by ArchitectureWeek

Architecture fans who think they can identify the age of a building after a quick glance may want to take a closer look at the ten recipients of the 2005 Palladio Awards. This program honors outstanding achievement in traditional design, but far from mimicking centuries-old styles, these projects pay homage to the best of architectural traditions while cleverly inserting thoroughly modern adaptations.

The Palladio Awards are named in honor of Andrea Palladio, the renaissance architect who created contemporary architecture for his time, while using models from the past for inspiration and guidance.

The six residential and four commercial award recipients were judged to be work that "enhances the beauty and humane qualities of the built environment through creative interpretation and adaptation of design principles developed through thousands of years of architectural tradition."

A house in Rosemary Beach, Florida received the residential award for new design and construction under 5,000 square feet (465 square meters). Cooper Johnson Smith Architects were guided to a large extent by the city's code, which prescribes an Anglo-Caribbean style in new houses.

Project architect Jason Dunham describes this style as "a hybrid of architecture in the old South and the Colonial British West Indies, which is a hybrid in and of itself. The result is a mix of local and imposed culture." 'For instance, local code dictates vertical window proportions, building position on the lot, and amount of porch fronting the street.   >>>

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A Florida beach house by Cooper Johnson Smith Architects of Tampa received a 2005 Palladio Award because of its fit into an Anglo-Caribbean context. Photo: George Cott The beach house kitchen has a gallery of windows for ample daylight. Photo: George Cott   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.