2012 AIA Iowa Excellence in Desgin awards
from the Iowa chapter of the American Institute of Architects

HONOR AWARD RECIPIENTS

PLaN Architecture, Joshua Palmer, Finley Pitt and RDG Planning & Design were all given the 2012 AIA Iowa Excellence in Design – Honor Award, the highest award in its class, for their designs.

PLaN Architecture was given the honor award for the Lake Home located in East Lake Okoboji, Iowa. The jury stated it was “unapologetic in its vocabulary, the responsiveness to programmatic needs are skillfully played out in both section and plan” and that the “material choices are honest and appropriate for the site.”

Joshua Palmer and Finley Pitt were given the honor award for their work in the UNICEF Lab4Lab Primary and Secondary School in Ganta, Liberia. The jury felt the design was “fluid” and that the “large sheltering roof form serves as both a metaphor for the school and appropriate climatic response.”

RDG Planning & Design received the honor award for its work on the Campus Recreation & Wellness Center at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. “The interior of the project conveys an almost urban attitude; it’s compact and complex yet rich and carefully articulated,” commented the jury.

MERIT AWARD RECIPIENTS

Six merit awards were given to four architecture firms which included BNIM, ASK Studio, OPN Architects, Inc. and Substance.

BNIM received the Merit Award for its work on the BNIM Iowa office located in Des Moines. The jury mentioned, “The hierarchy of elements is clear and the expression is neatly restrained.” The building also “works with its urban context – in that the project works in concert with the international style buildings that surround and contain it.”

ASK Studio was awarded for their work on the Spring Creek Sports Complex in Altoona, Iowa. The jury commented that the structure is a “marker in both daytime and night.”

OPN Architects was recognized for their work in the Bright Grandview Golf Course Clubhouse in Des Moines and the State Hygienic Laboratory in Coralville, Iowa. The Clubhouse was noted for its “modern and fresh egalitarianism” and “the use of variable shading strategies.” The Hygienic Laboratory was recognized as a “terrific place to work. The design utilized best practice lab design to drive daylight into all the work environments.”

Substance was recognized for two designs – the Multimodal Transportation Facility at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls and the Tifereth Israel Synagogue in Des Moines. The Transportation Facility integrated sustainable technology which resulted in a “net zero project that actually feeds into surrounding buildings on campus.” The Synagogue was noted for its “spiritual quality to the etched glass” and how it “smartly leverages a single element to do many things.”

2012 IOWA EXCELLENCE IN SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AWARDS

RDG Planning & Design, Substance, BNIM, Joshua Palmer and Finley Pitt were given the 2012 AIA Iowa Excellence in Sustainable Design Award for their designs.

RDG Planning & Design was honored for its work on the World Food Prize-Hall of Laureates in Des Moines. Their design incorporated historic renovation with sensitive integration of systems. The jury concluded that the “architects were able to preserve and restore the historic building while seamlessly integrating appropriate and well-woven building systems.”

Substance was awarded for the Multimodal Transportation Facility at the University of Northern Iowa. Their design was an exhibit of a sustainable non-building on a university campus. The jury commented that the design was “a successful example of a parking structure in many regards: energy use, design, and the integration of multiple modes of transportation.”

BNIM won the sustainable design award for the Iowa Utilities Board, Office of Consumer Advocate in Des Moines. The structure was honored as an elegant solution to a sustainable office building.

Joshua Palmer and Finley Pitt were honored for their work in the UNICEF Lab4Lab Primary and Secondary School in Ganta, Liberia. The design was a sensitive and ecological approach to a third world school. The jury commented that the structure was “well suited and sensitive to its context both environmentally and culturally.”