The AIA Chicago announced the winners of its fourth annual Small Projects Awards at a ceremony held on Friday at Architectural Artifacts in the Lincoln Square neighborhood. Presented to 13 projects this year, these awards recognize high design on a small scale as well as emerging local architecture firms that are operating with fewer than 10 people. From a field of 96 entries, jurors chose four honor awards, eight citations of merit, and a special recognition award. This year, the jury included Chris Cooper, AIA, of Cooper Joseph Studio; Carolyn Armenta Davis, Hon. AIA, architectural historian and writer; Chris Force, editor and publisher of Design Bureau and Green Building + Design; Mark Peters, AIA, of Studio Dwell; and Vladimir Radunty, AIA, of SIDE Architecture.
To view details and images of each of the winning projects, visit ARCHITECT’s Project Gallery. The winning projects—along with jury comments—are listed below.
Honor Awards:
Harbert Cottage, designed by Searl Lamaster Howe Architects: “This is just an excellent use of prefab materials … The place explodes with light.”
The Wave, designed by dSPACE Studio: “It is refreshing to see something so expressive with the space … It’s good design which animates the heart of the city.”
Ping Tom Park Boathouse, designed by Johnson & Lee Architects and Planners: “Everything is relational and in dialogue with each other, including the river … Wonderfully sited and reflects the city’s desire to engage the river.”
Two Barns, designed by Paul Preissner Architects and Indie Architecture: ““Exceptional use of off-the-shelf products … and, wow, what a cool space to see Nick Cave.”
Citations of Merit:
Atrium House, designed by dSPACE Studio: “It’s a great space and it suffuses the home with natural light, which is always a problem in these urban environments.”
Little You, designed by Bureau of Architecture and Design: “[It’s] a place that children will enjoy being in … [with] a grown-up presence on a budget.”
Woodland Dune Home, designed by Kuklinski + Rappe Architects: “There’s a high level of respect for the environment, and it must be a very nice place to spend the weekend.”
Safe House, designed by Wrap Architecture: “It’s a solid plan to combat some of the forces of nature … It can take any challenges.”
Cell Table, designed by Dirk Denison Architects: “Because of the way they carved into the sides of the honeycomb, they ultimately get a very sinuous profile.”
Onward Reception Wall, designed by Longo Park Design Workshop: “These don’t read as cardboard elements, but they’re low-cost and appropriate for an environment that changes frequently.”
Grace Restaurant, designed by Lawton Stanley Architects: “It’s a demonstration of high design mirroring the personality of the work that’s being done in the space.”
The Club for Modern Fashions, designed by Vinci | Hamp Architects: “An expressive vitrine … [elevated] to reinforce the lightness of the Miesian box.”
Special Recognition:
Barnsworth Exhibiton Center, designed by students at IIT: Envisioned as an auxiliary storage and gallery space for L. Mies van der Rohe’s iconic Farnsworth House in Plano, Ill., the center was designed and built by fourth- and fifth-year students at IIT’s College of Architecture. A response to the 2008 flooding of the Farnsworth House, the project was funded via Kickstarter.
To view details and images of each of the winning projects, visit ARCHITECT’s Project Gallery. The winning projects—along with jury comments—are listed below.
