AIA Chicago Small Project Awards Take a Walk Outside

AIA Chicago Small Project Awards Take a Walk Outside

Among a host of residential projects in AIA Chicago’s Small Project Awards are buildings that offer exceptional experiences of nature and the outdoors, either by blending contemporary and vernacular design elements, showcasing unique views and perspectives, or sustainability features.<br><br>Honor Award: A Barnyard Retreat in Manakin Sabot, Va., designed by Fraerman Associates. The owners of a Virginia farm desired a swimming pool and guesthouse adjacent to their farmhouse residence. The resulting contemporary barn design married the simplicity found in Southern rural structures with a material palette of copper, stone and painted wood occurring in the existing farmhouse. Jury comments: It’s modern but classic. I think it’s spectacular. Image courtesy of Foley Photography.

Honor Award: Sawyer Pool House in Sawyer, Mich., designed by Nicholas Clark Architects. In conjunction with the existing main house, the pool pavilion helps to define exterior space around a new swimming pool. The pavilion presents a Modernist counterpoint to the traditional main house, but uses a similar material palette. The living space has floor to ceiling windows and bi-parting sliding doors which orient the space toward the pool. Cedar sunscreens mounted on an industrial track slide protect the interior space from the sun, or shutter the windows when the owners are away. Jury comments: I see roots back to the 50s in this house, but it has a modern, earthy, worn look. Image courtesy of Linda Oyama-Bryan.

Honor Award: Garden Infrastructure Connector in Chicago, designed by Blender Architecture. During the renovation of a funeral home, the clients elected to purchase the property next door for the purpose of adding a garage while simultaneously maintaining the open space. This modest addition functions as a direct connection to the house and landscape, while performing as the new energy source for the home. Under the main garden are two geothermal wells. Jury comments: The materials seem clean, simple and appropriate. It looks modern and livable. Image courtesy of Darris Lee Harris.

Citation of Merit: The Clark Family Welcome Gallery at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, designed by Thomas Roszak Architecture. The design team used aluminum tubing and polyester fabric-constructed walls to create a space that feels different and other-worldly, providing a cost effective, high-impact, and highly dramatic design. Jury comments: It reminds me of entering the Milky Way. Image courtesy of Scott McDonald, Hedrich Blessing Photographers.

Citation of Merit: Farmhouse Retooled in Three Oaks, Mich., designed by Fangmann Gensburg Harting Architects. The inspiration of this home is drawn from the typical “L” and “T” shaped farmhouses found throughout the Midwest. The widthwise facade is punctuated on the first floor with windows that allow the house to be seen as transparent from front to back. Jury comments: I think it’s clean as it turns the corner. Image courtesy of John Toniolo.

Citation of Merit: Eduardo’s Enoteca Restaurant in Chicago, designed by CBD Architects. The first order of business for remodeling the Eduardo's Gold Coast location was tearing out the existing ceiling grid to expose the beautiful barrel truss vault that had been hidden. From there, the architects moved onto gathering reclaimed wood to thread throughout the space from the bar, to the banquette, and to the table tops. The integration of this salvaged wood coordinates nicely with the barrel truss to bring warmth and familiarity to the dining experience. Jury comments: What a treasure to find that ceiling, and everything else works off of that. Image courtesy of Eduardo's Enoteca.

Citation of Merit: Lake Geneva Cottage in Linn, Wis., designed by Kuklinksi + Rappe Architects. Perched on a steep slope above Lake Geneva, this new weekend home strikes a comfortable balance between the vernacular charm of its neighbors and the contemporary lifestyle of its owners. A centrally positioned stair rises from the lower level entry to a loft, providing a screen between the living and dining spaces on the main level. The loft, open at both ends, overlooks the kitchen and living room, and provides a retreat with views of the lake. Jury comments: I like the reuse of the building a lot. It looks so small, but it’s not. Image courtesy of Leslie Schwartz Photography.

Citation of Merit: Roche-Bobois in Chicago, designed by Hirsh Associates. This new showroom, located in a historic loft in Chicago's River North Furniture District, is an example of the synergy which can be created between architecture, product design and marketing, when each are given equal importance in the design process. Jury comments: It made me want to stay in the store and look around. It’s understated and well done. Image courtesy of Anthony May Photography.

Citation of Merit: Bucktown Residence Renovation and Addition in Chicago, designed by Froelich Kim + Cerda Architecture. The goal of this project was to transform a tired, claustrophobic two-flat into a warm and vibrant open space for a young family with three small children. On the second floor, the master bedroom is wrapped by the addition, creating a private deck and adding a more sculptural form. The resulting house demonstrates the power of the old and the new coexisting as one. Jury comments: I like looking at that façade and the wood when I’m in the kitchen. It’s engaging the whole site. Image courtesy of Bob Coscarelli Photography.

Unbuilt Honor Award: Wisconsin Dogtrot Truss House in Madison, Wis., designed by Froelich Kim Architecture. Facing south into a field gently sloping away to neighboring corn fields, this dog-trot derivative rests on 20 acres of recently decommissioned Wisconsin farmland. The commission was to design a beautiful and non-traditional home with a double-height central living space using off-the-shelf, prefabricated metal building trusses. Jury comments: It celebrates the vernacular. There is a lot of fun in this, and it’s not that big of a project, so you have to think [of] every inch of the project, and they’ve done that. Image courtesy of Froelich Kim Architecture.

Object Citation of Merit: Art Chicago Video Arcade in Chicago, designed by UrbanLab. Working in collaboration with a sound artist, UrbanLab designed a temporary video exhibit for an art fair. Four modules displayed artist videos while two camera-based projections displayed a real-time video feed of the crowd visiting the exhibit. The effect of the cameras recording attendees as they approached the exhibition space was both ephemeral and self-reflective, as one saw themselves in several projections at different time delays while moving through the exhibit. Jury comments: It was well presented. It has clarity. Image courtesy of UrbanLab.

99 Bottles of Beer Chandelier in Chicago, designed by Wrap Architecture. The chandelier at Revolution Brewing is a prominent design element that showcases the craft beer process. Wrap Architecture designed and fabricated the chandelier by heating and blowing 99 beer bottles. From lessons learned, the architects hope to develop a line of lighting from recycled bottles. Jury comments: I love it. It’s so clever. Image courtesy of Robert Harris.

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