Casey Dunn

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AIA Announces Winners of the 2017 Small Project Awards

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has selected 11 recipients of the 2017 Small Project Awards. This is the 14th edition of the program, which was established to recognize "small-project practitioners for the high quality of their work and to promote excellence in small-project design."

This year the winners have been placed into three categories: 

  • Category 1: small project construction, object, work of environmental art or architectural design element up to $150,000 in construction cost
  • Category 2: small project construction, up to $1,500,000 in construction cost
  • Category 3: small project construction, object, work of environmental art or architectural design under 5,000 square feet

This year’s winners include a wide variety of program types and sites. Continue after the break for the list and descriptions of the projects.

AIA Announces Winners of the 2017 Small Project Awards - More Images+ 56

Franklin Mountain House / hazelbaker rush

Franklin Mountain House / hazelbaker rush - More Images+ 19

Balcones House / Pollen Architecture & Design

Balcones House / Pollen Architecture & Design - More Images+ 15

  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  2700 ft²
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2011
  • Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project
    Manufacturers:  Solarlux, Delta Millworks, Fleetwood, NanaWall, Newbold Concrete
  • Professionals: Ilse Frank, Studio Balcones

2016 Brick in Architecture Award Winners Announced

The Brick Industry Association (BIA) has announced the results of the 2016 Brick in Architecture Awards, given to “the country’s most visionary projects incorporating fired-clay brick.” This year, there were a total of 32 medalists with Best in Class winners in seven categories: Commercial, Educational (Higher Education), Educational (K-12), Healthcare, Municipal/Government, Residential (Multifamily) and Residential (Single Family).

“These winners demonstrate the best of brick’s aesthetic flexibility, and as a material made from abundant natural resources, it’s a perfect strategy in sustainable design,” said Ray Leonhard, BIA’s president and CEO.

Read on for the Best in Class winners:

LeanToo / Nick Deaver Architect

LeanToo / Nick Deaver Architect  - More Images+ 10

  • Architects: Nick Deaver Architect
    : Nick Deaver Architect
  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  1900 ft²
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2015

How the AIA's Committee on the Environment Can Ensure Its Own Obsolescence

This article by Kira Gould was originally published by Metropolis Magazine as "The Case for COTE's Obsolescence."

Recently the American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment published, for the first time, a comprehensive report about the winners from the debut year (1997) through 2015: “Lessons from the Leading Edge.” Its lead author, a current COTE advisory board member, Lance Hosey, set out to review two decades of Top Ten winners as a group to see how performance is changing over time, how the winners size up (scale, cost, type), and more.

The result is a compelling report. It reveals that these high-performing projects skew small. That performance gains and metrics, particularly real-time performance metrics, are improving each year. That the leading projects tend to be expensive. On average, they come in at $537 per square foot. “The cost data shows us that we need more compelling examples of lower-cost, higher performance projects,” Hosey says. Clearly, more exemplars at greater scale, type, and cost variation would be beneficial to both the profession and the market.

Wilsonart / STG Design

Wilsonart / STG Design - More Images+ 13

  • Architects: STG Design
  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  31000 ft²
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2015
  • Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project
    Manufacturers:  Kingspan Insulated Panels, Interface, Armstrong Ceilings, Daikan-McQuay, Daltile, +15

Qui Restaurant / A Parallel Architecture

Qui Restaurant / A Parallel Architecture - Restaurant, Beam, Door, Table, Chair, Lighting, Bench
© Casey Dunn

Qui Restaurant / A Parallel Architecture - More Images+ 14

AIA Names Top 10 Most Sustainable Projects of 2016

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment (COTE) have selected the top ten sustainable architecture and ecological design projects for 2016.

Now in its 20th year, the COTE Top Ten Awards program honors projects that protect and enhance the environment through an integrated approach to architecture, natural systems, and technology.

A recently released study, entitled Lessons from the Leading Edge, reports that design projects recognized through this program are “outpacing the industry by virtually every standard of performance.”

The 2016 COTE Top Ten Green Projects are:

Hillside Residence / Alterstudio Architecture

Hillside Residence / Alterstudio Architecture - More Images+ 12

Austin Home / Aamodt / Plumb Architects

Austin Home / Aamodt / Plumb Architects - More Images+ 10

Resignation Media / Chioco Design

Resignation Media / Chioco Design - More Images+ 10

  • Architects: Chioco Design
  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  1086
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2014

Baldridge Architects Office / Baldridge Architects

Baldridge Architects Office / Baldridge Architects - More Images+ 11

  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  1450 ft²
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2013

SXSW Features Parametric Vault Designed by OTA+ and UT Students

SXSW Features Parametric Vault Designed by OTA+ and UT Students - Temporary Installations, Facade, Arch
© Casey Dunn

Text description provided by the architects. If you made it to South By Southwest (SXSW) in Austin this year there is a good chance you were drawn to this 11-foot, steel vaulting structure known as Caret 6. Designed by OTA+ principle Kory Bieg and his 2013 design-build studio from the University of Texas’ (UT) Austin School of Architecture, the CNC-fabricated structure was originally conceived to exhibit the prototypes and winning project from the TEX-FAB's 2013 SKIN Competition before being reassembled as part of the Next Stage and Renegade Craft Fair at the annual interactive, music, and film festival.

Grounded by a central catenary vault, the diamond-celled structure supports two cantilevering arms and a third cascading vault that forms a base for showcasing exhibition content. More information from the design team, after the break...

West Lake Hills Residence / Specht Harpman

West Lake Hills Residence / Specht Harpman - More Images+ 19

  • Architects: Specht Harpman
  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  5500 ft²
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2011

The Greater Texas Foundation Headquarters / Furman + Keil Architects

The Greater Texas Foundation Headquarters / Furman + Keil Architects - More Images+ 13

Schertz Public Library / Kell Muñoz Architects

Schertz Public Library / Kell Muñoz Architects - More Images+ 6