Washington, D.C. – The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Committee on Architecture for Education (CAE) has selected five educational and cultural facilities for this year’s CAE Educational Facility Design Awards. The CAE Design Excellence Award honors educational facilities that the jury believes should serve as an example of a superb place in which to learn, furthering the client's mission, goals and educational program while demonstrating excellence in architectural design. These projects exemplify innovation through the client's educational goals through responsive and responsible programming, planning and design. Function and surrounding regional and community context are valued as part of the planning and design process.
California State University, Northridge Student Recreation Center; Northridge, California
LPA, Incorporated
The Student Recreation Center strategically creates a strong bookend to the east end of the campus, providing a dynamic, energetic approach to recreation. The design concept is clearly executed with a judicious use of colors and finishes. Upon entering the building natural lighting and material choices raise excitement and motivate movement. As an athletic building, it captures the energy and impetus of the various sporting activities inside. Strong transparency and interconnections between spaces inside the building are appealing, inviting and conducive to exercising. Compositionally it is assured and confident. Its community connection is highly apparent. Rainwater collection, natural ventilation, and day lighting are strong sustainable design features that are nicely integrated into the design. It was evident to the jury that students were involved in the conceptualization process and planning.
Sandy High School; Sandy, Oregon
Dull Olson Weekes – IBI Group Architects
Breathtakingly detailed as a public school, Sandy High School sets very high standards in terms of materials, finishes and aesthetics. Sitting lightly on the land, the building allows nature to penetrate the campus. It takes advantage of the hillside and creates panoramic views while nestling comfortably on the contours. Visible green roofs below adjacent classrooms add to hillside views while remaining roof areas are opportunities for power generation. Transparency between classrooms and common areas is executed boldly, with floor to ceiling glass suggesting a confidence with the user groups. Single loaded corridors were used to great effect by allowing natural light into both sides of learning spaces. Exterior treatments reflect the region in a wonderful and indigenous way and incorporate pleasant verandas with deep overhangs. The usable space per student and color combinations contribute to and promote student development.
Hinds Community College Jobie L. Martin Classroom Building; Jackson, Mississippi
Duvall Decker Architects
This simple and honest building with strong forms and an elegant façade shows that a few simple gestures can render a sense of identity to an otherwise nondescript campus. The rigorous use of materials, straightforward detailing, and clarity of concept elevates the modest program to a new level. The jury admired the light airy classrooms that combined the translucent, transparent, fixed, and operable glazing.
Mesa Community College Health Wellness Building; Mesa, Arizona
SmithGroupJJR
The transformation of this postindustrial concrete building into a light filled, translucent learning environment is exceptional. This project sets a high standard for reuse and repurposing of an existing building and demonstrates how constraints can benefit and strengthen a project. The conversion of leftover space between buildings creates dynamic and interactive circulation opportunities. The exterior is striking in its bold gestures, especially at night.
Cranbrook Kingswood Girls’ Middle School; Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Lake|Flato Architects
This design integrates form and function in ways reminiscent of the Crow Island School. The building is indicative of an independent language that fits well within the campus context. Cranbrook Kingswood Girls' Middle School is beautifully detailed, appropriately contextual in a place where expectations are very high, modest in scale, yet intimate. The variety of shared common learning spaces connects directly to the exterior while providing opportunities to integrate imaginative ideas into the educational environment. The scale of the interstitial spaces and classrooms give a very secure feeling to the learning environment. This school builds on great traditions but creates a quality and life of its own.
Jury
The 2013 CAE Educational Facility Design Awards jury includes: Steven M. Shiver, AIA, Chair, NAC Architecture; John R. Dale, FAIA, Harley Ellis Devereaux; Linda Nelson Keane, AIA; Victor Sidy, AIA, Taliesin School of Architecture and C. Kenneth Tanner, University of Georgia.
About the Committee on Architecture for Education (CAE)
The CAE is a large and active group of architects and allied professionals concerned with the quality and design of all types of educational, cultural, and recreational facilities. While a large portion of CAE members practice in the K-12 and post-secondary education markets, they look to serve the needs of those in the entire pre-K to 99 markets. CAE identifies national educational facility issues critical to architects and works to strengthen relationships with allied organizations, client groups, and the public.
About The American Institute of Architects
Founded in 1857, members of the American Institute of Architects consistently work to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings, neighborhoods, and communities. Through nearly 300 state and local chapters, the AIA advocates for public policies that promote economic vitality and public well being. Members adhere to a code of ethics and conduct to ensure the highest professional standards. The AIA provides members with tools and resources to assist them in their careers and business as well as engaging civic and government leaders, and the public to find solutions to pressing issues facing our communities, institutions, nation and world. Visit www.aia.org.
Related Stories
| Aug 21, 2014
Strategies for providing great customer service
Customers are inherently inefficient and inconvenient to do business with, writes Customer Service Consultant Micah Solomon, in a recent Forbes post. That’s why he believes great customer service depends on understanding this. SPONSORED CONTENT
Sponsored | | Aug 21, 2014
Defining the measure of success when implementing new technologies
Sasha Reed and Chad Dorgan, McCarthy Building Cos.’s Vice President of Quality and Sustainability, discuss the keys to managing innovation within a large construction firm. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Aug 21, 2014
RTKL's parent company Arcadis acquires Callison
The acquisition of Callison, known predominantly for its leadership in retail and mixed-use design, builds on Arcadis’ strong global design and architecture position, currently provided by RTKL.
| Aug 21, 2014
Must See: Detroit's Beaux-Arts parking garage
An opulent Renaissance Revival building in downtown Detroit is being used as a parking garage.
| Aug 20, 2014
WELL Building: The next step in green sports construction
The WELL Building Standard, a new protocol that focuses on human wellness within the built environment, is a particularly good fit for sports facilities, write Skanska's Tom Tingle and Beth Heider.
| Aug 20, 2014
Seattle's King Street Station thoughtfully restored [2014 Reconstruction Awards]
After years of neglect and botched renovations, King Street Station sparkles once again.
| Aug 20, 2014
Tour an office with no assigned workstations [slideshow]
The New York office of the Gerson Lehrman Group recently redesigned its office without personal desks or cubicles. The company gave each of its 250 employees a locker, a laptop, and told to work anywhere they wanted, according to Business Insider.
| Aug 20, 2014
Architecture Billings Index reaches highest mark since 2007
The American Institute of Architects reported the July ABI score was 55.8, up noticeably from a mark of 53.5 in June.
| Aug 19, 2014
Goettsch Partners unveils design for mega mixed-use development in Shenzhen [slideshow]
The overall design concept is of a complex of textured buildings that would differentiate from the surrounding blue-glass buildings of Shenzhen.
| Aug 19, 2014
HOK to acquire 360 Architecture
Expected to be finalized by the end of October, the acquisition of 360 Architecture will provide immediate benefits to both firms’ clients worldwide as HOK re-enters the sports and entertainment market.