winter; energy storage capacity that can meet two days of emergency demand; 100% of rainfall from a 100-year storm event managed on site; and 90% of waste generated on site will be diverted from a landfill.
Honorable Mention
Epic Deep Space Auditorium; Verona, Wisconsin
Cuningham Group Architecture, Inc.
Image courtesy of cuningham group architecture Inc.
Situated on an 811-acre site, Deep Space is Epic Systems Corporation’s largest auditorium, seating up to 11,400 guests and was completed in less than 24 months. To create the rolling roof forms and building façade, a combination of hand sculpted and laser-cut models were developed concurrently in programs suited for generation of complex shapes. The final physical model was a large scale clay model that was 3D-scanned in order to produce a digital point cloud which was integrated with BIM software and became the engine that drove the other technical delivery tools of the project. The auditoriums 8-acre green roof provides visual and physical connections to the surrounding Wisconsin landscape.
Category B | Project Delivery & Construction Administration Excellence
Image courtesy of Steinkamp Photography
Utilizing the latest Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) building tools and technology, the design team developed and pioneered new ways to add value and communicate with each other. By implementing a one-model approach, the team was able coordinate in advance of construction, which reduced duplication of modeling efforts, and greatly accelerated the development of fabrication models. Compared to a previous project with the same construction management/architect team, the one-model approach resulted in a 50% reduction in Request for Information (RFI) and an 18% reduction in Architect Supplemental Instruction (ASI), as well as the addition of five floors per the owner’s request with no change to the original completion date of the project.
Category D | Practice-based or Academic Research, Curriculum or Applied Technology Development
Honorable Mention
Glazing and Winter Comfort Tool; Boston
Payette
Image courtesy of Payette
The Glazing and Winter Comfort Tool is based on existing scientific research that aims to improve the design community’s understand of the triggers of thermal discomfort in the wintertime. It was developed to be simple and intuitive so that architects and engineers can design glazed facades that provide the desired levels of transparency, comfort and energy performance at an ideal cost. The development of the tool involved contributions from building scientists, designers and web developers. Previously, the only way to understand which façade properties negatively or positively impact occupant comfort involved a costly and time-intensive Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation. The Glazing and Winter Thermal Comfort Tool was conceived to facilitate this decision-making process quickly and inexpensively early in the design.
Category E | Exemplary use in a Small Firm
Award Citation
Youth & Opportunity United; Evanston, IL
Studio Talo Architecture
Image courtesy of Studio Talo Architecture
Youth & Opportunity United (Y.O.U.), a 45-year-old non-profit, youth development agency requested renderings of their new headquarters for a community outreach and fund-raising campaign. The architects understood that the youth, not the building, needed to be the campaign's focus, so they created multiple 360-degree virtual reality video renderings of spaces in the building, populated with video avatars of young people served by the organization acting as tour guides, explaining how Y.O.U. and the new building would impact their lives. Through the dynamic video rendering, community members and donors experienced Y.O.U's mission, rather than just their plans.
The public can now vote on their favorite AIA TAP/CCA Innovation Award project. Voting will be open from October 17th to November 18th. Voting can be done here: bit.ly/TAPyourchoice
The jury for the AIA TAP Innovation Awards include: Ken Sanders, FAIA (Chair), Gensler; Heather Burpee, University of Washington; Ian O’Cain, AIA, Eskew+Dumez+Ripple Architects; Greg Gidez, AIA, Hensel Phelps Construction and Pierce Reynoldson, Skanska.
Related Stories
Architects | Mar 2, 2020
Two ‘firsts’ for Sasaki and LEO A DALY
Following an industry trend, the firms hire chiefs of technology and sustainability, respectively.
Architects | Feb 26, 2020
Seven architects aim to design the “newsstand of the future”
The winning project will be created and presented during Milan Design Week 2020.
Architects | Feb 24, 2020
Design for educational equity
Can architecture not only shape lives, but contribute to a more equitable and just society for marginalized people?
AEC Tech | Feb 22, 2020
Investor interest in the built environment not quite as avid in 2019
Builtworlds’ annual list of venture deals led by workspace providers.
Modular Building | Feb 16, 2020
On the West Coast, prefab gains ground for speedier construction
Gensler has been working with component supplier Clark Pacific on several projects.
AEC Tech | Feb 13, 2020
Exclusive research: Download the final report for BD+C's Giants 300 Technology and Innovation Study
This survey of 130 of the nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms tracks the state of AEC technology adoption and innovation initiatives at the AEC Giants.
Office Buildings | Feb 11, 2020
Forget Class A: The opportunity is with Class B and C office properties
There’s money to be made in rehabbing Class B and Class C office buildings, according to a new ULI report.
Architects | Feb 6, 2020
NBBJ acquires immersive technology design studio ESI Design
NBBJ has acquired experience design studio ESI Design. The acquisition signals a new era where buildings will be transformed into immersive and interactive digital experiences that engage and delight.
Sponsored | HVAC | Feb 3, 2020
Reliable Building Systems Increase Net Operating Income by Retaining Tenants
Tenants increasingly expect a well-crafted property that feels unique, authentic, and comfortable—with technologically advanced systems and spaces that optimize performance and encourage collaboration and engagement. The following guidance will help owners and property managers keep tenants happy.
Architects | Jan 29, 2020
Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture school is closing
The school was established in 1932.