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NORTH AMERICAN WOOD
The Richmond Olympic Oval, the venue for long-track speedskating events in the recent Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, is capped by a massive roof almost 6.5 acres (2.6 hectares) in size. The LEED Silver-certified building, designed by Cannon Design, features prefabricated pine panels spanning between hollow composite wood-steel arches to form a rhythmically pleated timber ceiling over the ice. Published 2010.0310
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ROYAL GOLD MEDAL FOR I.M. PEI
The RIBA Royal Gold Medal for 2010 goes to an architect whose renown has been built over several decades of consistently producing a very particular kind of structure — often aspired to, rarely achieved.
The characteristic buildings of I.M. Pei stand serene with the elemental dignity of high modernism, while at the same time expressing both the dynamism of muscular structural sculpture and the deep subtle touches of sensitivity to context. Published 2010.0210
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AIA NATIONAL DESIGN AWARDS 2010
Among the brick buildings and live oaks at Rice University in Houston stands the Brochstein Pavilion, a cleanly patterned, rhythmic composition of glass and metal. With indoor and outdoor seating shaded from the Texas sun, this structure by Thomas Phifer and Partners offers a casual gathering space in the central quad, inviting activity while blending into the existing campus fabric.
The pavilion was among the 28 projects recognized by the American Institute of Architects in its 2010 AIA Institute Honor Awards. Published 2010.0210
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AUSSIE ARCHITECTURE AWARDS 2009
On a windswept site in Australia's Snowy Mountains stands a rounded, steel-clad form, like a sleek spacecraft among the grasses. Anchored to a concrete plinth, this ground-hugging shelter by James Stockwell Architect deflects wind and transfers snow loads while offering its occupants expansive views of the Snowy and Thredbo River Valleys. Published 2010.0113
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INSPIRING INFRASTRUCTURE
Projects recognized by Bentley Systems in their 2009 Be Inspired Awards include a bridge in Vietnam, a light rail system in Arizona, roofs in Worcester and Wimbledon, and the modernization of Chicago's O'Hare Airport.
In this annual program, Bentley highlights outstanding examples of its software in use on infrastructure projects of all kinds around the world. This year's program includes awards in 17 categories, from buildings and roads to team coordination. Published 2009.1118
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CHICAGO AIA AWARDS 2009
A utility plant stands in glass at the edge of the University of Chicago campus, the geometric tangle of its technical systems revealed inside the radiused crystalline form. Published 2009.1118
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CHANGING SHAPES OF SPACE - ZAHA HADID
Since 2000, Zaha Hadid has become one of the most successful, recognized and prolific architects working today. In 2004, she won the Pritzker Architecture Prize, considered by many to be the discipline's highest honor. Her face has become familiar to millions on the pages of fashion magazines as well as on those of the more specialized publications on architecture. Published 2009.1111
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NEW ENGLAND AIA AWARDS
The rectangular volume of Kroon Hall by Michael Hopkins wears one great roof, pitched up to a broadly curving ridgeline. This new home for Yale University's School of Forestry & Environmental Studies in New Haven, Connecticut, achieves both a welcoming form and a high level of sustainable design.
Designed by Hopkins Architects of London, with Centerbrook Architects and Planners as executive architect, Kroon Hall is expected to earn a Platinum LEED certification. Published 2009.1104
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MAGGIE'S CENTRE GETS 2009 STIRLING PRIZE
On a difficult corner site along a busy street, Maggie's Centre in London provides an uplifting sanctuary in which cancer patients and their families and friends can receive support and information. The building's bold orange masonry wall beckons visitors into daylit spaces shielded from the street beneath a floating roof canopy.
This humane health support facility designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners has received the Stirling Prize for 2009. Published 2009.1021
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AIA MARYLAND DESIGN AWARDS
More than 30 years ago, as an art student in Baltimore, George Holback would occasionally convince his brother, a police officer, to help him gain entry to the city's vacant American Brewery (then called the Wiessner Brewery).
Once inside the unusual 1887 industrial structure, with its three dramatic pagoda-like towers, Holback would draw or take pictures; he cites it as inspiration for becoming an architect. Published 2009.1007
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Architecture Awards and Prizes page: [