Architecture

The best US-based studios celebrated with 2021 AIA Architecture Awards

The best US-based studios celebrated with 2021 AIA Architecture Awards
Fass School and Teachers' Residences was designed by Toshiko Mori Architect and is located in Fass, Senegal. The project is one of this year's AIA Architecture Awards winners
Fass School and Teachers' Residences was designed by Toshiko Mori Architect and is located in Fass, Senegal. The project is one of this year's AIA Architecture Awards winners
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Fass School and Teachers' Residences was designed by Toshiko Mori Architect and is located in Fass, Senegal. The project is one of this year's AIA Architecture Awards winners
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Fass School and Teachers' Residences was designed by Toshiko Mori Architect and is located in Fass, Senegal. The project is one of this year's AIA Architecture Awards winners
Fass School and Teachers' Residences was made using local sustainable materials like mud bricks, thatch, and bamboo
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Fass School and Teachers' Residences was made using local sustainable materials like mud bricks, thatch, and bamboo
Fass School and Teachers' Residences was built in a rural area with no infrastructure so is naturally cooled and lit
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Fass School and Teachers' Residences was built in a rural area with no infrastructure so is naturally cooled and lit
Loghaven Artist Residency was designed by Sanders Pace Architecture and is located in Knoxville, TN
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Loghaven Artist Residency was designed by Sanders Pace Architecture and is located in Knoxville, TN
Loghaven Artist Residency involved renovating six log cabins dating to the 1930s. The cabins now serve as residences for visiting artists
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Loghaven Artist Residency involved renovating six log cabins dating to the 1930s. The cabins now serve as residences for visiting artists
In addition to renovating the existing cabins on the site, Loghaven Artist Residency also involved the construction of a new "Gateway Building" and two purpose-built studio spaces for visual and performing artists
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In addition to renovating the existing cabins on the site, Loghaven Artist Residency also involved the construction of a new "Gateway Building" and two purpose-built studio spaces for visual and performing artists
Martin’s Lane Winery was designed by Olson Kundig and is located in British Columbia, Canada
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Martin’s Lane Winery was designed by Olson Kundig and is located in British Columbia, Canada
Martin’s Lane Winery involved the construction of a winery on a steep sloping site that was challenging to build on
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Martin’s Lane Winery involved the construction of a winery on a steep sloping site that was challenging to build on
Martin’s Lane Winery is partly built into the hillside, which helps it maintain an ideal temperature and humidity inside for producing wine
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Martin’s Lane Winery is partly built into the hillside, which helps it maintain an ideal temperature and humidity inside for producing wine
Northeastern University Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex was designed by Payette and is located in Boston, MA
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Northeastern University Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex was designed by Payette and is located in Boston, MA
Northeastern University Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex was built on a former brownfield site and serves as a cutting-edge facility for scientific research, as well as a social space for students
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Northeastern University Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex was built on a former brownfield site and serves as a cutting-edge facility for scientific research, as well as a social space for students
Northeastern University Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex features an energy efficient exterior which includes a veil that surrounds its offices to reduce solar heat gain
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Northeastern University Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex features an energy efficient exterior which includes a veil that surrounds its offices to reduce solar heat gain
Polygon Gallery was designed by Patkau Architects and is located in North Vancouver, Canada
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Polygon Gallery was designed by Patkau Architects and is located in North Vancouver, Canada
Polygon Gallery serves as a new gallery for an independent photography and media institution that has served North Vancouver's creative community for nearly 40 years
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Polygon Gallery serves as a new gallery for an independent photography and media institution that has served North Vancouver's creative community for nearly 40 years
Polygon Gallery is topped by a distinctive sawtooth roof and features open interior exhibition spaces that are free of obstacles and illuminated by natural light
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Polygon Gallery is topped by a distinctive sawtooth roof and features open interior exhibition spaces that are free of obstacles and illuminated by natural light
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Justice Center was designed by Gould Evans and is located in Scottsdale, AZ
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Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Justice Center was designed by Gould Evans and is located in Scottsdale, AZ
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Justice Center is a tribal community use facility in the heart of an ancestral indigenous American home
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Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Justice Center is a tribal community use facility in the heart of an ancestral indigenous American home
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Justice Center is designed to optimize daylight inside and maximize views. It also features an efficient interior layout that's partly inspired by the tribes’ cultures
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Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Justice Center is designed to optimize daylight inside and maximize views. It also features an efficient interior layout that's partly inspired by the tribes’ cultures
Sound Transit University of Washington Station was designed by LMN Architects and is located in Seattle, WA
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Sound Transit University of Washington Station was designed by LMN Architects and is located in Seattle, WA
Sound Transit University of Washington Station was created to help make environmentally friendly travel easy and accessible for all users
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Sound Transit University of Washington Station was created to help make environmentally friendly travel easy and accessible for all users
Sound Transit University of Washington Station features pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly access, and is designed to maximize natural light, even in its underground spaces
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Sound Transit University of Washington Station features pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly access, and is designed to maximize natural light, even in its underground spaces
The Lamplighter School Innovation Lab was designed by Marlon Blackwell Architects and is located in Dallas, TX
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The Lamplighter School Innovation Lab was designed by Marlon Blackwell Architects and is located in Dallas, TX
The Lamplighter School Innovation Lab is a hands-on learning laboratory that serves the school's 450 students
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The Lamplighter School Innovation Lab is a hands-on learning laboratory that serves the school's 450 students
The Lamplighter School Innovation Lab is wrapped in copper and features cypress wood planks both outside and inside
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The Lamplighter School Innovation Lab is wrapped in copper and features cypress wood planks both outside and inside
TWA Hotel was designed by Beyer Blinder Belle and is located at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York
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TWA Hotel was designed by Beyer Blinder Belle and is located at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York
The TWA Hotel involved renovating the 1950s-era hotel to add more space and modernize its interior
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The TWA Hotel involved renovating the 1950s-era hotel to add more space and modernize its interior
The TWA Hotel's historic center has been retained and boasts six restaurants, a fitness center, several shops, and a 250-person ballroom in the place that passengers once retrieved their baggage
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The TWA Hotel's historic center has been retained and boasts six restaurants, a fitness center, several shops, and a 250-person ballroom in the place that passengers once retrieved their baggage
The Walker Art Center Expansion was designed by HGA and is located in Minneapolis, MN
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The Walker Art Center Expansion was designed by HGA and is located in Minneapolis, MN
The Walker Art Center Expansion added extra space to one of the most important venues for contemporary art in the United States
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The Walker Art Center Expansion added extra space to one of the most important venues for contemporary art in the United States
The Walker Art Center Expansion consolidates all of the center's visitor amenities under one pavilion. It boasts a 100-seat restaurant and outdoor dining terrace topped with a green roof. The building is also part built into the hillside
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The Walker Art Center Expansion consolidates all of the center's visitor amenities under one pavilion. It boasts a 100-seat restaurant and outdoor dining terrace topped with a green roof. The building is also part built into the hillside
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The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has revealed the recipients of its annual Architecture Awards. The prestigious prize has been awarded to 10 projects, including an energy efficient winery built on a challenging site in Canada and a low-tech but well-designed school in rural Africa.

As is the case every year, the AIA 2021 Architecture Awards celebrates the very best new architecture by US-licensed firms (the projects themselves do not need to be in the US), with a particular focus on works that demonstrably improve people's lives.

"The 2021 Architecture Awards program celebrates the best contemporary architecture and highlights the many ways buildings and spaces can improve lives," says the AIA's press release (the same body also recently revealed its pick for the 10 most sustainable projects designed by US firms). "The nine-member jury selects submissions that demonstrate design achievement, including a sense of place, purpose, history, and environmental sustainability."

Fass School and Teachers' Residences is one highlight. Located in rural Senegal, the project was commissioned by the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation/Le Corsa, and was inspired by a one-room schoolhouse that influential teacher Josef Albers once taught in. It serves around 300 students and teaches literacy, as well as practical skills like cooking and carpentry.

Fass School and Teachers' Residences was made using local sustainable materials like mud bricks, thatch, and bamboo
Fass School and Teachers' Residences was made using local sustainable materials like mud bricks, thatch, and bamboo

The school was designed by Toshiko Mori Architect and built by locals using traditional and environmentally friendly building materials like mud bricks and bamboo. As there is no electrical connection or other infrastructure in the area, the building's thatched roof is oriented toward the direction of the prevailing wind to cool it naturally and is also used to capture rainwater. The interior is illuminated entirely with natural light too.

Martin's Lane Winery is another outstanding project. Olson Kundig was tasked with creating a winery on a rocky hillside in Kelowna, British Columbia. The rugged structure features a Corten steel exterior that naturally weather over time and help it blend into the hillside further.

Martin’s Lane Winery was designed by Olson Kundig and is located in British Columbia, Canada
Martin’s Lane Winery was designed by Olson Kundig and is located in British Columbia, Canada

Visitors enter the winery by passing through a concrete tunnel that carries them to a subterranean tasting room. A spiral staircase inspired by the Fibonacci sequence leads to a larger tasting room and hospitality area, with glimpses of the production process along the way. The building's integration into the landscape helps it maintain a relatively steady temperature and this, along with natural ventilation and daylighting, means it requires very little heating or cooling inside.

Head to the gallery to see more on these and the rest of the 10 excellent architecture projects that make up the AIA 2021 Architecture Awards.

Source: AIA

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