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AWARDS
a publication by the American Institute of Architects New York State
AIANYS
DESIGN EXCELSIOR AWARDS
2016
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ON THE COVER & ABOVE
WEISS/MANFREDI Architecture Novartis Visitor Reception - East Hanover, NJ Photo Credit: Albert Vecerka/Esto
The American Institute of Architects New York State has a longstanding tradition of honoring architects and celebrating their work. New York State architects are known worldwide for their creative designs, sculpting cityscapes, picturesque homes and enhancing the communities in which we live. The 2016 Design Awards showcased amazing projects from around the world. The jury scrutinized through hundreds of submissions, seemingly all deserving of recognition, to narrow it down to this year’s recipients. The jury was composed of Keith Moskow, FAIA, Moskow Linn Architects, Boston, MA; Georg Rafalidis, Assistant Professor, School of Architecture and Planning, University of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY; Mary Brush, FAIA, Brush Architects, Chicago, IL; Jim Kelly, CCIM, Board Member, New York State Commercial Association of Realtors, Classic American Real Estate Services, Fayetteville, NY; Chaired by Matthew Krissel, AIA, LEED AP, Kieran Timberlake, Philadelphia, PA. The 2016 edition of our Excelsior Awards saw some beautiful and diverse projects in scope and scale across the state to recognize the best in New York State’s public architecture. The jury was composed of Pamela Lester, FSLA, Landscape Architecture Consultants, Mt. Kisco, NY; Paul Scoville, AIA, founding Partner, CSArch, Albany, NY; David M. Rubin, Senior Advisor, Sano-Rubin Construction Services, LLC., Albany, NY; Darren Tracy, PE, Architectural Engineer, West Branch Engineering & Consulting, PLLC, Saratoga Springs, NY; and Chaired by Patrick J. Quinn, FAIA, FAAR, FRSA, Institute Professor Emeritus and former Dean, School of Architecture, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Rensselaer, NY. Thank you to all of those who submitted entries and to our distinguished assembly of jurors. We look forward to the 2017 programs, maintaining the tradition of design excellence here in New York State.
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DESIGN AWARDS 2
AIANYS 2016 DESIGN AWARDS JURY JURY MEMBERS
Keith Moskow, FAIA Moskow Linn Architects | Boston, MA
Georg Rafalidis Assistant Professor School of Architecture and Planning University of Buffalo | Buffalo, NY
Mary Brush, FAIA Brush Architects | Chicago, IL
Jim Kelly, CCIM, Board Member New York State Commercial Association of Realtors, Classic American Real Estate Services | Fayetteville, NY
JURY CHAIR
Matthew Krissel, AIA, LEED AP Kieran Timberlake | Philadelphia, PA
COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL SMALL BEST IN NEW YORK STATE AND AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
WEISS/MANFREDI Architecture Novartis Visitor Reception - East Hanover, NJ Photo Credit: Albert Vecerka/Esto
The Visitor Reception Building and Entrances are a key component of the transformation of Novartis’ North American Headquarters, presenting a dynamic new gateway to the campus. The building emerges from the earth and includes a sequence of reception, orientation, and gathering spaces for the campus.
campus’ perimeter fence to provide a secure, yet welcoming passage to receive guests.
A solar canopy at the parking area provides enough energy for the building to meet its ‘energy neutral’ production goal. A new legible gateway to the campus, the Visitor Reception embodies the spirit of technological innovation and sustainable vision of this innovative research institution.
This project manages to exceed all expectations. It poetically engages the landscape and is elegantly organized, environmentally performative, and rich with light and views. It is thoughtfully conceived and exceptionally well-executed. This is an award that is equally shared with the client and the contractor for their notable contributions to the project’s success.
Situated along the perimeter of the campus, the Visitor Reception provides a legible point of arrival, creating an interface where the certified LEED Gold building slips laterally into the
Jury Comments: This project is a beautiful example of how design can elevate a simple structure such as a campus gateway and reception area. The building and landscape work wonderfully together to create a clear and delightful experience for visitors alike.
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ADAPTIVE REUSE/HISTORIC PRESERVATION AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
AWARD OF MERIT
Apple Store, Upper East Side New York, NY Bohlin Cywinski Jackson New York, NY Architect CTS Group Architecture/Planning Chatham, NJ Restoration Architect Photo Credit: Peter Aaron/Etso
Carnegie Hall Studio Towers New York, NY Iu + Bibliowicz Architects, LLP New York, NY Architect Photo Credit: Jeff Goldberg/Etso
The Apple Store in the Upper East Side is an adaptive reuse of the U.S. Mortgage & Trust building at Madison Avenue and East 74th Street. The work involved four principal components: preservation and restoration of the exterior, reconstruction of historic finishes, sensitive alterations, including the creation of new spaces in the cellar to complete the retail experience and support store operations; and substantial upgrades to building services. Jury Comments: The design team excelled at balancing the historic richness of the original building with latent design opportunities, creating a composed and elevated retail experience fitting of the Apple brand.
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Carnegie Hall opened in 1891, containing three performance venues. The South and North Towers were added in 1894 and 1897. The entire structure is listed as New York City, New York State and National Historic Landmarks. The Carnegie Hall Studio Towers Renovation Project is 167,000 square feet centered on three goals: The renovation, reorganization, and repurposing of the non-performance venues at the national historic site. Jury Comments: This exceptionally complex project reflects a tight integration of architecture and engineering, creatively blending the historic magnificence of Carnegie Hall with the design aspirations and technological requirements of modern performing arts spaces.
ADAPTIVE REUSE/HISTORIC PRESERVATION CITATION FOR DESIGN
COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL LARGE AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Manhattan District 1/2/5 Garage & Spring Street Salt Shed New York, NY Dattner Architects / WXY Architecture + Urban Design New York, NY Architect Photo Credit: Albert Vecerka/Esto
The Met Breuer New York, NY Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners New York, NY Architect Photo Credit: Peter Aaron/Etso
Marcel Breuer’s iconic 1966 building – originally designed for the Whitney Museum – has been restored and transformed into a new home for The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s modern and contemporary art program. The building is bold and intimate at the same time, with an integrity, beauty, and honesty of design, materials, and execution that places it among the most distinguished mid-century modern buildings in New York. Jury Comments: The importance of the seamless integration of graceful material interventions into this brutalist structure is immeasurable. Leading by example, the design team demonstrated how to thoughtfully modify notable design through measured intervention and material restoration.
On the north side of Spring Street, the new multistory garage accommodates parking for 150 sanitation vehicles, and facilities for vehicle wash, maintenance, repair and fueling. A safe, dignified working environment is provided for 250 DSNY workers, who have offices, locker rooms, training and lunch rooms in the facility. On the south side, a new Salt Shed houses 5,000 tons of road salt in a fully enclosed building. Rising nearly 70 feet tall, the cast-in-place architectural concrete Shed acts as a counterpoint to the diaphanous, scrim-like façade of the Garage. The Shed’s crystalline, faceted planes enliven this highly-visible structure, creating a sculptural landmark in the neighborhood. Jury Comments: This holistically developed project successfully utilized design constraints as generative opportunities. The project was thoughtful and well-considered from inception to execution, demonstrating why great design can and should flourish in places of utility and purpose.
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COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL LARGE CITATION FOR DESIGN
Boontheshop Seoul, South Korea Peter Marino Architect New York, NY Architect Haeahn Architecture Seoul South Korea Associate Architect Photo Credit: Yunsuk Shim
Gangnam-gu is the 55,000sf flagship building location for BOONTHESHOP, a multi-brand specialty store located in Seoul’s luxury district. The site is located in a dense urban area towards the top of a hillside with a primary approach from the North leading up a steep grade along a narrow street. Sharply inclined access from the West and South along with a precipitous downgrade approach from the East creates a site with a dynamic frontage allowing many opportunities for axial views to and from the site. Jury Comments: The striking sculptural form creates a beacon in a dense urban environment. The white exterior contrasts with the dark interior, heightening the building’s experiential qualities.
CITATION FOR DESIGN
34 Street - Hudson Yards Station, New York, NY Dattner Architects New York, NY Architect Photo Credit: David Sundberg/Esto
This first extension and new station added to the New York City subway system in the past 25 years is already having a transformative impact on New York City and how people view rail transit facilities. The glass canopied main station entrance is integrated into Hudson Park, and focalizes this new public open space that will serve Hudson Yards as well as the Javits Convention Center, the High Line and Hudson River Park. The extension has spurred significant investment in mixed-use office, residential and entertainment development (more than 50 million square feet is planned) in what was an under-utilized area of the West Side. The 34 Street-Hudson Yards Station exemplifies how modern transit facilities can be functional, aesthetically pleasing and integrated into the fabric of the communities that they serve. Jury Comments: This project manages to bring clarity and vitality to an inherently complex mix of below-grade transit and circulation. A smart and accomplished addition, the station should have a positive impact to its growing neighborhood.
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COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL SMALL
INSTITUTIONAL
CITATION FOR DESIGN
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Calvin Klein Shenyang, China SPAN Architecture New York, NY Architect Photo Credit: Red Dog Studio
Bilkent Erzurum Laboratory School Erzurum, Turkey FXFOWLE Architects New York, NY Architect Photo Credit: Thomas Mayer
The design concept with a reverence for the original architectural intents of the Calvin Klein Collection stores, that architecture expressed a luxury that was at once discreet and sensual. Calvin Klein Collection has developed a serene and prismatic vocabulary of signature elements: niches, case goods, and lighting that are immediately identifiable with the brand.
Conceived as two entwined “ribbons” of enclosed walks, the new addition for Bilkent Erzurum Laboratory School (BELS) connects to an existing Upper School campus, its geometry, and the surrounding natural topography. Located on a high desert plain on the outskirts of Erzurum, in Eastern Turkey, the 70,000-square-foot Lower School provides elementary and middle school learning spaces, a library, outdoor recreational spaces, and a shared cafeteria.
The design strategy was a new spatial element in the form of a “salon” that acts as both bridge and filter between the programmatic elements of the store. Secondly, the merging of many of the original “details” and elements into a series of “regulating lines” that are both iconic and flexible. Jury Comments: The refined architecture amplifies the Calvin Klein brand through form, proportions, and materiality, all of which work together to create an arresting atmosphere.
Jury Comments: This project not only enriches the school and surrounding community, but also represents the commitment that we as architects share to improve our world through exceptional design. The use of natural light, the broad yet safely embraced open spaces, the clear circulation, and the overall design all further the school’s mission of free, high quality education in an underserved area of Turkey.
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INSTITUTIONAL AWARD OF MERIT
Mu Xin Art Museum Wuzhen, China OLI Architecture PLLC New York, NY Design Architect Suzhou Huazao Architectural Design Co., Ltd Suzhou, China Architect of Record Photo Credit: Shen Zhonghai
Located in the historic scenic water town of Wuzhen in northern Zhejiang Province, the art museum is dedicated to the renowned hometown artist/writer Mu Xin. The design was an effort to mirror the personal life and philosophy of Mu Xin. The galleries in the museum are dimly lit with only the exhibits highlighted. The overall dark environment mirrors what Mu Xin’s own house was like, which was very dark, with all the shutters and curtains usually drawn. The museum itself reveals a story about the artist formed by the experience of traversing the museum, presenting the visitor a one on one relationship with Mu Xin’s life and work. Jury Comments: The massing scales the building while also situating it wonderfully within the landscape, heightening the experience of arrival and passage. The concrete work is elegant and purposeful in grounding the building in its context.
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CITATION FOR DESIGN
U.S. Air Force Academy Center for Character & Leadership Development Colorado Springs, CO Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Chicago, IL Architect Photo Credit: Magda Biernat
The Center would be housed in a new building envisioned as a reason-based counterpoint to the Academy’s iconic chapel. Presented with a unique opportunity to revisit one of its most significant projects fifty years later, the architect was asked to design a new building that defers to the chapel and works within the discipline of the Academy’s planning grid while also asserting itself within the campus. By aligning this new nexus for community and collaboration under the North Star, Polaris, the architect’s CCLD design successfully creates a meaningful architectural interpretation of the Academy’s aspirations. Jury Comments: This project manages to bring clarity and vitality to an inherently complex mix of below-grade transit and circulation. A smart and accomplished addition, the station should have a positive impact to its growing neighborhood.
INSTITUTIONAL CITATION FOR DESIGN
CITATION FOR DESIGN
Dwight-Englewood Hajjar STEM Center Englewood, NJ Gensler New York, NY Architect Photo Credit: Paul Rivera Photography
Marshall Family Performing Arts Center Addison, TX WEISS/MANFREDI Architecture New York, NY Architect Page Southland Page, Inc. Houston, TX Associate Architect Photo Credit: Albert Vecerka/Esto
The facility is home to high school-level science, technology, engineering and math departments, and expresses the school’s mission and innovative STEM curriculum. The site’s sloped grade, heavily wooded surroundings, and existing architecture provided challenges for the design team. The design needed to be sensitive to the campus context, while also expressing the unique learning experience that happens within. In one instance, diagonal cross bracing remains exposed to provide a lesson in structural engineering. The classroom design eliminates traditional divisions between teacher and student; instead, movable furniture, audio-visual capabilities, and writable surfaces encourage students to “hack” the space and own the learning process. Graphics of innovative moments throughout history inspire students to keep pushing boundaries, asking questions, and expanding their knowledge to one day develop their own STEM breakthroughs. Jury Comments: The building is beautifully organized and the interior qualities craft a positive environment for learning. The massing and its materials situate the project respectfully within the landscape.
The building’s configuration creates a sequence of spaces that shape an outdoor courtyard and frame views out to the existing campus. Designed to be an ascending gallery of collaborative spaces, the lobby connects all the performance venues and creates a destination for informal performances and spontaneous interactions. The performance spaces occupy two levels of the building and include a 600-seat proscenium theater, a state-of-the-art studio theater, a dance rehearsal and choral space, a film/video lab, and extensive theater support space. The multi-purpose proscenium theater includes a fly loft, the studio theater seats 150, the dance and choral rehearsal studio seats 80. Learning environments include theater spaces as well as in classrooms, dressing rooms, a costume shop, and a scene shop. Jury Comments: The successful integration of the site topography with the interior organization results in an outstanding spatial complexity.
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INSTITUTIONAL
INTERIORS
CITATION FOR DESIGN
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
East Harlem Center for Living and Learning New York, NY Perkins Eastman Architects New York, NY Architect Photo Credit: Paul Rivera Photography
Van Alen Institute New York, NY Collective-LOK New York, NY Architect Photo Credit: Cameron Blaylock
East Harlem Center for Living and Learning comprises DREAM Charter School, a community-based public charter school serving grades K-8; Yomo Toro Apartments, environmentally friendly affordable housing units; office space for Harlem RBI, a nonprofit organization; spaces for community use; and a revitalized Blake Hobbs Park at the school’s front door.
The new street-level home of Van Alen Institute is designed to be many things at once. The result of an architectural competition held in 2013, the space provides curatorial flexibility for a breadth of public programming including exhibitions, lectures, reading groups, and book launches, as well as a comfortable and efficient office environment for modes of work ranging from formal to casual. The design employs a series of screening elements to order these spatial, curatorial, and temporal scenarios through a subtle interplay of surfaces that creates a complex and ambiguous presence in the city.
Sited within the George Washington Houses complex in East Harlem, the new building re-energizes the streetscape. By orienting light-filled, open spaces toward the street, reviving the local park, opening up many of the facilities for use by the community, and making the school’s ideals visible and identifiable to passersby, the new mixed-use serves the building for the students, the residents, and the community. Jury Comments: This project represents a thoughtful solution, integrating affordable housing directly into a school environment and serving as an excellent example of how smart design can elevate a modest project beyond its initial expectations.
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The structure is a powerful spatial platform for cultural and curatorial scenarios that can become uniquely identified with the Van Alen and its public mission. Jury Comments: Faced with a challenging spatial proportion, the design team successfully executed their concept in order to realize incredible spatial richness capable of expanding and contracting over time to meet evolving needs.
INTERIORS AWARD OF MERIT
Photographer’s Loft New York, NY Desai Chia Architecture PC New York, NY Architect Photo Credit: Paul Warchol Photography
This loft was designed for a photographer who was seeking a serene live-work environment. The industrial space was a fully renovated designed to be a home that would serve as a work space and gallery for her photography while also providing spaces for entertaining with friends. A library/reception area immediately off of the entry vestibule allows her to meet with gallerists, present her work, and have her collection of research materials on hand for discussion. Jury Comments: Containing exquisite composition and execution of details, this project has a wonderful flow and sense of light, while also implementing a refined use of material and furnishings.
CITATION FOR DESIGN
Apartment of Perfect Brightness Beijing, China asap/adam sokol architecture practice Buffalo, NY Architect Photo Credit: Johnathan Leijonhufvud Photography
Beginning with the owner’s vision for a home with abundant natural light, the name of this project was adapted from that of a famous Beijing garden. The idea of “perfect brightness” was explored architecturally: beginning with research into the psychological effects of different qualities and colors of daylight, a system was developed whereby ambient lighting could change from warm to cool white. The light is “concentrated” at the center of two twisting, shell-shaped feature walls, drawing visitors in from the entry. This creates a suitable environment to display an art collection; all interior walls would be clad in folding wood doors, that would essentially make them all transformable, leaving only a simple space forming a serene, museum-like backdrop for the artworks. Jury Comments: This project is well-detailed, and the concept of organizing an apartment according to distinct lighting qualities is well-executed. The apartment also uses a clever poche space strategy in order to create a dynamic layering of surface and light.
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RESIDENTIAL LARGE AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
AWARD OF MERIT
Pound Ridge House Pound Ridge, NY KieranTimberlake Philadelphia, PA Architect Photo Credit: Peter Aaron/OTTO
Underhill Matinecock, NY Bates Masi + Architects East Hampton, NY Architect Photo Credit: Michael Moran Photography, Inc.
This is a dwelling built to exist in, with, and about nature, seeking both an ethic and aesthetic of environmental responsibility. The site is a south-facing, boulder-strewn escarpment that rises over one hundred feet from a wetland to the top of a ridge. After the owners requested “a house in the woods, of the woods,” the grounds were explored and two naturally-outlined “rooms” discovered. The outlined spaces consisted of two clearings amongst a series of glacier-formed boulders that sit just beneath the ridge, and are separated by a small ravine carrying water to the wetland below. Thus the form and function of the land wrote the design for a two-piece residence connected by a glass bridge.
This house is broken into a series of modest gabled structures, each one focused inward on its own garden courtyard instead of out to the surrounding neighbors. The simplicity of each courtyard distills the experience of nature, encouraging one to appreciate its subtleties. Every interior space is connected to the exterior on two sides. The layering of spaces from exterior to interior to courtyard collapses the boundaries between them and from selected vantage points, one may see across multiple spaces and courtyards to framed views beyond.
Jury Comments: The spatial and material interplay of the house and the natural landscape is holistic in its design, pensive in its respect for place, and exceptionally well-executed.
Jury Comments: Rich with explicit and implicit meaning, this home is beautifully detailed. Every facet of the landscape and the structure are designed and built with deep consideration.
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The Quaker values of simplicity and craft tie the new home to the community.
RESIDENTIAL LARGE CITATION FOR DESIGN
CITATION FOR DESIGN
Astrid Hill House Singapore Tsao & McKown Architects, P.C Brooklyn, NY Architect Metaphor Design + Architecture Singapore Associate Architect Photo Credit: Richard Bryant
The Shore House North Haven, NY Leroy Street Studio New York, NY Architect Photo Credit: Scott Frances
Located on a steeply sloped site in a suburban area of tropical Singapore, this is a house for a multigenerational ethnic Chinese family who desired that their dream house be an exemplary model of sustainable design. As part of the National University of Singapore’s architecture curriculum, the University’s students monitor the house’s environmental performance and study the integration of passive and active design technologies. Jury Comments: The building makes the most of the steep topography, using it to inform the organization of the house and its massing. The resulting structure creates an intriguing compositional and spatial interaction between architecture and landscape.
Located at the juncture where a forest opens onto the bay, the Shore House was designed to capture both the intimacy of the wooded site and the expansiveness of the open water. Upon approach, a cedar facade and planted roof obscure the house. A cut in the earth offers entry to the house followed by a sequence of interior and exterior spaces that slowly open to sweeping views of the bay. By taking on the roles of both the builder and interior designer, the architects were able to engage the design process from inception through fabrication and construction and were better positioned to integrate the nuances of the site and program into the final design. Jury Comments: The landscape’s features are well-utilized and generative in their flow and organization. The wonderful detailing and materiality are refined and effortlessly integrated into the project.
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RESIDENTIAL MULTI-FAMILY AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
AWARD OF MERIT
One John Street Brooklyn, NY Alloy Design LLP Brooklyn, NY Architect Photo Credit: Pavel Bendov DUMBO Townhouses Brooklyn, NY Alloy Design LLP Brooklyn, NY Architect Photo Credit: Cameron Blaylock
The DUMBO Townhouses involved the demolition of an existing one story warehouse located in the DUMBO Historic Section of Brooklyn and the new construction of 5 single family townhouses. Across from a newly designated public park, the building envelope is made up of a series of high performance ductal concrete panels that provide shading and privacy for the residents. A shared drive with parking spaces for each typical townhouse is carefully placed behind the garden level at grade. Each unit has a raised private entrance at the ground floor clad with ipe wood and bronze coated aluminum panels softening the entry experience in contrast to the precast concrete panels above. Jury Comments: This project convinces on so many different levels: the successful scale and massing integrating into the urban fabric; the filling of the street corner; the public, serene, urban expression towards the city; the clever entry solution with integrated parking for inhabitants; and the experimental use of concrete in the façade system. The controlled manner of integrating these aspects is highly appreciated.
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One John Street is situated entirely within Brooklyn Bridge Park. The building’s design of a simple mass is consistent with the warehouses of DUMBO while the materiality is reminiscent of the masonry and glass daylight factories of DUMBO’s past. Every apartment layout is designed to capitalize on the exceptional views offered by the site. Unlike most development sites, a careful analysis of the view corridors yielded an unusual outcome: the views at the bottom are equal, if not better, then those at the top. The handmade Peterson brick from Denmark on the façade protects the interiors from these site conditions at the upper floors, while on the lower floors bigger windows afford broader views to the water and Park. Glass surrounds the ground floor opening where the residential lobby, a retail component and an annex to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum exist. Jury Comments: Using material and massing simplicity, this project excelled at democratizing light and view from the bottom to the top.
RESIDENTIAL MULTI-FAMILY CITATION FOR DESIGN
RESIDENTIAL SMALL AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
500 West 21st Street New York, NY Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates New York, NY Architect Photo Credit: Raimund Kock
Situated along the High Line and across the street from the landmarked General Theological Seminary and the Church of the Guardian Angel, this luxury 8-story residential building respects its context with both its scale and the refined character of its façades. The industrial character and history of the neighborhood is reflected in the layered, gridded aesthetic of the façades, which pays homage to the metalwork of the High Line and the steel windows of the Meatpacking District. The different faces of the building relate uniquely to their respective context with the side facing 10th Avenue more formal and symmetrical and the side facing the High Line more picturesque and relaxed. The project’s carefully-crafted façades are a refined interpretation of the district’s warehouse aesthetic, rendered in limestone, metal, and glass. Jury Comments: A wonderful blend of neighborhood contexts reimagined in a modern way, this project includes a thoughtful relationship to the High Line as well to the street below.
Tiny House East Hampton, New York Deborah Berke Partners New York, NY Architect Photo Credit: Jason Schmidt
Two new structures on a vacant lot north of an East Hampton Compound: an intimate indoor space to write and reflect and an expansive outdoor space to gather family and friends. A small and flexible 250-square-foot house, set in a garden. Inside, a small entry vestibule doubles as a wet bar and segues into the structure’s primary space, a 10’ x 13’ sitting room and office. Oversize sliding windows open the space to long southern and western views while clerestory openings to the north and east bring in indirect and morning light. The room’s exposed ceiling joists extend westward to frame a brise soleil which shades an outdoor deck, emphasizing the study’s connection to the broader landscape of the site. Jury Comments: This modest home excels in extending the living space to the outdoors, an idea that is beautifully conceived and implemented.
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RESIDENTIAL SMALL
SOLE PRACTITIONER
AWARD OF MERIT
CITATION FOR DESIGN
Westport Pool House Westport, CT SPAN Architecture New York, NY Architect Photo Credit: François Dischinger
Upper West Side Apartment New York, NY Stadt Architecture New York, NY Architect Photo Credit: Ben Andersen
The landscape includes multiple pools and a pool house constructed to provide alternate exterior living areas to the Connecticut residence.
The Upper West Side Apartment is a renovation of a 1970s condo conversion for a young professional. Before the renovation, the apartment’s three distinct levels were disjunctive and forlorn. We sought to establish a common visual language, through materials and detailing, to reinforce the continuity between the three levels. Bespoke walnut flooring and paneling weaves and unites the three floors, while bright white cabinetry provides a counterpoint to the existing brick walls.
Drawing on material cues from the existing context, the pool house is conceived of a fragmented stone wall which forms the foundation for a series of long cedar pergola beams. The stone walls reference the materiality of the existing stone house and rubble landscape walls bounding the property. An interior/exterior series of spaces of which only the changing room, bath and sitting room are weatherized, makes up the frame. The sitting room is a transformable space capable of being enclosed or fully opened to the exterior through a series of sliding wood and glass walls. Jury Comments: This project is an artfully composed sequence of structure and landscape that works skillfully with material, light, and views. It is beautifully designed and crafted.
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Jury Comments: This smart and well-proportioned small project creates spatial richness with a well-executed expanded loft space.
UNBUILT GENERAL
UNBUILT YOUNG
CITATION FOR DESIGN
CITATION FOR DESIGN
Choice School Thiruvalla, India CetraRuddy Architecture DPC New York, NY Architect Kumar Group Kerala, India Executive Architect Photo Credit: CetraRuddy Architecture
High Living Mumbai, India Dioinno Architecture PLLC Buffalo, NY Architect Photo Credit: Jin Young Song
The new educational community, the Choice School, reimagines school architecture in India, creating a prototype that will help revitalize rural communities and empower future generations of children. The Choice School creates an environment that is inspiring and encourages families and children to take an active role in their education, by providing an academic hub that reflects the community’s culture, heritage and geography. The new Choice School fuses cultural and geographic elements with modern sustainable technologies and practices. The prototype’s design relies on local construction, building techniques and materials to keep costs low and the facilities durable and resilient. Its modular design will allow the Choice School to build additional campuses that easily adapt to varying sites and local programmatic differences while maintaining the core principles and functions of the Choice School.
The extreme density in Dharavi Slum is the unique locality and dynamic energy as a part of greater Mumbai urban dynamics, and the other is the cause of disaster in public health, safety and well-being. The lack of infrastructure, complicated ownership, illegal settlement and poverty make many conventional redevelopment efforts a dream. Responding to this problem, the High Living prefabricated towers can provide a radical but realistic cure. The phasing strategy starts from minimal area to gradually gain open spaces on the ground and provide quality living and working space in the tower. Jury Comments: This hybrid between a top-down designed superstructure and a bottom-up DIY approach was very intriguing. The design provokes the idea that a structure can create an elevated landscape typology in dense urban conditions.
Jury Comments: The design concept creates a multi-layered, inhabitable envelope that generates additional, well-considered, unique spaces for the school. The artful play of color and texture creates a welcoming educational environment.
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FOR PUBLIC ARCHITECTURE
EXCELSIOR AWARDS 18
AIANYS 2016 EXCELSIOR AWARDS JURY JURY MEMBERS
Pamela Lester FSLA, Principal, Landscape Architecture Consultants, Mt. Kisco, NY Paul Scoville, AIA, Architect, founding Partner, CSArch, Albany, NY David M. Rubin, Senior Advisor, former President, Sano-Rubin Construction Services, LLC, Albany, NY Darren Tracy, PE, Architectural Engineer, Principal, West Branch Engineering & Consulting, PLLC, Saratoga Springs, NY
JURY CHAIR
Patrick J. Quinn, FAIA, FAAR, FRSA Institute Professor Emeritus & former Dean School of Architecture, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
RENOVATION / ADDITION
NEW CONSTRUCTION
HIGH HONOR AWARD
HIGH HONOR AWARD
Carnegie Hall Studio Towers Renovation Project New York, NY Iu + Bibliowicz Architects, LLP, Architect New York, NY Cosentini Associates, MEP Engineers New York, NY Robert Silman Associates, Structural Engineer New York, NY CCI, Code Consultants Professional Engineers New York, NY Joseph R. Loring & Associates, INC, Commissioning Engineers New York, NY Photo Credit: Jeff Goldberg/ESTO
Fordham School of Law and McKeon Residence Hall New York, NY Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, Architect New York, NY WSP Cantor Seinuk, Structural Engineer New York, NY Cosentini Associates, Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing New York, NY AKRF Environmental & Planning Consultants, Inc., Environmental Engineer New York, NY Langan Engineering & Environmental Services, Civil Engineer New York, NY Gotham Construction, Constructor New York, NY Photo Credit: Paul Warchol Photography
The Carnegie Hall Studio Towers Renovation Project (167,000 square feet) centered on three goals: the renovation, reorganization, and repurposing of the non-performance venues at the historic site listed as New York City, New York State, and National Historic Landmarks. The 7-year project encompassed the creation of a Music Education Wing, expanded backstage space and functionality, new roof terrace, consolidation of administrative offices, and façade lighting to showcase the landmark. Substantial interior structural modifications and infrastructure upgrades set the stage for state-of-the-art advances. A new Music Education Wing, consisting of 24 acoustically superlative music rooms ranging from ensemble-sized to individual practice rooms, an enlarged and improved backstage areas and new ADA compliant dressing rooms. A new landscaped roof terrace made possible by reinforcement to existing steel trusses underneath and the Carnegie steel trusses from the 1891 Mansard roof were exposed. The exterior lighting of the landmark structure uses proprietary 2700K white LEDs with strategic penetrations and mounting supports on a restored façade of brick, terracotta, limestone, and painted metal completed the transformation. The project was awarded LEED Silver Certification. It is one of the oldest and most notable buildings in the country with such a distinction. Jury Comments: The renovations to Carnegie Hall improve and expand the exquisite spaces and functions of this outstanding institution. The renovated spaces are well appointed for their intended function – studio and teaching space, and the addition of the landscaped roof terrace. A wonderful solution to an extraordinarily complex problem of inserting a broad range of new uses into the existing fabric of an historic urban landmark building. This solution displayed sensitivity and consistent excellence at all levels: aesthetic, technological, furnishing, finishes, circulation, landscape. A truly a spectacular project.
Occupying an exceptional site just south of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, this is the first project of Fordham’s ambitious 24year master plan to transform its Lincoln Center campus. Setting the tone for future vertical expansion, the new 22-story Fordham School of Law and McKeon Residence Hall is clad in a curtain wall of architectural precast panels, metal, and glass, shaped with a series of undulating arcs providing a distinctive identity for the law school. The building forms a new northern boundary to Fordham’s Robert Moses Plaza with three distinct scales: a one-story dining pavilion opening onto the Plaza’s central green; the nine-story School of Law, whose gently curved surface frames the Plaza; and the taller but quieter slender convex form of the McKeon Residence Hall, which houses 430 undergraduates. The 468,000-square-foot building features a skylit atrium, a moot and trial court facility, and a 90,000-volume law library. The residence hall includes five integrated learning center suites, a dance studio, entertainment rooms, and a dining hall. Designed for LEED Silver certification, the building’s energy-efficiency will exceed the campus-wide goal of reducing the University’s carbon footprint by 30 percent by 2017. The roof is planted with sedum and maintained with drip irrigation. Building materials include recycled content, regional materials, and certified wood. Optimized energy performance, enhanced commissioning, and the use of low-E coating to reduce heat gain ensure optimal comfort for occupants while improving the performance of the building. Jury Comments: Spectacular design that incorporates and reflects the Lincoln Center identity and shows the Law school civic/public purpose. The new building provided a lovely juxtaposition of space and form and relating it to its surrounding context – Lincoln Center and Robert Moses Plaza. The interior has an interesting plan where it varies from floor to floor with a serene design character throughout. A potential icon for this urban campus.
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RENOVATION / ADDITION
NEW CONSTRUCTION
HONOR AWARD
HONOR AWARD
Fitzelle Hall Rehabilitation and Additions Oneonta, NY architecture+, Architect Troy, NY Ryan Biggs Associates, PC, Structural Engineer Clifton Park, NY Sage Engineering Associates, LLP, Mechanical & Electrical Engineer Albany, NY Watts Architecture & Engineering, PC, Plumbing Engineer Buffalo, NY Clark Engineering & Surveying, PC, Site/Civil Engineer New Lebanon, NY Crista Construction, LLC, Constructor Binghamton, NY Photo Credit: Matt Wargo
No. 7 Subway Line Extension New York, NY Dattner Architects, Lead Architect New York, NY WSP/ Parsons Brinckerhoff, Engineer of Record New York, NY Hill International, Consultant Construction Manager New York, NY HDR, Consultant Construction Manager New York, NY The LiRo Group, Consultant Construction Manager New York, NY Photo Credit: Steven Dorneles
The goal of this project was the integration of professors and students for six academic departments with the greater campus community by providing visual connectivity, light-filled circulation, and abundant spaces for collaboration. The rehabilitation includes two additions, reconfiguration of departmental offices and instructional spaces, replacement of building interiors, and new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. The design team provided full planning, design, and construction administration services for this $27 million, 104,000 square foot rehabilitation. Through a comprehensive space planning and programming effort, nine academic departments and sub-departments, in cooperation with the Office of the Registrar, determine the appropriate size of the building additions and location of each academic department. This cooperative planning effort with over sixteen user groups enabled each academic department housed in the building to share common resources and effectively utilize the entire building together. The reconfigured building shapes and reinforces the re-designed main academic mall of the campus and provides a handicapped accessible pedestrian route from the student union to the main campus through a pedestrian bridge, a sky-lit atrium, and a glass covered walkway that connects to an adjacent lecture hall. Fitzelle Hall is the first building on the campus to be renovated to meet LEED Silver standards. The resulting building is 30,000 square feet larger while using 20 percent less energy. The design of Fitzelle Hall respectively integrates the historic 1960’s architecture of the original building while providing a fresh, engaging public face for both the building and the greater campus. Jury Comments: A well-conceived additions and renovations project to create a welcoming, appropriately-scaled building which fits well into the sloping topography of the campus using 100% public funding. Especially attractive circulation and community / lounge spaces. Despite the tricky integration of 1960’s classroom building with two new structures, there is increased openness, generous use of natural light and ease of handicapped access, as well as integration of six departmental programs with shared spaces. Resulted in a reduction in energy consumption, conformance to LEED silver, despite 30,000 additional sq. ft.
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The 1.5 mile No. 7 Subway Line Extension, featuring the majestic 34 Street-Hudson Yards Station, will be the transit backbone of the vibrant new Hudson Yards neighborhood under construction on Midtown Manhattan’s West Side. The first extension and station added to the New York City subway system in the past 25 years is already having a transformative impact on New York City and how people view rail transit facilities. Situated in the heart of the area, the new station was a well-orchestrated collaboration among MTA Capital Construction, the design team, and several other contributors to create a dazzling public amenity that will serve the city for generations to come. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority and New York City worked together to realize the project, rezoning the area to permit 50 million square feet of mixed-use office, residential and entertainment development and challenged the design team to knit subway facilities and buildings seamlessly with other Hudson Yards infrastructure improvements. Glass canopied station entrances are integrated into Hudson Park and focalize this new public open space that will serve Hudson Yards, Javits Convention Center, and the High Line. The Station’s main entrance leads to the upper mezzanine fare zone and is graced with brilliant public art and abundant natural light, and incorporated throughout the station, material choices and color palettes capitalize on indirect lighting to produce glowing architectural form. The 34 Street-Hudson Yards Station exemplifies how modern transit facilities can be functional, aesthetically pleasing and integrated into the fabric of the communities they serve. The $2.4 billion extension, completed under budget, has spurred significant investment in what was an under-utilized area of the West Side. Jury Comments: A wonderful job of tying an underground structure (the subway) with the outside world. This project is more than a subway entrance it is a visual experience creating a bright, light, and airy aura to the underground. Incorporating two small parks at the entrance is a wonderful nuance. The spaciousness, grace and elegance of form and décor create a refreshing change from the dullness of most subway entrances.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION
NEW CONSTRUCTION
HONOR AWARD
HONOR AWARD
C. Fred Johnson Carousel Building Johnson City, NY Delta Engineers, Architects, & Land Surveyors, Architect/Engineer of Record Endwell, NY ICS Builders, Inc., Constructor New York, NY J. Orlando & Son Contracting, Constructor Endicott, NY Nelcorp Electrical Contracting, Electrical Construction Endwell, NY Photo Credit: Delta Engineers, Architects, & Land Surveyors
Upstate Cancer Center Syracuse, NY EwingCole, Architect New York, NY The Pike Company, Constructor Syracuse, NY Photo Credit: Halkin/Mason Photography, LLC
In 1923, turn-of-the-century industrialist and benefactor George F. Johnson commissioned the construction of the C. Fred Johnson Park in the Village of Johnson City, NY. Included in the park amenities was a four-abreast, 72-horse carousel from the Allan Herschell Company. This carousel is one of the largest all-wood carousels in existence and is a local landmark that echoes the region’s rich industrial heritage. The building and carousel are completely original and remain in operation today for unlimited in-season use by the public, free of charge. In 2008, Johnson City received a grant from New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (NYSOPRHP) to rehabilitate the carousel building and site amenities. One of the challenges faced by the design team was the complete absence of existing design or construction information for the original building. There was no architect, engineer, or contractor of record for the project. The significance of this and the other five remaining carousels in the Southern Tier as bridges from a rich history of industrial prosperity to an equally bright future cannot be overstated. This project stands as an innovative model for the rehabilitation of the remaining carousels in the area. Jury Comments: Thorough, intricate and conscientious preservation and restoration work which has ensured the survival of an important community cultural and recreational resource to next generations. Helpful was a well-documented set of architectural and engineering drawings to restore and preserve the carousel’s structure for future generations.
Upstate Cancer Center serves as the new gateway to the University and Hospital. The building connects on two floors to the main hospital building, and will connect via third floor skywalk to a planned ambulatory care building across the street. The Center takes advantage of its location at a prominent Syracuse corner to create a three-story atrium which connects all major circulation routes and brings daylight indoors. The patient experience was the touchstone for every decision, to create a comforting and encouraging experience at every moment in a visit - from arrival to check-in, waiting, consultation, treatment, scheduling and other activities. Visual landmarks such as artwork, fireplaces, and exterior views create natural orientation markers for ease of patient flow. The center infuses nature into every aspect of its design, from its modern exterior, to the use of sustainable and eco-friendly materials meant to conserve energy. Throughout the facility, patients are immersed in natural light and have views of roof gardens and landscape. Even within radiation therapy, skylights exist between the concrete radiation vaults which are typically confined and dark spaces. Upstate’s cancer-treatment specialists and technology were previously scattered throughout the campus in four or five different buildings, a major priority was to have them reside in the same location. This center now contains most of Upstate’s outpatient cancer services in a setting that promotes healing and gives the healthcare team some of the most advanced cancer-fighting technology available. Jury Comments: A fabulous addition to the Upstate Medical Campus. A high intensity program that is not only well executed it is then located within a very tight site while still providing a sense of tranquility by providing outdoor amenities. The exterior is attractive with welcoming, beautifully designed interior spaces and the roof garden adds serenity to the patient experience. The consolidation of cancer treatment services is highly commendable.
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NEW CONSTRUCTION HONOR AWARD
Maritime Academic Center Bronx, NY EYP Inc., Architect & MEP Engineering New York, NY Ysrael A. Seinuk P.C., Structural Engineering Woodbridge, NJ McClaren Engineering, Civil Engineering West Nyack, NY J. KokolakisContracting, Inc., Constructor Bronx, NY Photo Credit: Jeff Goldberg/ESTO The 41,500 sf Maritime Academic Center at SUNY Maritime College consists of 13 classrooms, two suites of faculty offices, and a large multi-purpose room that can be subdivided into three additional classrooms. The site takes advantage of the view of the East River and the Manhattan skyline. This was accomplished by making the building transparent where possible and by providing both interior and exterior public spaces at the water’s edge. Also, the multi-purpose space operates independently from the rest of the building without it feeling like a separate building. Because it is used both for events and scheduled classes, it needed to be both removed from and integrated into the main building. Another major consideration driving the building’s form and placement was the site’s strong winds. The building’s form was sculpted so it is minimally impacted by the winter winds, but can take full advantage of the summer winds for natural ventilation. Operable windows serve all the spaces in the building, including the atrium, where they are automated. The project has become the new center for campus academics and significantly updated the College’s identity without losing sight of its values. The building is expected achieve LEED Gold Certification. Jury Comments: One of the most intriguing buildings; it has power and elegance both, where it achieved the “fort-like” feel, paying homage to the history of the site. The stone rainscreen is appropriate and well scaled, and the environmental response on a tight site is commendable. The exceptional structure is well integrated with its surroundings and reflective of its historic context; the perfect design fit in context of the historic Fort Schuyler and the view of the East River. Commanding and exception, a wonderful site.
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RENOVATION/ADDITION HONOR AWARD
The Bronxville School Auditorium Bronxville, NY KG+D Architects, PC, Architect Mount Kisco, NY Park East Construction, Construction Manager South Huntington, NY Damiano Barile Engineers, PC, MEP Engineers White Plains, NY The DiSalvo Engineering Group, Structural Engineer Danbury, CT Photo Credit: David Lamb Photography Originally built in 1922, the Bronxville School auditorium was urgently in need of reconfiguration and restoration. In spite of ongoing work to maintain the facility, by 2012 the auditorium was in a state of disrepair with missing seats, poor lighting, improper sightlines, and a non-functional balcony that was no longer in use. Additionally, a 1960’s renovation created a false proscenium over the original and closed in the tall windows on both sides of the auditorium. As a result, the renovated proscenium swallowed performance sound and the lack of natural light reduced the auditorium’s flexibility. The design team was tasked with restoring the beauty and functionality of the original auditorium while incorporating 21st Century elements to create a multi-use space for the Bronxville community. The project goals included maximizing seating capacity and performance space, improving sightlines and the overall acoustics of the space and creating a separate space for public access. The design team included theater, audio/visual and acoustic specialists who worked together to achieve an efficient, high performance auditorium which would provide an excellent space for the school and the community. Jury Comments: A sensitive renovation and expansion of an important community resource; the new work is beautifully designed to seamlessly integrate into the existing building and modernize acoustic treatment and performance. The audience elements also lobby addition which fit like a glove and improved traffic flow/entry. A wonderful restoration and expansion of the auditorium’s entry without overpowering the main entry to the school. A great addition to the school and community.
NEW CONSTRUCTION
NEW CONSTRUCTION
HONOR AWARD
HONOR AWARD
New Science & Technology Center Fredonia, NY Mitchell|Giurgola Architects, LLP, Architect New York, NY Ysrael A. Seinuk, PC, Structural Engineer New York, NY ME Engineering, PC, MEP/FP Engineering Rochester, NY Watts Architecture and Engineering, PC, Site/Civil Engineering Buffalo, NY McMahon and Mann Consulting Engineers, Geotechnical Engineering Buffalo, NY The Pike Company, Constructor Rochester, NY Photo Credit: Jeff Goldberg/ESTO
The Wild Center-Bio Building Tupper Lake, NY Phinney Design Group, Architect Saratoga Springs, NY Bovis, Construction Manager Clifton Park, NY Schoder Rivers Associated, Engineer Sharon Springs, NY LA Group, Site/Civil Engineer Saratoga Springs, NY Photo Credit: Wild Center
Prior to the completion of the Science & Technology Center, science programs at SUNY Fredonia were housed in two mid-century buildings that were no longer suitable for advanced teaching and research. The University chose a combination of new construction and renovation to consolidate all Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) disciplines into one unified complex. The completion of the 98,000 sf Science & Technology Center, the largest capital investment in the University’s history, represents a critical first stage in the planning effort. The new facility has flexible spaces, including a 120-seat auditorium, collaborative learning scenarios and applied learning, where the Center encourages interdisciplinary research and teaching, and includes a variety of social learning spaces. Numerous sustainable design strategies were incorporated in the design of the facility which has been designed to achieve at minimum, a LEED Silver rating. Jury Comments: The New Science & Technology Center is a wellexecuted building expansion providing a terminus to the quad. The building’s expanded configuration lends itself well to combining interior and exterior spaces where the juxtaposition of forms and materials gives one pause, then provokes thought, then elicits admiration. It is beautifully detailed and an inviting exterior, while the interior is comfortable, lightfilled and welcoming.
The Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks, opened in 2006, is located on a 31-acre site in the Town of Tupper Lake, NY near the geographic center of the Adirondack Park. The Natural History Museum, also known as “The Wild Center,” is a celebration of the wildlife and community of the Adirondacks, featuring live exhibits such as otters in their own waterfall and trout that swim over visitors’ heads. The museum is highly interactive, encouraging visitors to truly experience the animals, plants, and ecology of the Adirondack region. The Bio Building is an administrative support building that houses the maintenance fleet, environmentalist’s offices, and quarantine areas. In keeping with the holistic approach to the museum program, the Bio Building was designed to take advantage of the surrounding environment in its overall design and placement. Photovoltaic panels turn sunlight into electrical energy, green roof materials buffer rainwater runoff, and replace displaced habitat, natural materials from local sources were used to frame and finish the structure. Low and no VOC materials create the interior environment and highly efficient energy delivery systems minimize the building’s carbon footprint. The museum complex is designed to fit into the fabric of the existing community by using locally available materials and elements of an indigenous Adirondacks style. The land, donated by Tupper Lake school district voters had previously consisted of an open cut sand quarry, enabling the team to minimize disturbance of the existing natural habitat. The Natural History Museum attained LEED Silver certification and is the first LEED-certified building in the Adirondack Park. Jury Comments: Fabulous structure integrating native materials and traditional design to the new world. Stunning. Great use of natural materials (traditional Adirondack siding) combined with technology (solar panels), curved roof, green roof and use of water as a landscape architecture feature as well as storm drainage.
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NEW CONSTRUCTION AWARD
Binghamton City School District New MacArthur Elementary School Binghamton, NY Ashley McGraw Architects, Architect Syracuse, NY Buro Happold, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing & Structural Engineer New York, NY Hulbert Engineering and Land Surveying, Civil Engineering Binghamton, NY Photo Credit: John Griebsch Photography In 2011, the existing MacArthur Elementary School was destroyed when the Chenango and Susquehanna Rivers flooded due to Tropical Storm Lee and Hurricane Irene. The school was the heart of a vibrant city neighborhood and served an ethnically, socioeconomically and racially diverse student population. Using an interactive and inclusive design process, community, neighbors, students, school staff and administration were engaged to contribute to the outcome. Rain gardens, bioswales and indigenous vegetation are used to treat water and demonstrate and teach about the hydrological cycle of the site. A community walking trail navigates through these features allowing students and community to learn, engage and enjoy these natural elements. The building is organized with larger program elements (cafeteria, library, gym, etc.) sitting along higher ground to the southeast. These elements are above the newly established flood plain and relate in scale and articulation to the street and adjacent neighborhood. Three 2 -story classroom wings are raised on columns above the ground to allow the river to flood and recede naturally over time. The classroom wings are oriented to allow maximum daylight into most the classrooms from the north and provide views of the ever-changing river. This orientation allows optimal southern exposure for the photovoltaic panels on the roof. The project is tracking for LEED Platinum certification. Jury Comments: Innovative educational facility with attractive and engaging interior spaces; careful site design to accommodate the annual flood threat from the nearby river by raising the first floor and create learning opportunities about the local eco-system for the students and neighbors. The variations in corridor width are beautifully reminiscent of Aldo Van Eyck’s philosophy of elementary education spaces and make for exciting interior circulation. Net Zero and LEED Platinum is an accomplishment in itself.
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HISTORIC PRESERVATION AWARD
SUNY Plattsburgh MacDonough Hall Roof Replacement Plattsburgh, NY Bell & Spina, Architects-Planners, P.C., Architect Syracuse, NY Mid-State Industries Ltd., Constructor Schenectady, NY MH Professional Engineering, PLLC, MEP Engineer Clifton Park, NY Photo Credit: Bell & Spina, Architects-Planners, P.C. Built in 1949, MacDonough Hall is a three-story dormitory building, constructed in the federalist style with classical gable pediments, frieze boards and wood cornices, is the second oldest building on campus. Many of the original ornamental architectural features were damaged and deteriorated from years of water infiltration and roof leaks. The completed work was consistent with the Secretary of the Interior guidelines for historic buildings. Required design consultation with the NYS Historic Preservation Office, and part of the approval and permitting process, recommendations included replacing the failing wood cornices with new cornices in prefinished custom formed aluminum, but because of the historic nature of the building it was decided that restoration and reconstruction of the wood cornices was more appropriate and equally feasible. A concealed built-in gutter was incorporated into the thickened eave line at specific locations around the building, copper siding and flat seam copper pans were used for dormer flashings and roofing to remain consistent with period roofing materials and retain a residential scale to the building. Jury Comments: A beautifully executed slate roofing project with locally sourced materials. The project was well documented, thorough and meticulous. Exceptionally detailed slate and copper roof. Upgraded the insulation value by addition rigid on top of sheathing, eliminating the possibility of condensation problems in the attic space; beautiful detailing even down to snow restrainers.
AWARD
Seneca Art & Culture Center at Ganondagan Victor, NY Francois de Menil Architect, PC, Design Architect New York, NY DeWolff Partnership Architects, LLP, Architect of Record Rochester, NY The Pike Company, Construction Manager Syracuse, NY Frank Marianacci, Inc., General Contractor Bloomfield, NY Jensen/BRV Engineering PLLC, Structural Engineer Rochester, NY M/E Engineering, MEP Engineer Rochester, NY Photo Credit: Paul Warchol Photography The Seneca Art and Culture Center at Ganondagan is a 17,000-square foot visitor center devoted to the history and culture of the Seneca people. It is a public-private funded project located on the Ganondagan State Historic Site in Victor, which was the largest Seneca settlement in the Genesee Valley in the 17th century.
CONGRATS
NEW CONSTRUCTION
The bark longhouse symbolizes the culture and values of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy when five warring nations came together in a mutually supportive union, and agreed to live together peacefully under an imaginary longhouse stretching from the home of the Seneca in the west to the home of the Mohawk in the east. This union is depicted on the Hiawatha Wampum belt, a white horizontal line metaphorically connecting the nations and extending infinitely in both directions. Using the Hiawatha belt as a generative diagram, the Center is conceived as a single rectangular structure with a major east-west circulation axis similar to that of a traditional longhouse. The approach sequence derives from the traditional Seneca rite of passage known as the “woods edge”, where a visitor undergoes a ritual purification in preparation for entering the village. Fire and water elements in the open entry plaza symbolically represent this cleansing ritual. The Seneca Art and Culture Center supports activities operated by the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and by The Friends of Ganondagan, a nonprofit group whose mission is to honor and promote Haudenosaunee history and culture and echo the Haudenosaunee respect of the natural world. Jury Comments: This project is consistent with Native American culture, the building utilizes natural resources – the earth for Geothermal heating and cooling and appropriate use of roof drain water. A wonderful project tying an architectural design to history and the land. The project’s visual context is appropriate, where the site isolates parking from the building. Simple, yet dramatic.
CONGRATULATIONS AIA New York State, in collaboration with the New York State contracting agencies, has created the Excelsior Awards for Public Architecture. We congratulate these thirteen publically funded projects from around the state which exemplifying design and excellence in the public sector and provide a model of excellence for future state-funded building design.
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