American Institute of Architects names award winners
If you build it, they will come. Or maybe not.
But if you build it well and infuse it with creativity that can boost productivity, highlight a brand and promote office comity while withstanding annual hundred-degree temperature swings, you will have a potential winner of the American Institute of Architects”™ annual statewide business competition.
“The awards acknowledge those projects that both enhance the built environment and achieve business goals, such as growth, branding identity or future positioning,” the AIA said in a competition statement. The association has more than 1,200 Connecticut members.
- Dorel Sports by CPG Architects. Photo courtesy David Sundberg/Esto
The awards date to 2006.
The new Dorel Sports offices in Wilton ”” home to Cannondale Bicycle Corp. ”” was named the top example of architecture for a Connecticut business with more than 50 employees. CPG Architects in Stamford won for its Dorel design in the “Over 50 Employees” category.
The award signifies “the power of architecture to shape business performance, improve people”™s lives and provide a value-added service to clients.”
An expansion project by Belimo Americas, which makes develops, manufactures and markets building energy and HVAC systems in Danbury, won honorable mention. Its architectural work was done by Glastonbury architects The SLAM Collaborative.
The Connecticut Center for Arts and Technology in New Haven won for the “Under 50 Employees” category.
The jurors were Laura Pirie, an AIA member with Pirie Associates Architects in New Haven; Duo Dickinson, AIA member and principal at Duo Dickinson Architect in Madison; and Ralph Rotomund of S & R Holdings, also in Madison.
The jurors said of the Dorel building, “The project looks like its story; it merges both the staff and visitor experience and meets all the corporate strategic goals. The design supports the firm”™s branding and gets out the message of what it does. Interesting and well executed, it shows that you can have fun doing a project.”
Regarding the Belimo project, the judges said, “The design demonstrates active thinking about the future and incorporates planning for the future. The jury appreciated the extra efforts and clear, consistent attempt to integrate branding in a large scale facility, which is always a difficult task.”
The judges said of the New Haven-based architects Svigals and Partners”™ work on the Connecticut Center for Arts and Technology, “This engaging, inviting project does a lot with a little. It demonstrates growth and takes the client to the next level. It has energy, dynamism, and shows what can be achieved with a small budget.”