Each year the American Institute of Architects Chesapeake Bay Chapter recognizes the best architectural designs produced by its members with Honor, Merit, and Citation awards. This year the AIA Connecticut Chapter juried the awards—distinguished architects E. Russell Learned, AIA and Margaret Chamber, AIA teamed with jury chairman Robert Orr, AIA to chose a cross-section of structures that range from educational and ecumenical to residential.
As with all quality architecture, this year’s prevailing designs are integrally related to their sites, provide innovative solutions to functional and aesthetic challenges, and generally improve the quality of people’s lives.
CITATION AWARD
Becker Morgan Group
The Salisbury School Middle School
(beckermorgan.com or 410-546-9100)
Photography by Becker Morgan Group
For the design of the Salisbury Middle School, Becker Morgan Group needed to accommodate 100 students, seven classrooms, a technology lab, a writing lab, administrative, conference, and teacher planning spaces, a kitchenette, restrooms, a multifunctional lunchroom, and assembly space. Plenty of natural light, inspirational aesthetics, and a plan that encourages “community” combine in an educational space receiving rave reviews from students.
CITATION AWARD
Good Architecture Beach House
(goodarchitecture.com or 410-268-7414)
Photography by Erik Kvalsvik
To renovate a non-descript ocean front townhouse and capture the atmosphere of a sophisticated but casual traditional beach house, Good Architecture transformed the interior spaces. By moving the kitchen to an outside wall, opening up the walls of the stair, and removing a wall for the dining room, they created dramatic ocean views. This new design turned a dark space into a bright, outward looking house in sync with its ocean front location.
HONOR AWARD
Boggs + Partners Architects Commodore Uriah P. Levy Center US Naval Academy
(boggspartners.com or 410-268-3797)
Photography by Alan Karchmer
The Boggs + Partners Architects’ design of the Commodore Uriah P. Levy Center and Jewish Chapel works to promote and enhance the moral development of midshipmen. The 410-seat chapel, Character Learning Center, and Fellowship Hall provide inspirational places used for worship and to teach and practice principles of religious freedom and religious tolerance. The structure is not only visually dynamic it is also nicely integrated with the campus and conscious of the existing context.
MERIT AWARD
Good Architecture Crowsland
(goodarchitecture.com or 410-268-7414)
Rendering by Good Architecture
In the tradition of regional Thousand Island houses of the St. Lawrence River in Canada, Good Architecture’s “Crowsland” is sited atop a rock outcropping and designed to offer river views from every room. Expressed in such natural materials as cedar and stone to mirror the landscape, the style of this capacious summerhouse is a nice juxtaposition of formality and informality and shows an attention to a hierarchy of scale and form, which enhances the whole.
Dennis Hockman is the editor for ChesapeakeHome
