2017 Honor Awards Winners

SEATTLE, November 14, 2017—The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Seattle chapter hosted the 67th annual Honor Awards for Washington Architecture on November 13 to celebrate excellence in design.

The distinguished jury included J. Meejin Yoon AIA, FAAR (Cambridge/Boston), Robert Harris FAIA, LEED Fellow (Austin/San Antonio) and Shirley Blumberg CM, OAA, FRAIC, AIA (Toronto). The event was moderated by Dr. Vikramaditya “Vikram” Prakash, Professor of Architecture at the University of Washington. Co-Chairs for the 2017 AIA Seattle Honor Awards were JoAnn Wilcox AIA & Tim Richey AIA.

From 133 submittals, the jury chose 18 award winners from two categories – built and conceptual. This was also the second year of the Energy in Design Award to commend projects that have made quantifiably significant strides in energy reduction while also maintaining the highest qualitative design caliber. Across the spectrum of project types, the jury acknowledged the strong design culture represented by both the breadth and quality of submitted projects, and applauded the winners for their masterful use of materials and high marks on building craft. The Awards of Honor in particular were projects that went above and beyond in terms of overall design while also contributing to a better world.

Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to our esteemed jury and Honor Awards Committee!

AWARD OF HONOR

University of Washington West Campus Utility Plant by The Miller Hull Partnership is an extremely well-executed and detailed project, fitting well within its urban edge while elevating the idea of what infrastructure projects can be. The West Campus Utility Plant provides chilled water and emergency power to UW’s Seattle Campus while also conveying the UW’s commitment to sustainability and making the invisible visible.

Magnolia Residence by mw|works is an incredibly tuned and tailored residential project –with immaculate details and wonderful spatial relationships that flowed well. Magnolia Residence maximizes daylight and passive ventilation in a clean open plan integrated into the landscape and community without sacrificing privacy.

Renton Library by The Miller Hull Partnership is a renovation that celebrates and reveals the original 1966 bridge structure with new materials that recall Renton’s legacy of engineering. A new energy efficient exterior envelope opened up floor to ceiling views of the river it spans while thoughtful detailing helps create a wonderful feeling in the space.

University of Idaho Integrated Research and Innovation Center (IRIC) by NBBJ is a flexible, transparent and open academic hub that fosters interdisciplinary and cross-department research projects. The jury felt this project hit the mark with clear big ideas translated to the architectural form, such as circulation detailing and energy coherence with details such as thoughtful shading and daylighting.

ENERGY IN DESIGN AWARD—Co-Awarded to:

Chatham University Eden Hall Campus by Mithun is an environmentally ambitious project with a goal of being the world’s first net positive university campus. The jury was impressed with the exuberant use of sustainable strategies on all levels that are celebrated and transparent.

University of Alaska Fairbanks, Wood Center Expansion by Perkins+Will is a student center designed to expand social lives into campus life in a sub-arctic region. The Wood Center allows for a variety of scaled experiences from private to more social and is organized around a monumental stair. The jury was especially impressed with the building’s incredible performance in such an extreme climate.

AWARD OF MERIT

North Transfer Station by Mahlum Architects
Wanapum Heritage Center by Mithun
University of Iowa Voxman Music Building by LMN Architects
University of California, Irvine Mesa Court Towers by Mithun
100 Stewart Hotel and Apartments by Olson Kundig
Weyerhaeuser Headquarters at 200 Occidental by Mithun

HONORABLE MENTION

Grasshopper Courtyard Studio by Wittman Estes Architecture + Landscape
King Street by JW Architects
325 Westlake by Graham Baba Architects
Henry Apartments by PUBLIC47 Architects

CONCEPTUAL

Seattle Mass Timber Tower by CallisonRTKL (Honorable Mention)
The Right Way by The Miller Hull Partnership (Honorable Mention)

To view all of the 2017 submissions, visit the Online Gallery