Ten buildings—from Pleasant Prairie, Wis., to Lima, Honduras—received 2003 Design Awards from AIA Wisconsin. The chapter reports that this year’s award-winning architecture “accentuates artful and innovative design solutions for a diverse range of projects,” all designed by chapter members. The projects’ architects, building owners, and general contractors received their awards at a May 21 ceremony at the Wright-designed Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison.

Honor Awards

Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Milwaukee, by HGA, with general contractor Grunau Project Management, Inc., for Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Photo © John Korum.
After a fire, extensive rebuilding of its interiors significantly altered this church’s 1853 original floorplan. HGA’s recent redesign returned the altar to a place of prominence and proximity to parishioners in the main worship space. This move created a place for a large choir and orchestra and incorporated new lighting, sound, and mechanical systems to support liturgical activities. The current transformation of the cathedral marks the return to its rightful place as a “Jewel of the City.” According to the jury, “The architects accomplished much more than preservation. They intervened and changed the function of the church by reconfiguring the interior and inserting new architecture at very precise moments, which really helps to engage the congregation with the altar.”

Engineering Centers, University of Wisconsin-Madison, by architects Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates and Flad & Associates, with general contractor J.P. Cullen & Sons Inc ., for the State of Wisconsin Division of Facilities Development. Photo © Scott McDonald.
“For a university and institutional facility, this is a beautiful, well detailed, very consistent and muscular building,” said the jury. “It has a great presence and is well integrated with the campus.” This project creates a dynamic flexible environment that integrates the latest advances in research and education in a single new facility. The three-story building organizes a series of interdisciplinary centers that focus on fields such as nanotechnology, plasma manufacturing, and biomedical engineering. Designed to meet these disciplines’ special needs, the spaces range from open workshop areas and adaptable meeting rooms to flexible lab spaces and Class-10 clean rooms.

Aperture House, Moose Lake, Wis., by Vetter Denk Architects, Inc., for an anonymous client. Photo © John Vetter.
The solution for this project met the challenge to build affordably a one-of-a-kind custom weekend retreat on an unforgiving site without sacrificing design quality. Using the merits of pre-fabricated construction, the architects, who also acted as construction supervisors, created a two-story, four-module lakeside home that brings design sensitivity and flexibility to a typically uninspired market. The project features clear views of the water and natural surroundings, a ribbon band of clerestory windows, and an unencumbered living area that resembles an urban loft in a rural setting. “If I had a vacation house, I’d want one like this,” commented one jury member. “It takes the notion of a case study on housing from the 1950s and 1960s and really elevates that genre to an art form.”

Merit Awards

Banana Worker Housing, La Lima, Honduras, by Arquitectura Inc., with general contractor Tela RR Co., for the Cooperative Housing Foundation. Photo © Harry Van Oudenallen, AIA.
This project responds to the devastation caused by Hurricane Gilbert to the entire banana-growing region of Honduras in 1988. The architect was commissioned to design a pilot community, including 6,000 housing units, for banana-field and plant workers. This ongoing, phased project lays out the schematic infrastructure of neighborhoods, streets, schools, civic structures, religious buildings, and parks. “The architect really stepped up to create a very large vision for the community,” the jury opined. “If there is any doubt about the potential influence and power of Wisconsin architects, it has been put to rest with their ability to influence something on this scale in Honduras.”

Janus Kopf, Gossau Switzerland, by Gastrau Fuerer Associates as architect and contractor for Marianne and Mathias Bruecker. Photo © Urs Wicki, Catweazle Photography..
This single-family residence satisfies the client’s request for a Modern design and still abides by local requirements for traditional-style exteriors. The design composition marries two forms. To the north, the home incorporates the local architectural guidelines and displays a conservative face. To the south, the design expresses the desire for a Modern open home that captures the view of the Alps. These two distinct elements, one opaque and other translucent, evolve into final composition with three distinct living levels. The house also incorporates maintenance-free materials and sustainable design strategies throughout. “The architect was able to respond to some very prescriptive requirements and still design a more interesting, more creative modern home,” the jury concluded. “It’s a great juxtaposition between the traditional house forms and that of almost a civic-scale facade.”

Max Mitschjeta AG—Metal Fabrication, Gossau, Switzerland, by Gastrau Fuerer Associates as architect and contractor for Max Mitschjeta AG. Photo © Urs Wicki, Catweazle Photography.
This project demonstrates an atypical approach to the design of a light industrial facility. To complement the surrounding neighborhood, the architect minimized the normally overbearing qualities of industrial buildings with simple, clean details and a thoughtful use of materials. The building is a titanium-clad Modern box that employs forms and details that are non-abrasive in nature, respectful of its urban surround, and reflective of its own industrial origins. “The strength of this project is that a light industrial building can be thought of as a finely crafted and detailed sculpture. It’s just cool to look at,” said the jury. “This building is architectural design at a higher level than might be normally expected for this type of project.”

J.H. Findorff & Son Inc., Madison, by Potter Lawson, Inc., with J.H. Findorff & Son Inc. as general contractor and owner. Photo © Paskus Photography.
“This building demonstrates what a very good contractor and a very good architect can do when they collaborate with one another,” the jury enthused. “It becomes a lot easier for an architect or contractor to state that they can create fine buildings if their own workspace is finely executed.” Located on the edge of downtown Madison, the new headquarters building rests on the same property where this construction company was originally founded more than 110 years ago. The design takes care to respect the contextual fabric of the historic industrial neighborhood. This Modern building design expresses the profession of its owners and the work they perform: The materiality and process of construction is on display through finely crafted and exposed concrete, steel, stone, and birch woodwork.

Madison Gas & Electric East Campus Substation Screen Wall, Madison, Wis., by Potter Lawson, Inc., with Potter Lawson, Inc./J.H. Findorff & Son, Inc. as general contractor, for Madison Gas & Electric/University of Wisconsin. Photo © Scott McDonald.
This project successfully resolved an issue of exposed infrastructure in an increasingly trafficked pedestrian area. To conceal what was viewed as unsightly, the architects turned the massive utility substation into an object of beauty. Their design solution was to place a screen wall of perforated stainless-steel panels to shield the 34-foot-tall substation grid. As both screen and translucent veil, the panel system successfully conceals and beautifies the necessary utility infrastructure. “This is an innovative and creative project,” said the jury. “The architects chose to elevate the project from what could have been a chain-link fence around electrical equipment into a screenwall that lights up at night and becomes an attractive symbol for the neighborhood and surrounding area.”

Beer Line River Homes, Pleasant Prairie, Wis., by Vetter Denk Architects, Inc., for River Homes Partners, LLC. Photo © John Vetter, AIA.
This project entails redeveloping a former industrial corridor along the Milwaukee River into a high-quality residential and commercial neighborhood. Although they range in price from accessible to high-end, each living unit complements the historical context of the site. This project has elevated a typically developer-driven market into an innovatively designed urban neighborhood, with walkable connections to the city, river, and surrounding areas. “This project reflects a successful collaboration between architect and developer,” the jury commented. “They worked together on this design to really push the creative edge and create housing that is fresh and new in an up-and-coming industrial-edge area of the city.”

Special recognition

United Community Center Parking Area 3, Milwaukee, by J&V Affiliated, LLC, with general contractor Payne & Dolan, for United Community Center. Photo © Cora Monis.
This parking area does a great deal more than fulfill a need for safe, accessible parking. “This project is recognized for the involvement of the neighborhood, the community, and the artists,” said the jury. “The architect, as the linchpin, is being commended for community advocacy and leadership.” The design solution offered a relevant way to welcome clients and the surrounding neighborhood through the use of colorful murals. Implementing the theme “The Wonders of Latin America,” artists painted scenes indigenous to their own Latino countries using the 30-foot support columns as their canvas. Student apprentices from city schools helped make the parking lot an outdoor gallery that is culturally linked to the community.

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