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In the chapel of St. Mary of the Springs, in Columbus, Ohio, by Nagle Hartray Danker Kagan McKay Penney Architects Ltd., masonry buttresses along the east and west sides recall Gothic precedents — serving structurally and aesthetically. The jury noted that the use of the roof trusses for both structure and lighting "adds an ethereal elegance... a metaphor for stability, light, and warmth."

The Bay School of San Francisco by Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects weaves together historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and sustainability in a former army barracks. Resource-efficient design strategies, building systems, and materials were used throughout, preserving historic building elements whenever possible while acknowledging the youthfulness of the students.

Also blending new and old is the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center in New York City by Gabellini Sheppard Associates LLP, with SLCE Architects. Following two decades of disuse, the observation decks atop Rockefeller Center have been reopened to the public and integrated with new spaces. The jury appreciated the designers' "response to Art Deco compositional principles in a fresh and inventive way that is respectful to the iconic status of the host structure."

In crafting new corporate offices for ImageNet, in Carrollton, Texas, Elliott + Associates Architects turned a warehouse into a series of spaces that would be functional, efficient, and comfortable, yet dramatic and fun. They did this with bold graphic elements including perimeter blue polycarbonate panels that separate the office from the warehouse.

Color and light also characterize the Bloomberg LP Headquarters in New York City by STUDIOS Architecture. The jury commented: "This project is a milestone achievement in the expression of media as message and form generator — the synthesis of media, message, and experience."

A renovation of Pierson and Davenport Colleges, at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, by KieranTimberlake Associates transformed the formal 1930s buildings into contemporary dining hall, library, commons, workshops, cafe, laundry, basketball court, and theater. The architects uncovered old structure and reframed it with new materials while leaving it visible to "extend an architectural conversation across generations."

For an office renovation for the Better Business Bureau in Omaha, Nebraska, Randy Brown Architects emphasized economy as well as the organization's core values of integrity, stability, and openness. The exposed concrete floor and structure, monochromatic material palette, and simple detailing all combined to create "an excellent prototype for small office spaces," according to the jury.

Also receiving interior architecture awards were the Louis Vuitton Landmark in Hong Kong, by Peter Marino Architect, with dcm studios limited; the Endeavor Talent Agency in Beverly Hills, California by NMDA Inc., with Interior Architects; the Haworth Chicago Showroom in Chicago by Perkins + Will|Eva Maddox Branded Environments; and The Modern in New York City by Bentel & Bentel, Architects/Planners AIA.

Urban Design

Seven projects received honor awards for Regional & Urban Design for showing, as the jury summarized, "concern for repairing mistakes of the past, improving the quality of the urban environment, and creating sustainable places."

"Boston's Newest Smart Growth Corridor: A Collaborative Vision for the Fairmount/Indigo Line," by Goody Clancy brings together four neighborhoods to shape a series of transit-served urban villages within metropolitan Boston. The project brought rail service to areas that had lacked train stations and provided a greenway linking a series of parks in the corridor.

In Dallas, Texas, Chan Krieger Sieniewicz. developed "A Balanced Vision Plan for the Trinity River Corridor," to provide a large urban recreation park and a redesigned road along the downtown levee that affords both city vistas and long-term flood protection. "We were impressed by the vast scale of this proposal," said the jury. "They've taken a significant physical and environmental barrier and transformed it into a regionally scaled public domain that stitches together the surrounding urban areas and unifies the city."

In the "Historic Third Ward Riverwalk," in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Engberg Anderson Design Partnership Inc. revived an underused waterfront and created green space and riverfront amenities for residents, visitors, and business owners. The master plan, based on the design concept of a public artist, was developed to reflect the neighborhood's historic past and artistic present and future.

Also receiving urban design awards were The Carneros Inn in Napa, California by William Rawn Associates, Architects Inc., with Caspar Mol Architecture and Planning, Les Girouard Persinger Architects, and RMW architecture & interiors; Crown Properties in Gaithersburg, Maryland by Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects; the New York Stock Exchange Financial District Streetscapes + Security by Rogers Marvel Architects; and Zoning, Urban Form, and Civic Identity in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, by Perkins Eastman.

The 29 Honor Award recipients will be honored in May 2007 at the American Institute of Architects National Convention and Design Exposition in San Antonio, Texas.

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Chapel of St. Mary of the Springs by Nagle Hartray Danker Kagan McKay Penney Architects Ltd. Photo: © Scott McDonald/ Hedrich Blessing Bay School of San Francisco by Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects. Photo: © Tim Griffith Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center by Gabellini Sheppard Associates LLP, with SLCE Architects. Photo: © Peter Murdock ImageNet corporate offices by Elliott + Associates Architects. Photo: © Robert Shimer/ Hedrich Blessing Bloomberg LP Headquarters by STUDIOS Architecture. Photo by Paul Warchol; © Studios Architecture Renovation of Pierson and Davenport Colleges at Yale University by KieranTimberlake Associates. Photo: © Barry Halkin Office renovation for the Better Business Bureau by Randy Brown Architects. Photo: © Farshid Assassi "Boston's Newest Smart Growth Corridor: A Collaborative Vision for the Fairmount/Indigo Line," by Goody Clancy. Image: Goody Clancy "A Balanced Vision Plan for the Trinity River Corridor" by Chan Krieger Sieniewicz Inc. Image: Chris Ritter "Historic Third Ward Riverwalk" by Engberg Anderson Design Partnership Inc. Photo: © Ellen Pizer   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.