AIA Northern Indiana presented five design awards at its annual Holiday Event on January 12. This is the first annual design awards for the chapter, which chose to present one Honor Award, two Merit Awards for Architecture, and two Merit Awards for Historic Preservation. Making up the distinguished jury from AIA Kansas City were Mark Shapiro, AIA, BNIM Architects; Jay Tomlinson, AIA, Helix Architecture; and Trevor Hoiland, AIA, 360 Architecture.

Honor Award

All Saints Catholic Church, Walton, Ky., by Duncan G. Stroik Architect LLC, for Bishop of the Diocese of Covington, Erlanger, Ky.
Because this church honors all of the saints, the design of the building had to stand as a transcendent symbol of heaven, while at the same time remaining firmly rooted in earthly realities of the building’s location. The architect raised the building up four steps and made it accessible to all through the addition of a ramp. The two-story, brick-and-stonework façade, with its half-pediments on either side, recalls the temple-like composition of the classical architecture of the Ohio River Valley, as well as the broader architectural tradition of Renaissance Italy. Emblems of the 12 apostles are set within the metopes of the Doric frieze, along with symbols of the virtues of temperance, prudence, justice, and fortitude. The design of the church quietly balances constructional, budget, and spiritual concerns with a remarkable attention to detail, construction, and craftsmanship. “What distinguishes this project is its conceptual clarity and integrity, irrespective of style,” said the jury, who admired the project’s “commitment, rigor, and clarity.”
Photo © Wolf Photographic Arts.

Merit Awards for Architecture

South Bend Police Department Headquarters and Training Facility, South Bend, Ind., by DLZ Indiana LLC, for the City of South Bend Board of Public Works
This project includes the complete renovation and addition of the former multiuse municipal facility into the new Police Department Headquarters and Regional Training Center. The completed facility is 120,000 gross square feet, of which approximately 20,000 square feet is new construction. The primary design strategy involved reorganizing the facility to create a public access, yet secured operation through the configuration of distinct zones of operations. The facility, through its design, establishes an efficient and functional operation and creates a renewed civic presence that emphasizes the city's commitment to public safety. “The workspaces have high-quality materials, introduction of natural light, and some careful attention to detail in some of the interiors, particularly the shooting range,” the jury said. “There is a very appropriate sense of civic presence.”
Photo © Art Hansen Photographic Inc.

Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana—New South Bend Campus, South Bend, Ind., by DLZ Indiana LLC, for Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana
This new campus consolidates multiple off-site locations to create a facility that promotes a new image and unifies operations. The 210,000-square-foot, three-level building strives to respond to the needs of the students and faculty with simple building forms and a straightforward main circulation system that allow for clarity of wayfinding. The primary entries—distinguished with powerful design elements to provide a sense of identity and entry—are directly adjacent to major functions relative to the students’ everyday activities, such as the information center and student services and business offices. More private spaces are located on the third floor. The architects developed the site—located within the redevelopment zone to help foster economic and urban growth—in harmony with the building form and to include a garden space that provides focus for the visitor’s entry, as well as a secure gathering space for users of the facility. The jury particularly liked how the project is “trying to establish a sense of place, give the campus a strong presence in what seems to be an undistinguished suburban site.” One of the jurors said, “I can imagine it creating a sense of pride in the students who go there. It’d feel like an honor to go to this school.”
Photo © Art Hansen Photographic Inc.

Merit Awards for Historic Preservation

South Bend Remedy Building Rehabilitation, South Bend, Ind., by Kil Architecture/Planning, for the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana Northern Regional Office
The architecturally unique South Bend Remedy Company building, built in 1895, had been moved, sat vacant for 15 years, and was threatened with demolition when the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana acquired it for its northern regional office. The building, poorly located on a corner lot after the initial move, did not have its distinguished oriel window and turret facing the primary corner. The architects relocated the building for a second time to its new site in a historic district. All of the work was accomplished using the Secretary of the Interior Standards for Rehabilitation. The jury was impressed with the “degree of difficulty in how they turned the house to have the correct relationship to the street corner.” They also expressed delight with the sensitivity to the historic fabric, noting the subtle way the handicapped accessibility ramp was handled.
Photo courtesy of the architect.

Old Republic Historic Rehabilitation, New Carlisle, Ind., by Kil Architecture/Planning, for Historic New Carlisle Inc.
This project entailed extensive historic rehabilitation of the former 1860 Jeremiah H. Service Residence into a multiuse facility that now serves as an office, museum, and meeting space for the local historical society, as well as a bed and breakfast at the upper level. The building had been used only as storage space for 25 years. The goal of the rehabilitation work was to reuse the original fabric where possible and integrate new systems throughout. The architect completed the project without undermining the character of the original building, and all work was accomplished within the guidelines established by the Secretary of the Interior Standards for Rehabilitation. “This is obviously a very beautiful building,” the jury noted. “It looks like this one was in really bad shape, and they put the language back.”
Photo courtesy of the architect.

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