| 2010 AIA Small Project Awards, part 3 of 3 |
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| Friday, 23 July 2010 00:00 |
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As explained in part 1 of the article, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) have selected the 10 recipients of the 2010 Small Project Awards. Small Project Structures
East Village Studio; New York City
Jordan Parnass Digital Architecture
Living and working in just under 500 square feet, the client had been pushing the limits of what his studio, in Manhattan's East Village, would accommodate but he loved the neighborhood, and appreciated the environmental benefits of having such a minimal footprint.
The architects pointed out that the client had been occupying the space without ever really living in it, nothing had a home. They goal, they decided, should be to embed his lifestyle into the DNA of the place. Let his living patterns sculpt and mold the space to create an elegant and efficient environment.
The solution was ultimately to combine the kitchen, bath, sleeping loft and a new walk-in closet into an intricately sculpted wood-paneled central service core. The space outside of the core area would remain as flexible as possible, with millwork finished in a high-gloss white to read as part of the shell and stand in contrast to the wooden service core.
Construction Cost in whole dollars 100,000 Salve Staff Canteen; Milwaukee
Johnsen Schmaling Architects
Kevin Mundy Memorial Bridge; Bozeman, Montana
Intrinsik Architecture
[Wide] Band - Nomadic Café; Los Angeles
Griffin Enright Architects
Related Articles:  2010 AIA Small Project AwardsThe American Institute of Architects (AIA) have selected the 10... Read More >> 2010 AIA Small Project Awards, part 2 of 3As explained in part 1 of the article, the American... Read More >> |
| Last Updated on Friday, 23 July 2010 07:58 |
This small canteen serves the cooks, janitors, and maids of an ornate downtown hotel built in 1893. Located deep inside the building’s subterranean belly and without access to daylight, the canteen was carved out of a cluttered maze of residual spaces previously occupied by closets, obsolete mechanical equipment, and a make-shift break room. 
Invisible to the well-endowed hotel guests above, this modest back-of-the-house project demonstrates architecture’s transformative power, regardless of scope or budget limitations, benefitting a community of workers at the bottom of the economic food chain. A simple perimeter ribbon weaves around massive columns and conceals the basement’s ubiquitous mechanical and structural clutter, tying together the fragmented spaces and transforming them into a quiet dining room with a long “harvest table” at its center. 
Throughout the space, carefully positioned “history apertures” – deep acrylic-sheathed display cases – penetrate the perimeter to peel away and expose hidden layers of the hotel’s past. Masonry foundations, pipes, furring strips, paint spills and water stains from previous leaks: laid bare and subtly illuminated, these historic traces become artifacts, framing an eloquent narrative of the building’s structural and aesthetic DNA. The apertures become windows into the past, their warm light softly washing the space. 
Construction Cost in whole dollars $60,000 
This unique structure is proof that great things are done in partnership. With the help of the Gallatin Valley Land Trust, the Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, the Montana Outdoor Science School, Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and many others, this bridge and outdoor classroom provides a key link for pedestrian access to a new impressive trail system, and acts as a focal point for passive and active education and recreation.
The bridge is easily accessible from the trail head, yet secluded enough to create a destination and unique discovery. 
With a clear span of 50 feet, the bridge is two halves made up of two opposing shed trusses, each with a high part and a lower part. The moment frame, accentuated by powder-coated orange steel, joins the two wood halves together. Seating is designed to accommodate many and offer dynamic shelter to contemplate the art of the structure and the nature of the place. From various perspectives, including the winding approaches and from points high along the trail, the dynamic form continues to surprise and impress.
The poetry of the form comes from the straight lines that, when connected, create a graceful flowing curve.
Construction Cost in whole dollars $150,000 
Project Description [WIDE]BAND is a 600-square foot, portable project with the flexibility to accommodate a multiplicity of functions (more or less the architectural equivalent of a hermit crab shell). 
The name, [WIDE]BAND, alludes to the physical loop formed by the surfaces and to the broadband technology supporting the wireless Internet access provided. The primary material, orange 3/4” polycarbonate core panels (Pep) manufactured by 3Form, was chosen for its structural capacity to span large spaces and for its translucency, allowing the structure to be exceptionally thin and light. The panels are supported by a light skeleton of 1½” steel frames. 
Walls, floor, and ceiling are shaped by wrapping the panels in a continuous loop, culminating in a long table which becomes an obstacle in the center of the room directing movement around and through the semi-transparent landscape. The table bisects the space, while becoming a nexus for engagement, promoting the interaction of visitors with each other as they negotiate the space. 
Construction Cost in whole dollars 32,000 
