Awards: The Latest Architecture and News

Sustainable development typically looks at the “triple bottom line” of economic, ecological and social factors and has become the Zeitgeist of the industry. In the context of the built environment, innovative and contextual impacts must also be factored into any calculation of sustainability. With such broad elements to be considered, it’s no wonder that exemplary projects in sustainable construction are rarely the work of one single person or profession, but combine the expertise of several fields: architecture, engineering, research, biology and sociology.

To bring the concept of broad sustainability for the building industry to life, the 3rd International Holcim Awards for Sustainable Construction identify and recognize the cutting-edge of sustainability – propelling more widespread and consequential adoption of approaches to build a more sustainable future. The Holcim Awards competition also includes a category for the “Next Generation” of university students to share their concepts for the sustainable projects of the future.

Candidates may be nominated by IFLA Member Associations, delegates, individual members and allied organizations, as well as independent sources.

The Japan Art Association just named Toyo Ito its 2010 Praemium Imperiale Laureate for Architecture. The annual global arts prize is regarded as one of the highest honors for those in the arts. Ito was joined by Sophia Loren for Theater/Film, Enrico Castellani for Painting, Rebecca Horn for Sculpture, and Maurizio Pollini for Music. Practicing architecture for decades, Ito continually brings a sense of sophisticated elegance to his projects with “a deep concern for the relationships between architecture, nature and the environment,” explained the jury. We have featured several projects by Ito previously on AD, and whether it be a residence, a public theater, or a library, Ito consistently pushes the boundary of architectural expression by testing the limits of structure, using a modern material palette and bringing his ideas of transparency to each project.

More about the award after the break.

BIG has proven in the past to be a source of innovating projects. Their idea is far beyond the superficial: it´s about improving the city, as you can see on this presentation by Bjarke Ingels for 8 House.

For this project -which will open in October-, BIG has been honored by the Scandinavian Green Roof Association as the Best Green Roof in the Scandinavia for its 1.700 m2 sloping green roof at an award ceremony held at 8 House in Oerestad, Copenhagen.

More information about this award after the break.

Chaired by Paolo Baratta, the Board of the Biennale di Venezia has awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement to Rem Koolhaas. The much deserving architect has produced dozens of thought-provoking and inspirational works that constantly push the limits of the current state of architecture. His strength lies in his buildings’ strong conceptual nature that is carried through to ideas about circulation, structure and programmatic organization. ”Rem Koolhaas has expanded the possibilities of architecture. He has focused on the exchanges between people in space. He creates buildings that bring people together and in this way forms ambitious goals for architecture. His influence on the world has come well beyond architecture. People from very diverse fields feel a great freedom from his work,” explained the board.

More about the award after the break.

Standard, a Los Angeles-based architecture and design practice, received an award from the Los Angeles Business Council (LABC), as winner of the Single Family Housing category at the 40th Annual Los Angeles Architectural Awards for the Hidden House project. The modern single family residence was chosen as an example of local architectural innovation for the home’s eco-friendly construction, which involved incorporating an existing two bedroom cottage into a new, larger structure, without marring the natural context of the home’s expansive and rare 7-acre site.

Steven Holl Architects has received the 2010 North Norwegian Architecture Prize for the Knut Hamsun Center in Hamarøy, Norway. The Prize is awarded annually to projects with special reference to, and significance for North Norwegian historical, cultural, economic and physical conditions.

In 010, the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies will inaugurate the first “European Architecture Prize.” The European Architecture Prize is to be given annually to any living architect whose built work exemplifies the highest ideals of European civilization and embodies vision, commitment, and a profound respect for humanity and for the social and physical environment.

The 2010 World of Color AwardsSM – Inspired by Vanceva is a global recognition program created to honor innovation and inspire the use of color in the built environment. Architects, interior designers, glass fabricators, glazing engineers and other industry professionals will be recognized for their awe-inspiring architectural design projects that demonstrate creativity and forward-thinking uses of colored glass made with the Vanceva color interlayer system.

The RIBA has announced that this year’s Stirling Prize will be shown on BBC Two’s The Culture Show, after viewing figures dipped to an all time low on Channel 4 last year.

Fast Company just announced this year’s 100 Most Creative People. The list includes a variety of professions and the selection is proof “that creativity is alive and well in 2010.” While the most creative person was deemed Miss Lady Gaga, followed by Eddy Cue (the VP of Apple Internet Services), we were excited to find not one, but three architects making the cut. The 19th spot was awarded to Jean Nouvel, particularly for his take on the Louvre’s Abu Dhabi and his design for the Philharmonie de Paris. The 64th spot went to BjarkeIngles for his fresh designs. And, our last architect, KazuyoSejima rounded in at 88th, for her contextual and minimalistic approach to creating a holistic environment.

The Royal Institute of British Architects just announced 102 buildings that were awarded for the 2010 Awards. These buildings, 93 sprawled across the UK and 9 in the rest of the EU, include 6 which were nominated for the Stirling Prize.

More about the winners and more images after the break.

CGarchitect.com is hosting the 7th annual Architectural 3D Awards to be awarded at this year’s Mundos Digitales Conference in La Coruna, Spain. The Awards Competition is open to everyone in the Architectural Visualization industry to highlight the best imagery and animations done in 2009/2010.

The eminent juries convened for the AIA New York Chapter’s Design Awards announced the thirty-four winning projects at a symposium on March 1 evening at the Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place.

The thirty-four selected projects and the architecture firms behind them – many of whom were on hand for the event – represented exceptional work by AIA New York members in four categories: interiors, architecture, unbuilt work, and new for 2010, urban design. Each winning project, granted either an “honor” or “merit” award, was chosen for its exemplary originality. The criteria used by the juries included design quality, program resolution, innovation, thoughtfulness and technique. Jurors included San Diego professor Teddy Cruz and Los Angeles luminary Craig Hodgetts, FAIA, and Canadian architects Brigette Shim, Hon. FAIA, and Gilles Saucier. There were 425 entries in four categories, including close to two hundred submissions in the architecture category alone.

Complete list of winners after the break.

Driving timber design into the new decade, the inaugural Intergrain Timber Vision Awards launches on 19 April 2010, inviting architects, landscapers and designers nationwide to showcase their visionary use of timber in residential and commercial design projects.

The Pritzker will be announced in a few minutes. It will probably go to one of the figures you have already voted for in our 2010 Pritzker poll, but deep in our hearts we wish Architecture for Humanity to be awarded.

Will you guys guess the Pritzker once again?

The AIA Arizona Design Awards program recognizes excellence in design, planning, and construction of projects located anywhere in the world that are designed by AIA Arizona architects registered and licensed in the State of Arizona.