A jury from the AIA Rochester (N.Y.) Chapter chose a dozen projects designed by members of the AIA Potomac Valley (Md.) chapter to receive four honor awards, four merit awards, and four citations. Potomac Valley honored the winners at the chapter’s Year-End Party and Design Awards Banquet in College Park, Md., last December.

Honor Awards

Queen Anne’s County High School, Centreville, Md., by Grimm & Parker Architects, with contractor Donohue Construction Company
What struck the jury most about this project was the contrast between the before and after photographs. “This is one of the most dramatic renovations we have seen,” they said. “The spaces are all very well proportioned, and the clean lines and use of materials are very appropriate for a school that focuses on technology.”
Photo © Kenneth M. Wyner

Alban Towers and The Residences at Alban Row, Washington, D.C., by Torti Gallas and Partners • CHK, Inc., with contractor Foulger Pratt Companies
“Our initial look at this project could not tell what was restoration and what was new building. Given the sensitivity of the site, and the proximity to the National Cathedral, this is a dynamic solution,” the jury remarked. “The sense of scale through the use of materials and color and the use of pedestrian space versus vehicular traffic were handled expertly.” They noted that they were envious of the architect’s involvement with what must have been a tremendously exciting project.
Photo courtesy of the architect

Twinbrook Commons, Rockville, Md., by Torti Gallas and Partners • CHK, Inc.
The jury pronounced this project one of the top entries. They said, “It satisfied and surpassed the program with a solution that upgraded the neighborhood and provided a focal point for the region.” They also expressed hope that the as-built scenario “will be as pleasant and inviting as the proposal.”
Photo courtesy of the architect

Congregation Har Shalom, Potomac, Md., by Walton Madden Cooper Robinson Poness, Inc., with contractor Uniwest Construction, Inc.
The jury deemed this project “an appropriate assemblage of materials, spaces, and references that say what this building is. There’s no guesswork involved.” It is clear, they said, upon entering and traversing throughout, that one is enveloped in a place of worship. “The architect here has very sensitively achieved the program and created a visually stimulating building,” the jury concluded.
Photo © Kenneth M. Wyner

Merit Awards

Shingle-Style Residence, Bethesda, Md., by Bennett Frank McCarthy Architects, Inc., with contractor Gibson & Associates
“The architect has taken a very ambitious program and provided a very orderly solution,” the jury opined. They particularly like the appropriate materials, fenestration, plan, and scale that enable the house to fit very nicely into its surroundings while looking as original as the neighborhood itself. “The shingle style was adhered to expertly and provided many architectural details and spaces that resulted in a residence that one can truly call home,” the jury concluded.
Photo © Scott Wilets, AIA

Craftsman Bungalow, Brookmont, Md., by Bennett Frank McCarthy Architects, Inc., with contractor E. H. Johnstone Builder
“The exterior of this Shingle style building, although subdued in its treatment, is a well-thought-out combination of the old and new,” the jury said. “Although larger than it first appears, the careful use of a steep site cleverly conceals four levels of space behind thoughtfully designed elevations.” They especially liked the house’s clean details, both inside and out, that “add to the atmosphere of a building that provides for a light and airy home.”
Photo © Scott Wilets, AIA

Lueders Larson House, McLean, Va., by McInturff Architects, with contractor Lifecraft
“The way that this project incorporates itself into the site is what made it an award winner,” the jury said. “The use of natural materials and extending wall planes to create spaces and elements, such as a place to stack firewood, is all very well developed.”
Photo © Julia Heine

Seminary Towers Apartments Lobby Renovation, Alexandria, Va., by Wiencek + Associates Architects + Planners, with contractor The Wardman Companies, Inc.
“The graceful simplicity of this project is what stood out from the rest of the entries,” the jury said. “The use of materials, lighting, and geometry all reinforce the strong concept of the interior space.”
Photo © Eric Taylor Photography

Citations

The jury also awarded four citations to:

• Barcroft Sports & Fitness Center, Arlington, Va., by Bowie Gridley Architects, with contractor S.B. Construction
• Silver Spring Town Square Civic Building and Veteran’s Plaza, Silver Spring, Md., by Grimm + Parker Architects
• Pukke House, Potomac, Md., by McInturff Architects, with contractor Frontier Construction
• The Garlands of Barrington, Barrington, Ill., by Torti Gallas and Partners • CHK, Inc., with contractor Pepper Construction Company.

Kea Medals

AIA Potomac Valley members Loreen Arnold, AIA, jury chair; Susan Mullineaux, AIA; and Herb Heiserman, AIA, awarded the second annual Paul H. Kea Medal for Advocacy, Leadership, and Service to the Profession of Architecture to three individuals for outstanding contributions in 2003.

2003 Paul H. Kea Medal for Service went to Daniel W. Bennett Jr., AIA, “for his exemplary service to the Maryland Society of Architects, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, and Interns of the Potomac Valley Chapter. His distinguished service as MSAIA Board member, chair of the Maryland State Board of Architects, and mock-exam grader for the AIA Potomac Valley Chapter ARE Seminars for many years, has set the standard for service to the profession and to his community.”

2003 Paul H. Kea Medal for Architectural Advocacy was awarded to Richard G. Hawes for “his exemplary service as director of facilities management for Montgomery County Public Schools and his previous position as director of design and construction, where he has demonstrated a consistent pursuit of design excellence for the schools of Montgomery County. While overseeing the construction of 42 new schools and over $1 billion of capital improvements over the last 17 years, he has always made quality architectural design of our schools a priority. His work to improve the quality of the built environment for the 140,000 students in Montgomery County has benefited students, parents, and community and is sincerely appreciated by the architects of Maryland and the AIA Potomac Valley Chapter.”

2003 Paul H. Kea Medal for Leadership, Service to the Profession, and Architectural Advocacy went to Stephen L. Parker, AIA, for “his exemplary service to the chapter, the Maryland Society of Architects, the Maryland State Board of Architects, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, the Maryland State Architectural Review Board, and many other architecture and community-based organizations.”

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