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2009 Design Award Winners Recognized


The American Institute of Architects, Tampa Bay Chapter announced the recipients of their 2009 Design Awards at an awards ceremony held Saturday, June 20th at NOVA 535 in St. Petersburg.  Jurors Mauricio Mazo, AIA, Michael Le Boeuf, AIA and John Ehrig, FAIA from Orlando selected fourteen out of sixty-five 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 presented to Wannemacher Jensen Architects for their design of the Roberts Recreation Center in St. Petersburg. 

Roberts Recreation Center, Wannemacher Jensen Architects

The center is the first two-story inter-generationally focused building in the City of St. Petersburg. At 26,000 SF, this unique facility masks generational boundaries and provides interactive spaces which heed to youth and adults alike. The building design sought to illustrate the relationship between the two generational groups through its use of material and space interaction. The youth programs use of white plaster is to symbolize the innocence and malleability of younger generations while the adult center programs use zinc cladding to symbolize the refined nature of the adults. Adults can look into the gym, lobby and exterior play yard to see the youth’s activity. The building is designed to nurture communication between generations and exhibits the many programs available in the community. More project images | Click here to view jury comments

The Cade Museum, Unbuilt Gould Evans

Honor Awards were presented to four projects including the The Cade Museum, designed by Gould Evans.  Located in Gainesville, Florida, the
55,000 SF Cade Museum honors the memory of Dr. Robert Cade - the creator of Gatorade. The museum will include artifacts and exhibits that reflect Dr. Cade's values and in doing so, is dedicated to invention, inspiration and innovation.  The design combines issues of sustainability, material and texture, and vernacular influences to create an innovative and contemporary expression of northern Florida. More project images | Click here to view jury comments

Fields BMW Dealership, Gensler

Also receiving an Honor Award was Gensler for their design of the Fields BMW Dealership in Daytona.  The design concept evolves around a clean simple building with strong forms and clear lines that play off of the intensive colors and ergonomic forms of their cars. Sunlight is used to organize the interior and enhance the customer experience by making each visit different.  The building thus becomes a strong expression of innovation and perfection, all attributes of the BMW brand. More project images | Click here to view jury comments

Walter Fuller Park Overlook, Wannemacher Jensen Architects

Wannemacher Jensen Architects also received an honor award for Walter Fuller Park Overlook.  A simple detail using round spaces was developed. The detail became complex through the assemblage and sequencing of the 2016 prefabricated members.  The Structures success is ultimately based upon the experience it delivers. It provides a gradient shade quality, maintains a level of transparency to the surrounding environment without losing a sense of privacy, and ultimately focuses upon the view it frames.  More project images | Click here to view jury comments

modern, manufactured...modular: a regionalist of industrialized housing in Florida, George "Dustin" Pasteur

The final Honor Award was presented to architecture student George “Dustin” Pasteur for his modern, manufactured…modular: a regionalist of industrialized housing in Florida project.  Each element of design for
the houses is drawn from the specific environmental cues present in the chosen site for the home.  Using a new system of modular prefabrication techniques for construction allows for a variously customizable and highly efficient manner of cost effectively building modern responsive homes for the general public.  More project images | Click here to view jury comments

USF Marshall Student Center, Gould Evans

Merit Awards were also presented to nine projects.  Gould Evans was recognized for their design of the new University of South Florida Marshall Student Center on the schools Tampa Campus.  The Marshall Student Center caters to student life by housing food services, meeting rooms, student lounges and administrative offices. It also entertains a wide range of student interests with an elegant ballroom, spacious auditorium, radio station and a relaxing meditation room.  The design and construction materials used to complete this structure resulted in a modern 4-story building constructed around a central atrium. More project images | Click here to view jury comments

Nature Discovery Center, Lunz Prebor Fowler Architects

Lunz Prebor Fowler Architects received a Merit Award for the Nature Discovery Center. 
The building site was chosen to minimally impact the existing oak hammocks, with proximity to the lakefront and in direct connection to the existing nature trails.  The buildings were designed as an environmental and aesthetic reflection of the past.  From boardwalks to mechanical systems, modern materials and techniques were employed to further enhance the sustainable qualities of the complex.  More project images | Click here to view jury comments

McKay Archives Center, Straughn Trout Architects, LLC

Straughn Trout Architects, LLC were recognized with a Merit Award for their design of the McKay Archives Center on the Florida Southern College campus in Lakeland.  This project is the first new building on the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed, west portion of Lakeland’s historic campus in twenty-five years.  Exaggerated overhangs reflect those of Wright and Schweizer, fitting appropriately into a campus covered in esplanades and shade-making architecture. More project images | Click here to view jury comments

Z Grille Restaurant, Clemmons Architecture

Tim Clemmons of Clemmons Architecture was the recipient of a Merit Award for his design of the Z Grille Restaurant in downtown St. Petersburg.  The 100-seat, 2,400 SF restaurant is located on the ground floor of Signature Place. The three public areas - the dining room, the dining bar, and the "family" dining table - are open in plan but differentiated through materials, ceiling planes, and lighting. More project images | Click here to view jury comments

Jessie P. Miller Elementary School, Holmes Hepner & Associates Architects

A Merit Award was also presented to Holmes Hepner & Associates Architects for the Jessie P. Miller Elementary School project.  The two-story facility was designed as an 830 student replacement school for the existing elementary campus in Bradenton.  The scheme incorporates flexibility of use by efficiently arranging standardized pairs of classrooms along a double-loaded corridor.  Each instructional space receives natural day-lighting while the central corridors provide a sure environment for shared learning.  More project images | Click here to view jury comments

The Channelside Parking Garage Expansion, HKS Architects

HKS Architects was recognized with a Merit Award for their design of The Channelside Parking Garage Expansion in Tampa.  The project was a design-build solution for a 720 car parking garage and cruise ship vehicle staging area, adjacent to the existing Channelside garage. The proposed solution is a
4-story 90 degree parking garage that cantilevers out over the sidewalks, providing shade and shelter for the pedestrians below.  The un-built project is anticipated to be LEED certified.  More project images | Click here to view jury comments

Noah Nothing Caring and Teaching House, Stanley Russell Architect and the USF School of Architecture Design Build Studio

Also receiving a Merit Award was Stanley Russell Architect and the USF School of Architecture Design Build Studio for their design of the Noah Nothing Caring and Teaching House.  Because of the modest budget and a desire to build in a sustainable way, reclaimed shipping containers were used as the main components of the structure.  A pantry area, a computer room and a small kitchen are housed in the containers and cradle the multi purpose space with its 12’ high ceiling.  The distinctive roof seems to float above the containers and cantilevers a full 15’ over the entry porch.   More project images | Click here to view jury comments

Gensler was also presented with a Merit Award for the DLA Piper project, one of the largest law firms in the U.S.  The firm relocated into 26,000 SF office space on the 22nd floor and partial 23rd floor of the Regions Center Building in Downtown Tampa.  The building was chosen for its efficient floor-plates and panoramic views of Tampa Bay and surrounding Tampa Bay area. Materials were specified to be sustainable throughout, and day-lighting strategies and lighting design were implemented to reduce energy costs.  The use of textures is prevalent throughout with natural themes, both visual and tactile. More project images | Click here to view jury comments

Cuscaden Park Swimming Pool, Rowe Architects

The final Merit Award was presented to Rowe Architects Incorporated for their historic re-design of the Cuscaden Park Swimming Pool.  The pool includes a multi-purpose recreational room, a yoga room, a wellness/fitness room, office and storage spaces and a public lobby/reception space.  The facility is located in the Barrio Latino, Ybor City’s Historic District.  Through this historic rehabilitation by the City of Tampa, the facility is not just architecturally significant, it contributes to and serves as a catalyst for redevelopment and is once again the center of the community. More project images | Click here to view jury comments

The Franciscan Center Riverside Pavilion designed by the USF School of Architecture + Community Design, received an Honorable Mention Award.  The student team was charged with designing and building an open-air riverside pavilion, a site for an array of functions: meditation, prayer, spiritual direction, theater, music, dance and seating for small and large groups.  The design and construction were completed by architecture students over a three year period.  More project images | Click here to view jury comments

Also presented was the Chapter’s Second Annual People’s Choice Award.  The project, selected by the public as their favorite among the 65 entries was ROJO Architecture’s ISPC Corporate Offices in Odessa.  The 40,000 SF two-story office building has a strong horizontal façade comprised of bold modern lines, highlighted with deep blues, random glazing variations and a visually anchoring copper-clad mass, marking the visitor entry and executive offices above.  The project received more than 21% of the 1,100 votes that were cast.  More project images


The AIA Tampa Bay Annual Design Awards Program recognizes excellence in architectural design by architects, intern architects and architecture students within the chapter’s territory. AIA Tampa Bay is the regional chapter of The American Institute of Architects (AIA) - the professional association for architects and those in the architecture field. AIA Tampa Bay represents more than 600 members in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk, Hernando, Citrus, Sumter and Pasco Counties. In addition to the design awards, the chapter provides a variety of programs including educational, networking, social, competitions and more.

Click here to view the 2009 Design Awards photos taken by Mark Borosch Photography at NOVA 535

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The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is the professional association for architects and those in the architecture field. AIA Tampa Bay is the regional chapter representing more than 600 architects and architectural intern members in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk, Hernando, Citrus, Sumter and Pasco Counties. The AIA provides programs and services including educational programs, design competitions, community service programs and serves as the united voice of the architecture profession. The regional chapter office is located in downtown Tampa at 200 N. Tampa Street, Ste. 100. Find an architect in our Online Architect Directory.