Just as thousands converge on Phoenix for Greenbuild, AIA
Seattle has announced its 2009 Honor Awards, featuring an impressive array of
Washington architecture projects – many pushing the limits of sustainable
design.
Olson Sundberg
Kundig Allen
Among the four Honor Awards were the
Wing Luke Asian Museum,
a massive renovation of a 1910 multi-story building led by Olson Sundberg
Kundig Allen. Located in Seattle’s Chinatown International District, the museum
highlights daylighting and natural air flow, while materials reuse and recycling
play a central role in preserving the intimacy of the original space. Another
award winner, the
Vancouver Convention Centre West Expansion by LMN, has a
six-acre living roof – the largest non-industrial living roof in North America.
Jones & Jones
Architects
Other achievements include shoreline and marine habitat restoration, a water
reuse system that features black water treatment and desalinization, advanced
energy management systems and extensive use of controlled daylight. Another
standout was the
Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center, a 320-acre
wetland park in City of Bellevue, Washington. Designed by Jones & Jones
Architects and Landscape Architects, this LEED Gold project illustrated the
possibilities of low-impact development, with on-site stormwater management, preserving
mature trees during development, and artfully integrating the landscape and
buildings.
Zero-Plus | STAVE
AIA Seattle Merit Awards and Commendations went to NBBJ, The
Miller|Hull Partnership, Mithun and others. But perhaps the most intriguing
entry received a Citation within the “Envisioned” project category: BIO(da)TA.
Created by Zero-Plus | STAVE for
Expo 2012 Yeosu (Korea, to be held May 12 to
August 12, 2012), this thematic pavilion reflects the exposition’s theme of
"The Living Ocean and Coast”. The designers see this “architectural system
of dispersal” as encouraging direct interaction with the ocean and coastal
environment. Their design statement: “This project is a living and adaptive
building set into and on the water, adjusting daily with the tidal ebb and flow.”
See the full list of award winners, photos and schematics at
AIA Seattle.
