Four projects have been selected to receive 2016 Built Design Honor Awards from the Dallas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

The winners were announced recently at an AIA awards ceremony at the Texas Theatre.

The awards are the highest recognition the group bestows for work that exemplifies excellence in built projects by Dallas architects, the AIA said in a release.

AIA Dallas is the seventh largest chapter of The American Institute of Architects in the nation, with a membership base of more than 2,200 members and 300 architectural firms.

The AIA chapter also awarded two other projects with Juror Citations for their design and for their “creative response toward program and site conditions.”

This year’s jury was composed of internationally-renowned architects, Matthew Kreilich, AIA, design principal and partner at Snow Kreilich Architects in Minneapolis, Minnesota; David Lewis, AIA, founding principal at LTL Architects in New York; and Sebastian Schmaling, AIA, founding principal at Johnsen Schmaling Architects in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The jury had 46 entries to evaluate, and selected the recipients based on each project’s unique response to its “cultural, social, environmental, programmatic, and contextual challenges,” the AIA said in its release.

“The 46 entries submitted for Design Awards this year were commended for their quality and representation by the jury,” said Michael Friebele, 2016 AIA Design Awards chair and associate at CallisonRTKL.

The winners, along with a description from the AIA, are:

Fire Station No. 27. [Photo © 2016 James Steinkamp Photography]

Fire Station No. 27, Perkins+Will, Dallas (23,600 square feet): Fire Station 27 was designed to re-establish a proper civic presence and foster a strong connection to the surrounding community that is often lacking in this building type. Responding to a compact site, Fire Station 27 was the city of Dallas’ first multistory station in over 100 years. It consists of 23,600 square feet with two levels above grade and one level of parking below grade with capacity for 15 personnel per shift. Jurors commended the project’s success as an urban infill building, as well as its strong organizing concept and celebratory story wall.

Hilti’s North American headquarters. [Photo by Ryan Gobuty]

Hilti North America Headquarters, Gensler, Plano (50,000 square feet): In the new Hilti North America Headquarters, the client’s top priority was celebrating the culmination of Hilti’s people and products. Not only was the entire office built exclusively with Hilti construction tools, over 26,000 modified Hilti products were woven into the architecture of the space — all intended to generate and showcase a pride in the product and the people who design, create, and market it. 
Jurors praised the project’s clear concept, clean detailing, and the creation of shared spaces that foster interaction and collaboration. 


Houndstooth Coffee and Jettison Cocktail Bar. [Photo by Mark Leveno]

Houndstooth Coffee and Jettison Cocktail Bar, OFFICIAL, Dallas (2,100 square feet): The design for Houndstooth Coffee and Jettison Cocktail Bar was driven by their duality of function and shared connection. The design centers around an elemental concept of day to night, with Houndstooth filling the larger, sunlit space, and Jettison occupying the intimate back corner. High ceilings create openness in the coffee shop and the cloud serves as the central focal point, drawing the eye up while balancing the space and concealing the mechanical system. Jettison inverts the cloud design with a lowered ceiling and a central void looking into the painted gold trusses that has the character of a chandelier. 
Jurors appreciated the elegant yet playful interiors, the creative use of light, and the duality of the distinct spaces. 


Prospect House [Photo by Charles Davis Smith, AIA]

Prospect House, Max Levy Architect, Dripping Springs, Texas (6,800 square feet): At this rural wedding and event center, celebrations are accommodated inside, outside, and on a big screened-in breezeway. Above the main hall is a huge wind vane whose mast extends down into the room and supports a 12-foot diameter ring that turns with the breezes, connecting festivities inside with the world outside. 
Jurors celebrated the thoughtful, restrained design, its elemental quality, and the overall modesty and simplicity of the project.

Projects receiving Juror Citations are: 


Twin Gables [Photo by Daniel Martinez]

Twin Gables, FAR + DANG, Dallas, TX (2,150 square feet per unit): Set within a transitioning East Dallas neighborhood, this project bridges the traditional forms of the existing surrounding homes with a modern, high-density prototype. These duplex units embrace the length of the property and are designed around visual connections to a series of carefully composed outdoor spaces. 


The House on Rainbo Lake [Photo by Charles Davis Smith, AIA]

House at Rainbo Lake, Max Levy Architect, Henderson County, Texas (3,500 square feet): Located in a swampy forest along a lake, this weekend retreat houses an extended family of sportsmen and nature enthusiasts. Each room is a separate building, and each building is connected by a screen porch. Color is instrumental to this design, and coloration of exterior materials merges with the site.

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