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AIA Housing Awards 2007 by ArchitectureWeek The American Institute of Architects has announced 19 recipients in its 2007 Housing Awards Program. Within this diverse collection of multifamily projects and single-family houses are common themes of economy, sustainability, and sensitivity to urban and environmental context. Collectively, these buildings represent the variety of ways in which Americans, rich and poor, are being newly housed. New this year is the award category "Special Housing," recognizing excellence in the design of housing types such as single-room occupancy residences, independent living for the disabled, residential rehabilitation programs, and domestic violence shelters. One of these is a 40,000-square-foot (3700-square-meter) Regional Homeless Center designed by Jeffrey M. Kalban & Associates Architecture, Inc. for the organization People Assisting the Homeless (PATH), in Los Angeles. The architects renovated an abandoned three-story 1960s office building and transformed it into a colorful, cheerful, noninstitutional-seeming facility. The building was designed with sensitivity to the occupants' personal situations, avoiding any structural elements that could contribute to aggression, insecurity, or isolation, instead promoting dignity, new social relationships, and hope. "This is an amazing transformation of a fairly brutal building which enhances its environment and makes it a welcome addition to the neighborhood," jury members said. >>> Discuss this article in the Architecture Forum...
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