2020 Design Awards

Honor Award
Levitated Toy Factory

Category: Built

Firm: DNCA Llc

Architects of Record:

Devendara Narayan Contractor AIA and Deirdre Harris AIA

Jury notes:

We gave an HONOR AWARD to the Levitated Toy Factory, a wonderfully executed renovation of an older downtown commercial building. The before and after photos tell an effective story. In adapting a quite conventional rectangular office structure, the design pulled out all the technological stops, creating a joyous and entertaining new use with innovative applications of materials and lighting, including elegant solar panel "eyebrows". The end result has a magically engaging nighttime as well as daytime presence. We loved it!

Merit Award
1713D Montano Street

Category: Built

Firm: Archiscape

Architect of Record: Aaron Bohrer AIA

Jury notes:

We gave a MERIT AWARD to the 1713D Montano project, a relatively small 1,254 SF house on a modest budget. It had a deceptively simple, interesting plan and got a lot of mileage out of a creative use of materials and colors and careful detailing.

Merit Award
La Molina

Category: Built

Firm: Autotroph

Architect of Record: Alexander Dzurec AIA

Jury notes:

We gave another MERIT AWARD to La Molina. Its contemporary architecture successfully referenced the western ranch vernacular, using a combination of colored concrete, rammed earth and rusted corrugated metal. The house, stables and guest casitas seemed well planned to appreciate their expansive desert setting. We especially liked the simple yet dynamically connected forms of the guest casitas.

Commendation Award
110 Circle Drive

Category: Built

Firm: Autotroph

Architect of Record: Alexander Dzurec AIA

Jury notes:

We gave a COMMENDATION AWARD to the 110 Circle Drive project. This was a small, 586 SF addition to an existing house, and we felt that it accomplished a lot on a modest budget, giving the existing house a new lease on life.

Innovation Award
The Starship

Category: Conceptual

Firm: Autotroph

Architect of Record: Alexander Dzurec AIA

In the Conceptual category, we applauded all three submissions for their serious concerns for the potentially dire future of the environment, something practicing architects are hard pressed to do enough to address. We gave the INNOVATION AWARD to The Starship. Its concept seemed thoughtfully developed towards a more feasible architecture solution.