Sustainability, technology take center stage for AIA’s 2023 Architecture Awards recipients.
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) recently announced 16 projects for its annual Architecture Awards. A seven-person jury selected the projects based on the AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence guidelines.
While the visual design always factors in, the AIA has created 10 principles to help jurors assess the projects. Although not all need to be met, the general scope of submitted projects—large and small and different sizes and uses—must strive to further boost architecture designed with equitable, healthy, resilient and zero-carbon build environments in mind.
Many of the 2023 award winners highly focused on sustainability efforts. The incorporation of BIM and other software available has allowed these firms to take their projects to new heights from finish to end. BIM tools make it easier to develop an energy model analysis to minimize the carbon footprint during the design phase and future operational efficiency.
Below are six highlights of this year’s winner, which showcase how embracing new technologies gives the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry new possibilities in design.
University of Washington, Life Sciences Building — Perkins&Will
“With its prominence on the University of Washington campus, this project has become a shining example of our firm’s design ethos Living Design not only for practicing architects but also the students who experience it daily—inspiring our next generation of leaders in the built and natural environment,” said Devin Kleiner, Perkins&Will associate principal and project architect.
UW needed a science facility that reflected the fusion of nature and technology. This 207,000-square-foot structure needed to have the versatility to accommodate different power usage, temperatures and humidity levels that the varying departments needed. Replacing two old buildings, the new structure’s southern exterior captures the technology aspect with glass, metal and solar fins while the northern exterior highlights the beauty of nature with natural wood and a visual connection to the outdoors. For both collaboration and bringing the outside in, both ends connect via a 1,000-square-foot glass atrium.
The Perkins&Will design team also worked with the students from UM Solar to create custom-made building integrated photovoltaics (BIVs), a first of their kind. These panels minimize unwanted solar heat gain while producing enough electricity on the 12,400 square feet of offices on all four floors throughout the year.
633 Folsom — Gensler
As a company that has been at the forefront of incorporating BIM, 3D rendering and visualization tools, such as SketchUp, Rhino and Revit, to streamline projects, those tools came in handy while developing the reuse project at 633 Folsom in San Francisco.
The current owner wanted to update the building, which was constructed in 1967, to reflect the modern workforce and landscape, as well as make it more sustainable and human-friendly. Using computational modeling, the design team was able to design and properly orient a façade to optimize and work with natural daylight. On the inside, fiber-reinforced polymer shades, which the people on the inside barely notice, shift to provide low light on the interior and a unique aesthetic on the exterior.
Since the existing concrete structure was not demolished but instead preserved and reinforced, the design was able to use 28.8 percent less CO2. Additionally, the design team tested and modeled different high-efficiency mechanical elements to achieve an Energy Use Intensity (EUI) of 24.7.
Worcester Blackstone Visitor Center — designLAB Architects
Turning a former wire rope mill into a welcoming community center became an even more complex endeavor after a fire destroyed the existing structure, forcing the design team to create a new radical redesign just before construction was set to begin.
designLAB Architects used its expertise and technology toolkit to meet that challenge, creating a personable and environmentally facility that now sees more than 100 visitors a day. Although initially a reuse site, the firm was able to incorporate various recycled materials from other reclaimed mill buildings, such as bricks and timber.
The exterior has wire sun screens that can be moved on the interior, giving the facility extra daylight when needed while reducing solar heat gain in warmer temperatures. The structure uses a pellet boiler for heat, a renewable energy source, and features a photovoltaic array system that also serves as the pavilion’s roof.
Mukilteo Multimodal Ferry Terminal — LMN Architects
Steeped in history as the location of the signing of the 1855 Point Elliott Treaty by 30 different Indian tribes in the Puget Sound area, the new ferry terminal now provides enhanced safety and infrastructure to a route with 4 million riders and 2 million vehicles every year.
Knowing that ridership was set to increase in the next two decades, revitalization was necessary. Along with sticking to historical roots, such as incorporating Native American cultures, the new structure features numerous sustainability elements.
LEED Gold-certified, the terminal was designed to meet earthquake preparedness standards. It features photovoltaic panels that provide 40 percent of the structure’s needed electricity and has a concrete slab with efficient electric heat pumps for colder months and rack-and-pinion windows that are thermostatically controlled to ensure excellent airflow.
Marlboro Music Reich Rehearsal Building & Music Library — HGA
While acoustics in any building are important, that becomes even more vital for a legendary location for musicians to practice and perform. Generative design offers a key way to ensure the architecture delivers that sound. It allows designers to create a prototype that can be used with scripts to land on the exact geometry required for a roof and ceiling designed for optimal sound performance.
Along with the music portion, the facility needed to create a community-like atmosphere able to change with the varying temperatures and natural resources found in Vermont. Although the facility has a low-tech aesthetic with a Cape Cod cottage vibe, it is infused with the latest tech and the latest stability elements.
To accommodate all four seasons, the hall was built with low-maintenance, low/no-VOC content materials certified to be environmentally friendly and durable. In addition to cost-effective LED lighting, the facility features a passive solar gain system and a green roof. The windows allow for natural light to enter while providing thermal control and ventilation. Geothermal water-to-water heat pumps simultaneously deliver the right temperature of water to the fan coil system and radiant heat flooring.
“Working with Marlboro Music once again has been a true honor,” said Joan Soranno, HGA designer. “Reich Hall’s architecture embodies the intrinsic link between music and space, and the universal impulse to use both to create a sense of rootedness within nature. The celebration of music, creativity, and community that happens across campus and in and around these new buildings is a joy to experience.”
Check out all of the 2023 award recipients here.
