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To celebrate and promote the profession of architecture, provide opportunities for professional growth, and improve the built environment.


 

2007 Honor Award Winners

Nine new or renovated buildings designed by Chicago-area architects have been recognized for their architectural excellence, receiving coveted Honor Awards from AIA Northeast Illinois.

The biennial awards were part of the chapter’s recent “Celebrate Architecture!” observance and recognize the design achievements of chapter members. Four buildings were cited for design excellence, while five projects received awards for merit in architecture.

The chapter paid homage to a “hometown” architectural treasure, holding the awards at the Art Deco Paramount Arts Centre, part of Stolp Island in Aurora. Stolp Island is one of the AIA Illinois’ “150 Great Places,” which celebrate the AIA’s 150th birthday this year. Members embraced the theatrical, historic setting, with many attired in either formalwear or vintage attire.

Forty-seven buildings were nominated in five award categories. The new “Sustainable Architecture, Environmental & Green Design,” was added to reflect the growing “green” movement. Other categories are Distinguished Building; Preservation/Adaptive Reuse; Residential; and Interior Design. Two buildings were honored in the new category.

Excellence in Architecture Winners

The buildings cited for design excellence are:

The Alsip distribution center for Anixter International, Inc., designed by Heitman Architects Incorporated, of Itasca; Clayco, contractor. The project uses a high-performance energy management system and provides 100 percent natural light during the day with a well-insulated roof that includes 150 skylights. The building is achieving the company’s goal to reduce electrical costs by 30 percent.

 

 

ABN AMRO Bank, in Zwolle, Netherlands, designed by PPKS Architects Ltd., Glen Ellyn; Wessen Trebbe Moes, contractor. The bank required office space with support facilities, including meeting rooms, a cafeteria, fitness center and 500 parking spaces. Public and private functions are layered, with the podium an “urban plaza” incorporating meeting rooms, a computer center, restaurant, informal gathering places and support facilities. The tower above the podium contains office space.

 

 

Grayslake High School in Grayslake, designed by FGM Architects Planners, Inc., Oak Brook; Turner Construction Company, contractor. The 1,500-student, 310,000-square-foot facility is divided into four areas: an academic wing with library, a two-story arts-technology/physical education wing, a cafeteria and maintenance wing, and an educational services center. The use of light, window placement and an outdoor classroom and open courtyard brings the outdoors in, plus guards against energy loss.

 

The pool house addition to a private home in Glencoe, designed by PPKS Architects Ltd.; Norcon, contractor. The project was honored in the Residential category. The addition preserves views of the landscaping and ravine. The glass and masonry box connects both the exterior and interior environments, and includes a glass storefront to reflect the ornamentation of the original house.

 

 

Merit in Architecture Winners

Five projects received merit in architecture honors:

The Village of Orland Park’s new police headquarters, designed by SRBL Architects of Deerfield; The George Sollitt Construction Company, contractor. The project was cited for merit in design. The building, formerly a commercial warehouse, offers several environmentally friendly features, including a high-performance building envelope and HVAC system, plus a highly efficient lighting system, reducing energy needs. The use of native plants and grasses lessens the need for artificial watering, which involves collecting water from the roof and storing it in an underground cistern before it is pumped to a pressurized irrigation system.

Aldi Corporation headquarters building in Batavia, by FGM Architects Planners Inc.; AM King Construction Company, contractor. The project adds 67,250 square feet to the company’s U.S. corporate headquarters campus. It was designed to complement and blend in seamlessly with the existing building, and provide a clearly identifiable main entrance. A new two-story glass lobby links the two buildings.

 

 

The Vaughan Athletic Center in Aurora, designed by Cordogan Clark & Associates of Aurora; R.C. Wegman Construction Company, contractor. This full-service recreational facility, owned and operated by the Fox Valley Park District, adds nearly 174,000 square feet to an existing 55,000-square-foot former tennis club. The design highlights openness and visibility, and includes a number of green features to reduce energy needs.

 

 

The Charles F. Glore House in Lake Forest, by Harding Partners of Chicago; Richard Katz, contractor The 1951 Frank Lloyd Wright home, notable for Wright’s application of Usonion principles, had been threatened with demolition. The house received an award in the Preservation/Adaptive Reuse category for a family room addition that provided needed informal living space.

 

 

The Wiss Janney Elstner, Inc. headquarters in Northbrook, designed by FGM Architects Planners, Inc.; Executive Construction Inc., contractor. The project, honored for interior design, combines office and support space that had formerly been spread across three separate buildings. Bands of private offices under new mezzanines alternate with bands of workstations in two-story open areas, with skylights inserted to add natural light.

 

 

Three members of AIA Chicago served as jurors: Kenneth Schroeder, FAIA; Cynthia Weese, FAIA; and John Syvertsen, FAIA. “

Jurors had quite a difficult time selecting winners,” said chapter President Mike Elliott, AIA. “The judges – all accomplished architects -- were very impressed with the depth, breadth and quality of the submitted projects.”

2005 Honor Awards

2003 Honor Awards


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