Architecture

AIA celebrates outstanding American interior design

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Coca-Cola Stage at the Alliance Theatre is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and was designed by Trahan Architects/APAC
Trahan Architects
An Historic Shipyard Reincarnation is located in San Francisco, California, and was designed by Marcy Wong Donn Logan Architects
MWDL/Billy Hustace
An Historic Shipyard Reincarnation involved the transformation of six shipyard buildings built between 1885 and 1941 into a work place for burgeoning tech firms
MWDL/Billy Hustace
An Historic Shipyard Reincarnation kept many of the original fixtures from the original shipyard, including the lights and even equipment like cranes
Billy Hustace
CO-OP Ramen is located in Bentonville, Arkansas, and was designed by Marlon Blackwell Architects. The restaurant is situated within a new food market installed in a former food factory
Timothy Hursley
CO-OP Ramen's windows are shaded by beaded steel curtains, obscuring the views into the restaurant
Timothy Hursley
CO-OP Ramen features an intricate wooden ceiling, crafted from construction-quality plywood, that runs throughout the restaurant and is illuminated by concealed light fixtures
Timothy Hursley
Coca-Cola Stage at the Alliance Theatre is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and was designed by Trahan Architects/APAC
Trahan Architects
Coca-Cola Stage at the Alliance Theatre was a complete restoration that involved the audience space being moved closer to the stage and greatly improving accessibility
Trahan Architects
Coca-Cola Stage at the Alliance Theatre is defined by beautiful steam-bent wooden railings and balconies. The project is one of this year's winners of the AIA 2021 Interior Architecture Awards
Trahan Architects
High Desert Retreat is located in Mountain Center, California, and was designed by Aidlin Darling Design
Joe Fletcher
High Desert Retreat's interior is finished in durable wood, stone, and steel
Adam Rouse Photography
High Desert Retreat offers views of the beautiful landscape with generous glazing which opens in places to promote natural cooling
Joe Fletcher
Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences Middle School is located in Seattle, Washington, and was designed by Aidlin Darling Design
Adam Hunter/LMN Architects
Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences Middle School's layout has been carefully calculated so that it maximizes solar heat gain in the winter, while sunshades limit solar heat gain in the summer
Lara Swimmer
Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences Middle School made good use of the rooftop by installing an outdoor playfield
Lara Swimmer
The Tanglewood Linde Center for Music and Learning is located in Lenox, Massachusetts, and was designed by William Rawn Associates, Architects, Inc.
Robert Benson Photography
The Tanglewood Linde Center for Music and Learning consists of four new buildings that provide no-cost fellowships to some of the USA's most talented musicians
Robert Benson Photography
The Tanglewood Linde Center for Music and Learning's four building are connected by a serpentine pathway and its cafe spaces and studio are naturally ventilated throughout the year
Robert Benson Photography
Vilcek Foundation is located in New York City and was designed by Architecture Research Office
Elizabeth Felicella/Elizabeth Felicella
Vilcek Foundation is filled with custom furniture and features high-end materials like bronze and marble
Elizabeth Felicella/Elizabeth Felicella
Vilcek Foundation involved the renovation of a five-story New York headquarters, to help the foundation to further its work of raising awareness of immigrants' contributions in America
Elizabeth Felicella/Elizabeth Felicella
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A desert retreat, a wood-carved theater, and a former shipyard are three standout projects that feature in the 2021 Interior Architecture Awards. Join us as we take a look at the best new interior design that the United States has to offer, as chosen by the prestigious American Institute of Architects (AIA).

The Interior Architecture Awards is an annual award by the AIA that represents the most innovative interior spaces created by a US-licensed firm. According to the AIA, its five-member jury evaluates entries based on their design achievement, including sense of place and purpose, ecology and environmental sustainability and history. A little on the seven entries can be found below, though head to the gallery to see more of each.

An Historic Shipyard Reincarnation kept many of the original fixtures from the original shipyard, including the lights and even equipment like cranes
Billy Hustace

An Historic Shipyard Reincarnation was designed by Marcy Wong Donn Logan Architects. The project involved the transformation of six buildings constructed between 1885 and 1941 on the former Bethlehem Shipbuilding yards in San Francisco into a work space for burgeoning tech firms.

The shipyard buildings were refurbished to make use of natural light from their existing windows and skylights. New timber mezzanine floors were inserted when required and the original industrial character of the site was retained as much as possible. Machinery and fittings have been kept in place, such as the old gantry cranes and restored light fixtures, as well as original tiles.

Coca-Cola Stage at the Alliance Theatre is defined by beautiful steam-bent wooden railings and balconies. The project is one of this year's winners of the AIA 2021 Interior Architecture Awards
Trahan Architects

The Coca-Cola Stage at the Alliance Theatre, in Atlanta, was designed by Trahan Architects/APAC. The 1968 theater space was dramatically altered, with the entire audience chamber moved closer to the stage. Seating plans that reflected a history of segregation were removed and accessibility was also significantly improved.

Inspired by a decorative wooden bowl in the theater's possession that was turned by the famous Moulthrop family, the firm engaged a wood sculptor specializing in steam-bent oak millwork to create beautiful guardrails and balconies that adorn the theater, lending it a distinctive and tasteful character.

High Desert Retreat offers views of the beautiful landscape with generous glazing which opens in places to promote natural cooling
Joe Fletcher

The High Desert Retreat is located on a rocky plateau offering views of the Coachella Valley and the San Jacinto Mountains in California. Architect Aidlin Darling Design took multiple camping trips to the site for inspiration and was struck by the dramatically swinging temperatures, as well as the rugged landscape.

In response, the firm created a home with a wood exterior that has been acetylated, burned, and wire-brushed to provide a finish that's resistant to insects and rot, while the interior is adorned with durable wood, stone, and steel. Generous glazing offers views of the beautiful desert landscape and the home's windows slide open to cool its interior naturally with the breeze. It's also powered by solar panels that are hooked up to batteries and features on-site water storage.

CO-OP Ramen is located in Bentonville, Arkansas, and was designed by Marlon Blackwell Architects. The restaurant is situated within a new food market installed in a former food factory
Timothy Hursley

CO-OP Ramen is located in Bentonville, Arkansas, and was designed by Marlon Blackwell Architects. The project is situated within a new food market that's installed in a former food factory.

Beaded-steel curtains obscure the view into the restaurant for passersby, so as to only offer the complete dining experience to those who enter, as well as to help control the amount of natural light inside. The restaurant is topped by a plywood roof that's illuminated by concealed light fixtures, while elsewhere lies a large living green wall. A variety of seating, from booths to communal dining tables, is installed.

The Tanglewood Linde Center for Music and Learning is located in Lenox, Massachusetts, and was designed by William Rawn Associates, Architects, Inc.
Robert Benson Photography

The Tanglewood Linde Center for Music and Learning was designed by William Rawn Associates, Architects, Inc. It serves as the summer home for the Boston Symphony Orchestra in Lenox, Massachusetts, and provides no-cost fellowships to some of the USA's most talented musicians.

The center is spread over four main buildings that are arranged around an old oak tree and connected by a meandering pathway. A large multi-use studio includes retractable seats and can hold rehearsals for a entire orchestra of musicians, while elsewhere are observation spaces, breakout spaces, and a cafe. While the building includes air-conditioning to ensure year-round operation, all of the studio and cafe spaces were designed to make use of natural ventilation. Large operable glass walls help maintain a comfortable temperature and open up the rooms to the surrounding landscape.

Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences Middle School made good use of the rooftop by installing an outdoor playfield
Lara Swimmer

The Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences Middle School in Washington was designed by Aidlin Darling Design. The school's interior is focused on open spaces and collaborative learning areas that foster opportunities for cross-disciplinary learning.

The building's layout has been carefully calculated so that it maximizes solar heat gain in the winter, while conversely limiting solar heat gain in the summer with shades. It's spread over six main levels, and the rooftop has also been utilized by installing an outdoor playing field.

Vilcek Foundation involved the renovation of a five-story New York headquarters, to help the foundation to further its work of raising awareness of immigrants' contributions in America
Elizabeth Felicella/Elizabeth Felicella

The Vilcek Foundation is located in New York City and was designed by Architecture Research Office. The project consisted of the renovation of a five-story office building to help the Foundation to further its work of raising awareness of immigrants' contributions in America

The firm enlivened the building's interior with custom furniture and high-end materials like brass and marble. The layout consists of a mixture of support spaces on the basement levels, with galleries up on the first and second floors that are defined by ribbed-glass-fiber-reinforced-gypsum ceilings. Offices are installed on the third and fourth floors, and a fifth-floor apartment that houses the Foundation's director crowns the building.

Source: AIA

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1 comment
paul314
That theater look gorgeous, but with all that bare wood I wonder about the acoustics.