design awards

The Annual Design Awards are a competition to recognize architectural design excellence by local architects within the region.

AIA Tampa Bay 2007 Design Award Winners
Congratulations to the 2007 Design Award Recipients!


AIA Tampa Bay president, Randy Stribling, AIA presented the 2007 design awards at the annual Design Awards Reception on Saturday, June 16th at the University of Tampa, Vaughn Center. See event pictures... The Fort Lauderdale based jury, comprised of architects Don Singer, FAIA, Teen Woon, AIA and Tony Abbate, AIA, selected ten out of seventy total submissions to be recognized with awards of Merit and Honor for excellence in architectural design.

The top honor, The H. Dean Rowe, FAIA Award for Design Excellence, was bestowed upon the firm Jonathan Parks Architect for their historic renovation of The Cohen House in Sarasota, Florida. The house was originally designed in the 1950’s by architect Paul Rudolph, who is known internationally as one of the major architects in what is labeled, the Sarasota School of Architecture. The house also earned accolades in 1956 from Architectural Record. Relying on original blue prints and National Historic Trust guidelines, the firm removed additions not original to the design, replaced windows and restored original terrazzo flooring, mahogany walls and furnishings in the 2,300 SF house. The jury commented that this project shows that “these mid-century icon buildings that are all too often threatened and eliminated can find new life.”

Honor awards were presented to three projects including Middle School “RR” - (pictured right) a prototype design by Wilder Architecture, Inc. commissioned by the Hillsborough County School District. The school was designed with a compact layout and highly flexible campus so that it can be reconfigured to fit small or oddly shaped sites, which have not yet been selected. The jurors liked that the school was developed with the subtropical climate in mind and that stated that the “design creates a sense of containment to create security for the students yet at the same time does not confine the students.”

An honor award was presented to BECK for their design of the future 10,000 sq ft. Walker Brand Communications (pictured right) headquarters. The building, when complete, will be LEED Certified, meaning it meets nationally-recognized standards related to energy-efficient design. The building is very open with a transparent glass façade and an open interior to encourage collaboration. The jury commented that “the building is just beautiful and well designed, very open” and that it is an “exciting project with the translucent materials and subtropical aesthetic.”

USF School of Architecture Student, Derek Jensen, was recognized with an Honor award for his conceptual design of a new Safety Harbor Museum. The design was largely influenced by the proposed project site located along Tampa Bay. The volumes and spaces flow down toward the bay ‘like water’. The jury commented that “the design is really sophisticated for a student project; the handling of materials, the sensitivity to the site and the way in which the student understands the importance of light, makes this project worthy of an honor award.”

Merit Awards were also presented to six projects. One familiar Tampa project was recognized for its distinctive attention to detail. Gould Evans was recognized for their design of the Ford Amphitheater Sound Wall – visible from I-4 on the Florida State Fairgrounds. The 72 ft wall stretches 450 feet. Its shape is in response to engineering sound analysis which indicated varying height requirements and a V shaped sound trap. The jury commented “there is a lot of attention paid to detail. The design uses steel and corrugated metal in such a sculptural way” and that the project is “creative and fun”.

A Merit Award was also presented to St. Petersburg based Wannemacher Russell for their additions and renovation of the North Shore Pool Complex in St. Petersburg. The firm added a new entry building, classroom building and pump building as well as renovated the existing pool house. The new entry provides a welcoming perspective that is focused on the pool. The jurors commented that “this project demonstrates how a small project with likely a small budget can make a big impact.” And, “it shows how architecture can make a difference even in a small scale project.”

Holmes Hepner & Associates Architects were recognized with a merit award for their design of the Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union Call Center. This nearly 40,000 sq ft state-of-the-art call center will serve 215 employees and is located on the existing campus of the credit union’s corporate headquarters. The design was shaped by the buildings use,incorporating natural lighting, a flexible open floor plan and operable sun shades. The jury commented that “the design takes advantage of the views and light and creates a very pleasant working environment.”

Jonathon Lawrence of poeticA was the recipient of a merit award for the design of his own house, currently under construction in the Town & Country area. The house, known as Splice House, because it is spliced into a wedge-shaped infill lot, is designed to uniquely reinterpret the design features of the tract homes in development where it is located. The jury commented that they like the way the project responds to the configuration of the site, and that it is a “very thoughtful and very good project.”

HUMPback House, a project by Phillip Crosby of DUAL:Worshop also earned a merit award. The design is a conceptual prototype for attainable urban infill housing in the University Park neighborhood of downtown St. Petersburg. The houses were designed for a 25 ft wide lot, utilizing densification to increase affordability. The jury commented that “a lot of thought has been put into these floor plans and how people live today. This project is very nice…truly modern and forward looking.”

Architecture student, Luke Carlson was awarded a Merit award for his thesis design of a conceptual high school called Collective Individuality. The school was designed to promote interaction between students in groups to enhance learning. The jury commented that “this is a very thoughtful project in terms of creating space for students. The organization of buildings around an exterior space creates good movement and a good learning environment.”

Reception photos provided by Mark Borosch Photography.

Thank you to our generous 2007 Design Award Sponsors:

Gold

Silver

Congratulations to the
2006 AIA Tampa Bay Design Award Recipients:

Honor Awards