Press Room/Releases

2014 AIACC President Installed

January 7, 2014| Press Room/Releases|

New President Begins Term

Brian Dougherty, FAIA, was installed as the 2014 President of the American Institute of Architects, California Council (AIACC). The installation ceremony was held in November at the California Club in Los Angeles. He succeeds Frank Bostrom, AIA, in representing nearly 11,000 California members.

Dougherty, Principal of Dougherty + Dougherty Architects, has over 36 years experience in practice, and has served as AIACC Board Member representing Orange County from 1988 to 1990, as well as serving as AIACC Secretary in 1991 and Regional Director from 1992 to 1995.
During his term as president, Dougherty hopes to actively engage students and practitioners to provide mentorship and create educational opportunities. Dougherty plans on placing special emphasis on partnering with the Academy for Emerging Professionals in order to continue to build and strengthen the opportunities for all individuals who choose architecture as their professional career.

In a time when the California economy is beginning to show signs of growth, Dougherty finds himself in a particularly exciting situation. “Creativity has become more highly valued and the ability to think in a way that synthesizes clear solutions to massively complicated issues, architects find themselves in a position to be leaders in society,” he said. Dougherty sees the architects as having a unique understanding of the impact actions have and the need to balance—from the cultural to the economic and environmental. “We have a society in California that is keenly aware of the value in being good stewards of our environment and who truly value good design.” This may explain why Dougherty was an eager advocate of holding the 2013 AIACC Design Awards reception at UC Berkeley, his alma mater, but more importantly, a place from which professionals emerge.

For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Shannon Calder 916.642.1718.

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AIACC Residential Award Recipients Announced

October 16, 2013| Press Room/Releases, The Value of Design|

 

Sacramento, Calif.—Recipients of the 2nd Annual Residential Design Awards program were announced Oct. 10.

This year, with over 100 entries, the jury of three narrowed it down to 10 winners, though not easily. The jury worked under a self-appointed theme of sustainable designs that initiated rich growing thought and simple, livable environments that would challenge while also maintaining a livable comfort factor.

From straightforward and clean lines witnessed through the honor award winner Nick Noyes Architecture for their Healdsburg Residence, to strategic-yet-playfully-sophisticated affordable living structure Broadway Housing by southern California architect firm Daly Genik, all award recipients projects had some unique and dynamic attributes which made them stand out. Take a look to see what projects were awarded and why.

View the gallery here.

Honor:

Healdsburg Residence
Nick Noyes Architecture
DESCRIPTION: Located on Fitch Mountain with expansive views of the Alexander valley, this single family residence is composed of four iconic metal-roofed gabled wings that are connected by an open breezeway and transparent entry and passage zones fabricated from a steel window and door system.
QUOTE: “This is not a look-at-me kind of house. It’s so straightforward and clean. There are no high jinks and it’s so wisely done. I’d go stay there for a weekend.”

Broadway Housing
Daly Genik
DESCRIPTION: Broadway Housing provides low-income families on the westside of Los Angeles with affordable housing that is environmentally and economically sustainable. The four, three story residential buildings are clustered around a starfish shaped internal courtyard and every room in each unit has access to natural light and ventilation.
QUOTE: “There is a nice materiality to this program, given what is known about affordable housing constraints. It’s not so cacophonous. It’s playful and sophisticated.

Moose Road Residence
Mork Ulnes Architects
DESCRIPTION: The challenge was to frame three opposing views while also preserving native oak trees. Three fingers extend precisely between existing trees to capture views and are supported on stilts to avoid severing tree roots. Constructed on a tiny footprint and budget, the building creates harmony with its environment.
QUOTE: “Really good decisions were made as the object-in-the-woods. It’s modest and fits the site really well. It’s efficient yet luxurious and generous in a way.”

Cloverdale 749
Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects
DESCRIPTION: Cloverdale749 embodies a contemporary design resolution that balances urban growth with simultaneous concerns regarding density. Employing a strategy to increase land use and capitalize on zoning, the building realizes its maximum allowable size; Cloverdale749’s skin, in its nuanced yet bold simplicity, celebrates its complete volume.
QUOTE: “The plan has a looseness that feeds permeability; the layering is successful. Each move is well-calculated.”

Merit:

Occidental House
Dowling Studios
DESCRIPTION: This 2,000 SF custom home is nestled in an 8-acre site surrounded by redwoods, meadows and vineyards. The house serves as a second residence and weekend retreat for a San Francisco-based family. The indoor/outdoor living experience was a driving force of the design.
QUOTE: “There is clarity to this one, and is energy-efficient without wearing that as its only badge.”

Floating Bungalow
Bestor Architecture
DESCRIPTION: The floating bungalow, a house on the unique Venice walk streets, is a modernist contemplation on (and reinterpretation of) the working class bungalows that line those streets. A billowy white bungalow form floats above the pedestrian way, protecting the private areas while creating a transparent and open public zone below.
QUOTE: “The composition is very well-done. It’s a very polite house in its context; the composition very smart.”

Bal House
Terry & Terry Architecture
DESCRIPTION: Conceived for a retired couple, the open and accessible design integrates the living space with the rear garden to create a well-lit domestic extension. Comprised of two floating volumes, the addition formally designates the bedroom to the west and the main space (kitchen, dining, and media area) to the east. The two wings gradually diverge from the original structure to generate a glass-clad fissure in between. This void space pulls the garden inwards, injecting elements of the outdoors into the core of the house.
QUOTE: “The plan is great. The fact that it is extending an existing building is a good model.”

Four Concrete Houses
XTEN Architecture
DESCRIPTION: This project is comprised of 4 small houses on 2 flat lots. The houses will be built in “shotcrete” and staggered in order to maximize outdoor garden spaces. The plans and elevations respond to adjacencies and are open in one direction for gardens/ views, and closed in the other for privacy.
QUOTE: “This concept challenges conventional thought. The smart planning is a prototype to assist us in envisioning the simplicity perhaps growing richer. It’s more of a concept for planning strategy.”

The Q
Jonathan Segal Architecture
DESCRIPTION: The Q loft rental building is a seven story mixed-use building located in the then blighted area of Little Italy in downtown San Diego. This building creates an anchor to draw development north and revitalizes this portion of downtown San Diego. The core of the building was designed to have net-zero energy usage.
QUOTE: “A real sense of clarity; very voyeuristic and self confident. The transparency of the left side is stunning.”

Out of the Box
Schwartz and Architecture
DESCRIPTION: Beginning with a simple box-like plan—not unlike many recent prototypes for low cost, sustainable homes—a few subtle shifts in plan transform this single-family house from the typical into the site specific. The shape begins to physically morph with the push and pull of the surrounding environment, maintaining an economy of means while building stronger relationships to the landscape beyond.
QUOTE: “This project meets the criteria and fits into the collection of projects well. It adjusts itself to context in a modest and relatable way.”

Since 1982, the AIACC has celebrated outstanding architecture through the Design Awards program. The Residential Design Awards program proudly recognizes excellence in architecture and continues to celebrate the value of good design.

To view award winning projects click here.

For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Shannon Calder 916.642.1718.

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Prestigious Architecture Awards Announced

August 21, 2013| AIACA, Design Awards, Press Room/Releases|

California Architects Compete for Top Prize in the State

What do an isolated cantilevered residence, a playful-yet-sophisticated office, and a progressive medical school building have in common? They are among the winners of one of the most prestigious design award programs in the country.

Since 1982, The American Institute of Architects, California Council (AIACC) has celebrated outstanding architecture through the AIACC Design Awards program. Once again, The AIACC proudly recognizes excellence in architecture and design, announcing the recipients of this year’s Design Awards competition and celebrates the value of design.

Nearly 300 entries were reviewed by the jury. Jurors convened in San Francisco, flying in from New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta, to discuss their top selections. Jurors included these five esteemed individuals: Gabrielle Bullock, AIA – Perkins + Will; Merrill Elam, AIA – Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects; Vivian Lee, AIA – Edmonds + Lee Architects; Jenna McKnight – Architizer Magazine; Ronnette Riley, FAIA – Ronnette Riley Architect.

All who entered should be proud as the caliber of work was extremely high—even the submittals which did not make it to the final rounds received oohs and ahhs and accolades. The jury opinion was unanimous in this regard.

Following is a list of all the winners, but each have their own unique story—both the firm and the structure. To find out more, or to schedule an interview, contact Shannon Calder 916.642.1718.

2013 Honor Awards

Architecture

Small Projects

Voussoir Cloud, SCIArc Gallery, Los Angeles – IwamotoScott Architecture

2013 Merit Awards

Architecture

Interior

Small Projects

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Blueprint for Change: AIACC Delivers Whitepaper

July 9, 2013| News, Press Room/Releases|

 

The American Institute of Architects, California Council (AIACC) has published and delivered their whitepaper, Leadership for California’s Design and Construction Industry, to the Governor Brown’s Office.

Leadership for California’s Design and Construction Industry was developed for the expressed purpose of identifying both the challenges and the opportunities facing California’s number one market sector, the design and construction industry – which in 2012 contributed more than nearly $40 billion to California’s economy according to McGraw–Hill Construction. As noted in the whitepaper, the design and construction industry lacks an advocate within the administration to coordinate and manage policy decisions regarding the State’s infrastructure investment, as well as identify issues and concerns of the industry in general. The whitepaper identifies that, as a consequence, the impact on the State, local agencies and the general public are not comprehensively considered. This results in inefficiencies, waste and lost opportunities.

The AIACC believes this publication constructs a framework from which to begin a long overdue dialogue, from which it hopes will ultimately put in motion needed and necessary changes toward improving State government’s internal and external effect on the design and construction industry, and those whom they serve.

The Council looks forward to hearing from the Governor’s Office and working with this administration team. Click here to download the “Leadership for California’s Design and Construction Industry” whitepaper.

 

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AIACC Announces Jonathan Segal, FAIA, as the 2013 Distinguished Practice Award Recipient

August 16, 2012| Press Room/Releases|

The American Institute of Architects, California Council (AIACC) announces Jonathan Segal, FAIA, of San Diego as the 2013 AIACC Distinguished Practice Award recipient. This annual award recognizes significant contributions to a specific building type or practice area, as well as an individual architect’s work, responses to challenges and innovations within the design and construction process, and achievement of design excellence through a collaborative spirit. This award recognizes a career of dedicated commitment to the built environment.

Established in 1989, Jonathan Segal FAIA & Development Company is known for its design and development of medium- to high-density residential and mixed-use projects. Segal has pioneered the architect’s role in the development process, showcasing his “architect as developer” philosophy in such innovative projects as the Kettner Row & Little Italy Neighborhood Development, the first attempt to create fee simple single-family convertible housing in downtown San Diego; The Union, San Diego, an adaptively reused, sustainable affordable residential housing unit for which Segal acted as owner, developer and contractor; and The Q, San Diego, a sustainable residential and retail building that Segal first designed as an office building but, facing changing markets, resourcefully converted to loft apartments and retail.

Segal’s firm has received more than 60 national and local design awards, including six National AIA Honor Awards and Residential Architect’s 2012 Project of the Year Award for The Charmer, a mixed-use housing and retail project in San Diego.

Segal has shown consistent commitment to mentorship and to the advancement of the architectural profession, the Awards jury noted. He has lectured throughout the United States and Europe, offering his lecture series “Architect as Developer” live and online. Recently, Segal co-founded Woodbury University’s Master of Architecture in Real Estate Development program, a hands-on, studio-based curriculum that aims to bring the unique perspective of the architect into a leadership role in building development.

“Jonathan Segal is an excellent practitioner,” the Awards jury commented, “and in his firm, he has created a unique business model that has changed the way architects practice. He demonstrates a strong commitment to community involvement, particularly in the city of San Diego, and has dedicated himself to the profession as an educator.”

The AIACC congratulates Jonathan Segal on his impressive accomplishment.

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AIA California Council Announces 2012 Design Award Recipients

August 14, 2012| DA Press Releases, Press Room/Releases|

Since 1982, The American Institute of Architects, California Council (AIACC) has celebrated outstanding architecture through the AIACC Design Awards program. Once again, The AIACC proudly recognizes excellence in architecture and design, announcing the recipients of this year’s Design Awards competition and celebrates the value of design.

This year, nearly 300 submittals were reviewed by the esteemed Design Awards jury, which comprised Edmund Ong, FAIA, of Edmund W. Ong Architecture & Planning; John Ronan, AIA, of John Ronan Architects; Julie Snow, FAIA, of Julie Snow Architects; David Thurm, Hon. AIA, of the Art Institute of Chicago; and Clive Wilkinson, AIA, of Clive Wilkinson Architects.

Two Honor Awards for Architecture were given:

  • Flynn Mews (Dublin, Ireland): Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects
  • Golden Gate Valley Branch Library (San Francisco, CA): Tom Eliot Fisch / Paulett Taggart Architects, JV

One Honor Award for Interior Architecture was given:

  • HyundaiCard Airport Lounge (Incheon International Airport, South Korea): Gensler

One Honor Award for Small Projects was given:

  • Oakland Museum of California Event Space (Oakland, CA): Jensen Architects

Nine Merit Awards for Architecture were given:

  • Marin Country Day School (Marin, CA): EHDD
  • East Bay Center for the Performing Arts (Richmond, CA): Mark Cavagnero Associates
  • San Joaquin Valley Residence (San Joaquin Valley, CA): Aidlin Darling Design
  • Community Foundation Santa Cruz County (Aptos, CA): Mark Cavagnero Associates
  • The Q (San Diego, CA): Jonathan Segal FAIA Architect
  • Tahiti Affordable Housing (Santa Monica, CA): Daly Genik
  • Surfhouse (Hermosa Beach, CA): XTEN Architecture
  • Gagosian Gallery Addition (Beverly Hills, CA): Richard Meier & Partners Architects LLP
  • Charles David Keeling Apartments, UC San Diego (San Diego, CA): KieranTimberlake

One Merit Award for Interior Architecture was given:

  • Bar Agricole (San Francisco, CA): Aidlin Darling Design

One Merit Award for Small Projects was given:

  • Coffee Bar Montgomery (San Francisco, CA): jones | haydu

The AIACC congratulates all the Design Award winners on their impressive accomplishments.

2012 Honor Awards for Architecture

Flynn Mews (Dublin, Ireland)

Architect/Firm: Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects

Description: Situated in the heart of Dublin, Ireland on the site of an existing 1847 Georgian Manor, the firm was asked to design a single family mews that incorporates a historically significant coach house façade. The local planning council requested that the existing façade be restored with only limited alterations and that views from the primary manor be maintained. The council’s parameters were used as the driving force behind the design.

Jury comments: “This home is a fabulous, intriguing example of the integration of new and old elements. Well-proportioned and naturally lit, it uses changing materials and color to draw the visitor into the house.”

Golden Gate Valley Branch Library (San Francisco, CA)

Architect/Firm: Tom Eliot Fisch / Paulett Taggart Architects, JV

Description: This project includes the preservation and renovation of an historic, San Francisco Branch Public Library designed by Ernest Coxhead as well as the construction of a small addition. The $4.2 million project was completed in October 2011 and provides accessibility, seismic, and life safety upgrades; improvements to the mechanical and electrical systems; façade restoration; and a complete interior renovation.

Jury comments: “This is a smart project that has been executed beautifully. It achieves its purpose of seismic upgrading while also creating a wonderful mix of old and modern elements. The enlarged tree grates and the book return are particularly well-designed details.”

2012 Honor Award for Interior Architecture

HyundaiCard Airport Lounge (Incheon International Airport, South Korea)

Architect/Firm: Gensler

Description: This is an exclusive environment that offers unique travel assistance for VIP members. As a counterpoint to the surrounding visual noise and frenzied airport activity, planning for the space was defined by the unexpected convergence of lounge, retail and museum programs. The proposed part is deceptively simple, with functions arranged in a freestanding “black box.”

Jury comments: “The design of this project is considerate on many levels, and it successfully attempts something quite experimental, reinventing the high-end travel club. It correlates the virtual world with the physical in a sophisticated way, incorporating tactical personalization reminiscent of the iPad.”

2012 Honor Award for Small Projects

Oakland Museum of California Event Space (Oakland, CA)

Architect/Firm: Jensen Architects

Description: A wall painting with chairs—this project was developed as an adaptable tool kit serving new public programming and special events at the local museum. Sited in the museum’s terraced-concrete entry plaza, the project creates an outdoor living room for the community with simple metal garden chairs hung from hooks like chairs in a Shaker house.

Jury comments: “This is a wonderful social space that achieves a great deal with minimal resources. It uses essential furniture in a completely creative way, the chair pattern changing each time the chairs are hung. The use of chalkboard paint contributes a great interactive quality as well.”

2012 Merit Awards for Architecture

Marin Country Day School (Marin, CA)

Architect/Firm: EHDD

Description: This award-winning K-8 school is an independent, coed school with 540 students. It has the distinction of being the first zero net energy school building in North America. The school is nestled into nature on an idyllic campus located north of San Francisco.

Jury comments: “The school is well sited and integrated with its context. The use of materials shows real control and clarity, with steel used consistently in the structure and wood used consistently wherever the human body comes into contact. Lighting is used beautifully, and the connection of indoor and outdoor spaces is particularly noteworthy. The school creates a space for young children without pandering to them or becoming too childish.”

East Bay Center for the Performing Arts (Richmond, CA)

Architect/Firm: Mark Cavagnero Associates

Description: This community performing arts center is a nationally-recognized training and production center, dedicated to the underserved youth of the community which it serves. Located in a neighborhood known as the “Iron Triangle,” distinguished primarily for its chronic poverty and violence, the Center is a significant resource for the community and at the heart of a revitalization effort downtown. Reusing a historically-significant building, a former 1920s dance hall, the facility has been transformed into a new urban center for music and dance.

Jury comments: “The design of this project is clean and direct, its spaces arranged in a way that respects, maintains and preserves the building envelope. The exterior does an excellent job of expressing what is inside, communicating a feeling of accessibility to the city, particularly in the way that it allows dance to take place on the street level.”

San Joaquin Valley Residence (San Joaquin, CA)

Architect/Firm: Aidlin Darling Design

Description: The design of this private residence presented many challenges, not the least of which involved creating a comfortable place to live amongst the vast agriculture of the Central Valley. It needed to provide protection from intense summer heat while affording easy access to outdoor living. Inspired by the paintings of Giorgio de Chirico, simple forms cast in strong daylight and shadow capture a spirit of place. Heavy opaque walls and overhanging rooflines provide much needed protection from direct sun while giving acoustic and visual privacy from surrounding working orchards.

Jury comments: “This house is a calm, serene space, remarkably detailed. The wood columns contribute beautifully to its elegant feel.”

Community Foundation Santa Cruz County (Aptos, CA)

Architect/Firm: Mark Cavagnero Associates

Description: This Local Community Foundation has helped local donors invest wisely in their community since 1982. The Foundation desired a permanent home in order to control their administrative costs and securely anchor the non-profit as a community resource. With generosity from local donors and philanthropists, the Foundation has developed a new home in the Central Coast area of California. The new 10,000 square-foot office building is located on a 30,000 square-foot site in a predominantly commercial district in the center of town. The new building can house their 10 current employees with room to grow to their projected 24 employees and volunteers.

Jury comments: “The massing on this project is very strong, and it has a great materiality, using inexpensive materials to excellent effect. Also remarkable is how well-suited it seems to its location and street.”

The Q (San Diego, CA)

Architect/Firm: Jonathan Segal FAIA Architect

Description: The Q is a seven-story mixed-use residential, office, and commercial development in the Little Italy district of downtown San Diego. The building integrates all of these uses within a small 50×200 foot infill lot while also saving the oldest home in Little Italy.

Jury comments: “This is a very intriguing project with strong massing. It is an excellent example of maximizing a space in an innovative way.”

Tahiti Affordable Housing (Santa Monica, CA)

Architect/Firm: Daly Genik

Description: High density, low-rise workforce housing in Los Angeles is pulled by two dissimilar models. The first is the ubiquitous type of Southern California low-cost rental housing, the dingbat apartment, which is characterized by surface parking facing the street, exterior circulation and a single, thematic ornament.

Jury comments: “This building successfully creates both social and private spaces. It has an energetic, animated feel and makes great use of modest materials. The façade and walkways add texture, and the railing is another particularly beautiful detail.”

Surfhouse (Hermosa Beach, CA)

Architect/Firm: XTEN Architecture

Description: This residence appears as an abstract block of ebonized cedar a few blocks from the Pacific Ocean in Hermosa Beach. The site is very small. While typical lots in the area measure 120’ x 40’, the allowable building area for the residence measures just 33’ x 24’. The project budget was equally restrictive, with the project being constructed for approximately $310 per square foot.

Jury comments: “This project gets a great deal out of its small footprint. It makes beautiful use of windows, and its circulation plan is creative, bringing indoor and outdoor spaces together and cleverly placing the living room on the top floor to take advantage of an ocean view.”

Gagosian Gallery Addition (Beverly Hills, CA)

Architect/Firm: Richard Meier & Partners Architects LLP

Description: This adaptive reuse of retail space is situated in the commercial center of Beverly Hills and expands on the existing gallery’s exhibition space and offices designed by Richard Meier & Partners Architects LLP in 1995. New second level offices and a private skylit viewing gallery comprising 7,400 square feet address the growing gallery’s administrative and exhibit needs.

Jury comments: “This project skillfully converts an existing shell into a beautiful space. Although it is two buildings, it elegantly reads as one piece. The boat truss is an especially thoughtful detail.”

Charles David Keeling Apartments, UC San Diego (San Diego, CA)

Architect/Firm: KieranTimberlake

Description: This student residence overlooking the coastal cliffs of La Jolla houses 510 students. Named for the scientist whose research first alerted the world to the possibility of the human impact on global atmospheric carbon, it employs a suite of tactics to address Southern California’s pressing environmental challenges of storm water management, water scarcity, and carbon emissions. The apartments are instrumental in the revitalization of the college by bringing students closer to their core academic buildings.

Jury comments: “This project reflects careful attention to context. Among its most intriguing elements are the green roof, courtyard and façades; the exterior corridors also do a wonderful job of incorporating social spaces.”

2012 Merit Award for Interior Architecture

Bar Agricole (San Francisco, CA)

Architect/Firm: Aidlin Darling Design

Description: Located on a gritty street in San Francisco’s industrial South of Market district, this modern urban tavern is a hybrid of cocktail bar and restaurant where the drink menu is just as intriguing and meticulously conceived as the food. Inspired by the farmhouse rums of the French Caribbean, the establishment is both down‐to-¬earth and sophisticated in its approach to food, drink, and the dining experience.

Jury comments: “It is difficult to create a new space that feels comfortable when those who use the space are already familiar with its old design. This project merges old and new successfully, bringing in beautiful lighting with an airy quality. There is a lot of design packed into each square inch.”

2012 Merit Award for Small Projects

Coffee Bar Montgomery (San Francisco, CA)

Architect/Firm: jones | haydu

Description: This client serves as a retail outlet for a Bay Area institution and a leader in fine coffee on the West Coast. Their mission is to provide a workshop to explore, experiment, and embrace the trends of the coffee industry. Used for storage previously, the existing space in the heart of the Financial District was small (under 500 square feet) with no distinctive architectural features, save tall ceilings and a full height glass storefront. The number of materials was kept to a minimum so as not to overwhelm the small space. The staggered, high-efficiency light fixtures create a glowing wood shell—read through the building’s colonnade—that serves as a beacon to pedestrians.

Jury comments: “This intimate space is an outstanding example of using very few materials and doing it very well. The way the concrete reaches up to touch the wood is elegant and clean. The integration of the lighting simplifies the experience to make the ordering of coffee the focal point.”

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