On December 6, in New York City, six jurors convened to parse the merits of the more than 250 projects submitted to AN‘s first annual Best Of Design Awards. The jury included Kate Orff, principal of SCAPE; Thomas Hanrahan, dean of architecture at the Pratt Institute and principal of Hanrahan Meyers Architects; Wes Rozen, principal, Situ Studio; Mic Patterson, partner, Enclos; Dan Wood, principal, WorkAC; and AN‘s own William Menking. Over the next several days we will be posting their selections in six categories, starting with Building Of The Year and moving through Best Facade, Best Interiors, Best Landscape, Best Fabrication Project, and Best Student Built Work. In each category the jury selected a winner and two honorable mentions. The one exception is Building Of The Year, which is a three-way tie.
Best Facade: Winner
The John and Frances Angelos Law Center at the University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD
Behnisch Architekten
Wheaton Sprague Building Envelope
Ayers Saint Gross, Architect of Record
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“Nothing can touch this project in terms of the way high performance is integrated into the building envelope.” |
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This project, which is seeking a LEED Platinum rating, sought to achieve maximum energy efficiency in part through a high-performance envelope. The building’s three distinct architectural volumes had different insulation targets. The office-classroom and library cladding systems achieved a U-factor of 0.24 Btu/ft2*h*F°, and the atrium system achieved 0.32 Btu/ft2*h*F°.
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Project Resources: |
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Construction Management/General Contracting |
Glass Supplier |
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Best Facade: Honorable Mention
Health Sciences Education Building, Phoenix Biomedical Campus
Phoenix, AZ
CO Architects
Ayers Saint Gross, Associate Architect
This copper facade is inspired by the layering of stratified earth found in the surrounding rock formations of the Arizona desert. Architectural grade sheets made from post-consumer metal were formed, bent pressed, and perforated into a variety of panel types. Sunshade projections, awnings, and a multi-layered sub-wall assembly respond to the harsh climate.
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"The use of materials is beautiful and the building will age well." |
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Project Resources: |
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Associate Architect |
Structural Engineer |
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Best Facade: Honorable Mention
Burnham Mall, Cleveland Medical Mart
Cleveland, OH
LMN Architects
The architects designed this facade to negotiate the differences between the civic bulk of the building and the surrounding smaller streets. The team worked with computer numerically controlled formwork to create digital models that translated directly to precast concrete building components.
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"The presentation materials represent the project well and indicate how the precast elements were produced and assembled." |
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Project Resources: |
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Construction Management |
Facade Consultant |
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