Ahead of the sales launch for the Adjaye Associates-designed 130 William condo tower in lower Manhattan, Sir David Adjaye sat down with the New York Times to discuss the building’s design philosophy and to drop new renderings of the arch-wrapped tower. Construction on the tower, with its gothic-flair and inverted take (and massing) on the arches seen in classic New York masonry, is already well above grade. Unlike many of its glass-clad contemporaries, dark, angled concrete panels as being used for the building’s facade, which Adjaye described to the Times as acting to break up rainwater running down the face of the building. A new detail revealed in the interview is the deeply gauged and pocked texture of the concrete, reminiscent of fresh volcanic rock. The arches-all-over motif is repeated in the lobby according to the new renderings, with arched book nooks notched from concrete and arching transoms over the main entrance doors. Like the building’s facade and the black tiling in the pool room, Adjaye and Hill West Architects have gone with a heavy dark material palette for the lobby. This is in stark contrast to the all-white residential unit interiors and they’re brass-burnished finishes. Adjaye Associates and Weintraub Diaz Landscape Architecture will also be designing a planted plaza at ground level inspired by the city’s historic pocket parks, though from the construction photos the building appears to be tightly slotted into the site. Potential residents can purchase units starting from $650,000 for a studio all the way up to a $5.42 million 4-bedroom condo, with an expected move-in date of 2020.

The Architect’s Newspaper (AN)’s inaugural 2013 Best of Design Awards featured six categories. Since then, it’s grown to 26 exciting categories. As in years past, jury members (Erik Verboon, Claire Weisz, Karen Stonely, Christopher Leong, Adrianne Weremchuk, and AN’s Matt Shaw) were picked for their expertise and high regard in the design community. They based their judgments on evidence of innovation, creative use of new technology, sustainability, strength of presentation, and, most importantly, great design. We want to thank everyone for their continued support and eagerness to submit their work to the Best of Design Awards. We are already looking forward to growing next year’s coverage for you. 2016 Best of Design Award for Landscape > Public: Lower Rainier Vista & Pedestrian Land Bridge Architect: GGN Location: Seattle, WA

With the Lower Rainier Vista Project, GGN extends and completes the Olmsted Brothers’ historic vision for a monumental campus axis at the University of Washington. The project’s defining feature is the lowering of the roadway that isolated the last portion of the historic axis, reconnecting it with an elegant land bridge. This new connection allows pedestrians, cyclists, buses, and automobiles to move easily between the UW Husky Stadium light rail station and the campus heart. By creating a more generous, people-focused feel to the campus, the Vista Project reenvisions a disconnected landscape as a place to linger.

Structural Engineer and Civil Engineer KPFF

Electrical Engineer and Lighting Designer AEI/Pivotal Lighting Design Irrigation Design Jeffrey L. Bruce & Company Gabion Basket Walls Hilfiker Retaining Walls Linear LED Lighting i2Systems

Honorable Mention, Landscape > Public: Governors Island Park & Public Space

Architects: West 8 Urban Design & Landscape Architecture Location: Governors Island, NY

With an extraordinary 360-degree panoramic experience of the New York Harbor, the sculpted topography, winding pathways, and carefully planted trees of Governors Island Park create a beautifully choreographed celebration of nature while improving resilience for rising sea levels.

Honorable Mention, Landscape > Public: Newark Riverfront Park

Design Team: Weintraub Diaz Landscape Architects, Newark Planning Office, Hatch Mott MacDonald, MTWTF Location: Newark, NJ

Using a participatory design process with input from over 6,000 residents, this project transformed a brownfield adjacent to a Superfund site into an oasis meant to reflect its ethnically diverse working class community, while benefitting it socially, economically, and environmentally.