The Austin Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) presented 19 designers with prestigious awards during their 2023 celebration on Wednesday, May 17. The awards recognize exceptional talent and hard work by local architects and AIA Austin Members.
“Design excellence standards have evolved to emphasize sustainability and community along with aesthetics, and Austin architects have embraced that,” said executive director Ingrid Spencer in a press release. “The jurors were awed by the quality and diversity within these submissions. They were able to select a range of incredible projects that rigorously addressed site, context, and climate.”
The Design Awards are broken up into three categories: excellence, merit, and special commendation, which is decided by the jurors. Of the 19 winners chosen, six were recognized with excellence awards, nine won merit awards, and three earned special commendations.
The six winners of the Design Award of Excellence, with their submitted projects, are:
- Page, 200 West 6th Street
- Barnes Gromatzky Kosarek Architects with Perkins&Will, Austin Community College Highland Phase II
- Overland Partners and Studio8 Architects, Austin Community College — Rio Grande Campus Renovation
- Cuppett Kilpatrick Architects, Belmont Park
- McKinney York Architects, Sánchez Elementary School
- Nelsen Partners, Talavera Lofts
The nine Design Award of Merit winners, with their projects, are:
- Alterstudio Architecture, Alta Vista Residence
- Pelli Clarke & Partners and STG Design, Block 185
- McKinney York Architects, Community First! Village Micro House
- Charles Di Piazza Architecture, Dogtrot House
- Andersson/Wise, Elizita Ranch
- Matt Fajkus Architecture, Filtered Frame Dock
- Miró Rivera Architects, Five Yard House
- Lemmo Architecture and Design, Pleasant Valley House
- Gensler, University of Texas at Austin Moody Center Basketball and Events Arena
The three Commendation winners are:
- Commendation: Humancentric Design – Page, AISD Rosedale School
- Commendation: Public Amenity – Jobe Corral Architects, Festival Beach Restroom
- Commendation: Site Specificity – Furman + Keil Architects, Hillside House
A panel of jurors selected the winning designers out of 111 total submissions. The panel is made up of industry professionals and academics, including Ahmed ElHusseiny, the founder and principal of AE Superlab in New York; Urs Peter Flueckiger, Dean of the College of Architecture at Texas Tech University in Lubbock; and Stephanie Kingsnorth, principal at Pfeiffer — A Perkins Eastman Studio in New York and Los Angeles.
Photo by Albert Verceka/Esto
These 19 projects embody Austin's design excellence, according to the Austin Chapter of Austin Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). (Pictured: 200 West 6th Street)
During the ceremony at Austin PBS, Mayor Kirk Watson announced the winner of the Community Impact Award. H+uo Architects (stylized h+uo architects) received this award for their work on the Roosevelt Gardens.
More information about the AIA Austin Design Awards can be found on aiaaustin.org.
