AIA Honor Awards

The AIA announced its 2005 Honor Awards, in three categories: Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Regional and Urban Design.



A couple local projects and other highlights.



Architecture:





Contemporaine in Chicago by Perkins + Will

A great mid-rise residential project in the River North area of the city. The generous glazing, exposed concrete (rare in the city that loves to paint the stuff) and the articulation of the two materials make for a bold expression for where the city's residential architecture might head.





Holy Rosary Church Complex in Amant, LA, by Trahan Architects

Featured on my weekly page in July last year, this complex is simple yet poetic, focused inward to its chapel and its beautiful interior.





Mill City Museum in Minneapolis by Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle

A renovation of a landmarked - though gutted by fire in 1991 - flour mill that is amazing for its addition as much for the existing structures.





Mountain Tree House in Dillard, GA, by Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects

Another simple design, this time sensitively sited in a dense forest of Northern Georgia.





Somis Hay Barn in Somis, CA, by SPF:a

A contemporary steel structure is clothed in hay, for insulation, as a wind break, and sometimes as food for the horses housed within!



Interior Architecture:





Boys Club in Sioux City, IA, by Randy Brown Architects

Again the Midwest is home to some creative design, as always on a shoestring budget.





L.A. Eyeworks in Los Angeles by Neil Denari

Denari deserves this award for finally getting one of his designs built. His undulating and folding curves are perfect for the short-term, stylish world of retail design.





Hyde Park Bank Building Hall by Florian Architects

Another local project, this time a renovation on the South Side of Chicago. The design effectively contrasts the old with the new without being confrontational or reactionary.



Regional and Urban Design:





Jackson Meadow in St. Croix, MN, by Salmela Architect & Coen + Partners

Maybe I'm seduced by the Edward Hopper-like quality of this photo, though I think the reduced vernacular style of the houses is a welcome change from today's pompous and stylish housing design.





Riparian Meadows in Warren, AR, by University of Arkansas Community Design Center

A public greenway along a creek, this project adds exciting architectural events along its length, like pearls on a string.