Awards: Grand Prize > Citation Awards > Honorable Mentions

Nine architectural firms receive Honorable Mention Awards
A breath-taking building profile created by a deep cantilevered overhang against a picturesque landscape was a popular point of discussion among judges during the Learning By Design competition. Judges praised The Collaborative Inc., Toledo, OH, for its innovative design and careful execution of green strategies throughout its site plan for this award-winning building—Edison Community College, Piqua, OH. The college is one of nine educational facilities that earned Honorable Mention Awards in this year’s competition. Edison Community College led the way at the college/university level in the special Green Educational Facilities category.

At the pre-K to 12 level, judges also praised careful execution of outstanding design and construction strategies, such as implementing classical and modern design combinations that enhance teaching environments and the total learning experience for students. These award-winning design projects range from a multistory building in a tight urban setting to an expansive 18-acre site plan that includes renovated 1960s-era buildings. All of these award winners, however, effectively address educational and programmatic needs as well as individual site challenges, judges noted.

The following firms won Learning By Design 2008 Honorable Mention Awards for their entries in this year’s competition:

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

Edison Community College - Infinity Studio

The Collaborative Inc., Toledo, OH, received an Honorable Mention for Edison Community College, Piqua, OH, in this year’s special Green Educational Facilities category. Serving more than 1,600 students, this award-winning school “really sets the bar for community college architecture,” judges said. A striking entry elevation features an existing pond and creative use of long south-facing glass that reflects broad views of the campus green. Judges also noted the college’s innovative mix of technology and food services. A strategically placed cybercafé gives students a comfortable, attractive, and practical place to meet and study. Plus, “aesthetic landscaping complements the building,” judges noted. Edison Community College is LEED-registered and features a stormwater detention system and a light-reflecting cool roof.

PRE-K TO 12

Cesar Chavez Elementary School - C. Costea Photography

LPA, Inc., Irvine, CA, received an Honorable Mention for Cesar Chavez Elementary School, Long Beach, CA. This design project “demonstrates a commitment to a neighborhood urban school model,” judges said. The site and design of Cesar Chavez Elementary School make it a bridge between urban landscapes and residential neighborhoods. Judges note that a central courtyard helps “hold back the urban edge,” making the outdoor spaces safe and comfortable for the school’s 800 K-5 students. Cesar Chavez also features a joint use community gymnasium and library. Judges praised the school’s effective use of interior colors and flexible outdoor spaces.

Pembroke Hill School Ward Parkway Campus - Alise O'Brien Photography

Peter Gisolfi Associates, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, received an Honorable Mention Award for Pembroke Hill School Ward Parkway Campus, Kansas City, MO. Judges praised the project’s scale and classic campus design—“inspired of the University of Virginia architecture,” they said. The 18-acre campus, serving 700 students in grades 6 through 12, features ’60s-era buildings that were transformed with reading rooms flooded with natural light and reshaped landscapes that opened up striking views of the campus quadrangle. “There are a lot of indoor-outdoor connections,” judges said. “And all the spaces are filled with natural light. Big windows afford connectivity to the outside.”

Brentwood Academy - Vince Wallace/Silver Hill Images

Earl Swensson Associates, Inc., Nashville, TN, received an Honorable Mention Award for the fine arts center at Brentwood Academy, Brentwood, TN. The fine arts center serves 1,000 students in grades 6 through 12—the first phase of construction features a 2,500-square-foot black box experimental theater, dance studio, and chorus rooms as well as classroom and office space. The second phase will feature a proscenium theater that will connect to the building’s lobby. “The architecture is classical—it’s beautiful,” judges said. “The use of earth tones throughout the building and the stained concrete are timeless. There is a nice use of reflective lighting and daylighting.”

Belfast Area High School Fine Arts Wing - Robert Darby

WBRC Architects/Engineers, Bangor, ME, received an Honorable Mention Award for Belfast Area High School Fine Arts Wing, Belfast, ME. “They went above and beyond,” said Learning By Design judges about this building addition. “It was done under budget in only eight and a half months of work. It’s a classical school house vocabulary, but done with finesse and ingenuity.” The addition is a two-story facility that features a new band room complete with acoustical treatments and dedicated art studios. “The composition is great,” judges added. “There are very high ceilings in the art rooms and most windows provide a nice connection to the outdoors.”

Detroit School of Arts - Curt Clayton

Hamilton Anderson Associates, Detroit, MI, received an Honorable Mention Award for the Detroit School of Arts, Detroit, MI. Learning By Design judges called this educational facility “a very special place to go to school,” given the quality of the spaces inside. The six-story building does an outstanding job of “developing an urban model—the idea of a vertical campus,” judges said. The school, which serves 1,200 students in grades 9-12, features a top-floor media center and dining spaces that offer striking views of the city’s downtown skyline. The building also features an 800-seat auditorium, a 200-seat recital hall, as well as art studios and galleries.

Orange High School Media Center - Maguire Photographics

Fanning/Howey Associates, Inc., Dublin, OH, received an Honorable Mention Award for the Orange High School Media Center, Pepper Pike, OH. This renovation effectively answered an instructional need for the high school and reoriented the media center from an environment focused on books to one that is focused on technology. The renovation included the construction of two new classrooms and three new technology studios for online instruction and professional development. “They maintain a very open atmosphere with the use of low bookshelves,” Learning By Design judges noted. “And there are comfortable living room environments for students.”

Union High School - Janis Miglavs

LSW Architects, PC, Vancouver, WA, received an Honorable Mention Award for Union High School, Camas, WA. Learning By Design judges praised this design project for its ability to break down the scale the 1,600-student school into four small learning communities. Each community functions as an independent school and has its own administrator, student counselor, and at-risk coordinators. The school’s design supports the individuality of each small learning community and effectively ties them together through common areas. “Architecturally, this school is very well done and the proportions are good,” judges commented. “The entrance is demarcated by a clock tower—giving it a classic look.”

Zeeland Natatorium - Michael Collyer Photography

GMB Architects-Engineers, Holland, MI, received an Honorable Mention Award for Zeeland Natatorium, Zeeland, MI. This design project “achieved a higher standard in finishing quality than you often see,” judges said. “Plus, the lighting is done very well.” This new facility for the Zeeland Public Schools was designed to rival collegiate-level natatoriums and features a 10-lane competition pool, 16 practice lanes, one-meter and three-meter springboards, and competition and practice water polo areas. “It looks like a great place to compete and swim,” judges commented. “The informal spaces provide the opportunity to participate in what is going on in the building without actually being in the water.”