AIA SANTA FE DESIGN EXCELLENCE AWARDS

2007 Jury Comments...

CITATION AWARD

COMMERCIAL OVER $2,000,000     return to images

Sky City Cultural Center
+ Haak’u Museum

Architects - Felix Architecture + Design
Joint Venture w/ Wood Metal Concrete Architecture
Owner - Acoma Business Enterprises
General Contractor - Jaynes Construction

Jury Comments:

• Respect for the existing building traditional form and organic development of the building
• Jury discussed the disparate nature  of the original architectural vocabulary and the new buildings successful response to that.
• Challenge of projects having symbols controlling the architecture.  This was successfully sorted. They rose above the natural response to slather projects with symbolic gestures that have nothing to do with the architecture; that was not used as a crutch.  It’s architecture and not a series of decals.
•  Recognition and respect for the “collage-like” composition of existing pueblo…
• There was a discussion about the modern moves on the exterior with a very traditional response on the interiors.
• Long views in the interior brought a sense of the surrounding landscape.

MERIT AWARD

The Richmond Street Studios

Architects - Calott + Gifford Architecture / Urban Design
Owner - Infill Solutions
General Contractor - Chris Vigil Construction

Jury Comments:

• Respect for the existing building traditional form and organic development of the building
• Jury discussed the disparate nature  of the original architectural vocabulary and the new buildings successful response to that.
• Challenge of projects having symbols controlling the architecture.  This was successfully sorted. They rose above the natural response to slather projects with symbolic gestures that have nothing to do with the architecture; that was not used as a crutch.  It’s architecture and not a series of decals.
• Recognition and respect for the “collage-like” composition of existing pueblo…
• There was a discussion about the modern moves on the exterior with a very traditional response on the interiors.
• Long views in the interior brought a sense of the surrounding landscape.

MERIT AWARD

Santa Fe High School Academic Building

Design Architects - Ellis / Browning Architects, Ltd.
Architect of Record - Ellis / Browning + BPLW Joint Venture
Owner - Santa Fe Public Schools
General Contractor - Cameron Construction

Jury Comments:

• Demonstrates innovation within a traditional palette such as the simply structure stair.  What appears in silhouette as a traditional architecture is revealed on closer inspection to be quite modern.  An example is the interior, doubly cantilevered stair.
• The courtyard is very successful in its composition, proportion, introduction of an urban-like space creates a
• The vocabulary of the courtyard is wonderfully rhythmic, with different forms that have a balanced continuity
• The covered bridge in the courtyard has a great framed view of the library as a natural visual terminus.
• The jury also appreciates the judicious use of scarce education funding to focus building features to balance architectural excellence with programmatic needs.
• The atrium successfully provides a delightful, daylit space that also serves as a social space that’s important to high school students.
• We’re guessing that the building’s energy performance will also keep costs low to provide more dollars to educational needs.

HONORS AWARD

RESIDENTIAL OVER $750,000     return to images

The Pacheco Street Lofts

Architects - Calott + Gifford Architecture / Urban Design
Owner - Pacheco Street Partners, LLC
General Contractor - Enterprise Builders

Jury Comments:

• While this award is appropriately celebrating the architecture, the jury is also impressed with the urban design.
• Wonderful melding between the adobe and industrial idioms.
• The geometry is striking and well composed.
• Just as there are a few things on a railroad locomotive that are frivolous, and there few things on this project that are appropriately frivolous.
• The balconies are particularly successful, expressive, functional, structurally responsive.  We hoped for their factory assembly.
• The way the building stands to the street with its open slots create a successful screen from the railroad to the city.
• People arriving on the railroad will enjoy the transition from the industrial zone to the pueblo, stucco zone.
• Without using the traditional stucco color, the stucco itself connects to the context of the city. 
• With the massing, it remains solid on the city side with a nice punctuation to the project’s interior (traditional) and opens up with great transparency to the railroad.
• The jury hopes that this design vocabulary can become more prevalent in keeping Santa Fe fresh and contemporary; this project is an apt harbinger to the architecture community.