SAVE | EMAIL | PRINT | MOST POPULAR | 
RSS | REPRINTS
The Design Excellence Awards 2007 presented by Multi-Housing News
Published: October 01, 2007
For the rules and entry form for the 2008 Design Excellence Awards
Multi-Housing News is pleased to present the winners and finalists of the 2007 Design Excellence Awards competition. The competition was open to multi-housing and mixed-use projects in 20 categories. Submissions were judged in July by a panel comprised of: Yolanda Cole of Washington, D.C.-based Hickok Cole Architects PC, Jeffrey Hawkes of Denver-based Apartment Realty Advisors (ARA), Roger Goodhill of New York-based RMJM Hillier, Joe Petersen of Dallas-based Insight Builders Group and Robert Wright of San Diego-based Bast/Wright Interiors. The judging was facilitated by Diana Mosher, editor-in-chief of MHN.
High-Rise Apartment
Watermark Cambridge
Cambridge, Mass.
Developer: Twining Properties
Architect: Childs Bertman Tseckares Inc.
This high rise is part of a master-planned community—including bio-tech labs, offices, retail, restaurants and a hotel—that's transforming 10 acres on a former brownfield site. Watermark Cambridge was designed as a high-tech billboard for the overall development which is largely comprised of traditional, low-rise brick buildings. Set back from the Charles River, the L-shaped tower is composed of a rectangular form clad in limestone-finished concrete with an expanse of glass curtainwall. The clear glass veneer reflects the changing light and sky for passers-by and captures views of the river and Boston for residents. Watermark Cambridge includes 330 rental apartments ranging from studios to two-bedroom units as well as 10,000 square feet of retail space at ground level and a second-floor health spa that establishes a signature identity for a dynamic new neighborhood serving nearby MIT and a burgeoning research community.
Mid Rise
Loft23
Cambridge, Mass.
Developer: Forest City Residential Group
Architect: DiMella Shaffer
Loft23 was designed with durable but sophisticated materials that portray modern livability in an urban context. Pre-patinated copper cladding (produced from 95 percent recycled material) and a painted aluminum curtainwall are easily maintained and will age well. The new 51-unit multifamily residential building is on a redeveloped brownfield site and is flanked by two parks that afford residents long distance views from their apartments. A long and narrow one-bedroom apartment module was developed to help fill up the width of the site and to maximize the number of park-facing units. The target demographic is urban professionals, empty nesters and students.
Low-Rise/Garden Apartment
Las Palmas Viejas
Santa Barbara, Calif.
Developer: Tremigo Inc.
Architect: ON Design Architects
This elegant infill project, cleverly wedged between two major roads and next to a railroad, has revitalized what was once a failing commercial lot. The re-zoned Mediterranean-style enclave comprises 12 residences, six of which are affordable condos—achieving a 50 percent affordable-housing component was challenging as Las Palmas Viejas was solely financed with private funds and cost $180 a square foot to build. The attached structures were angled to the road; this staggered edge provides planter pockets and visually reduces the building's mass. The project encourages neighborly interaction and establishes a strong sense of place. Three floor plans are available. The 2,175-2,500 square foot interiors were designed with the amenities expected of a luxury villa including walk-in pantry and gourmet kitchen.
Mixed Use
Baldwin Park Village Center
Orlando, Fla.
Developer: Baldwin Park
Architect: Looney Ricks Kiss Architects
This 54-acre village center is located at the heart of a 1,100-acre development—a former naval training center three miles from downtown Orlando. Citizens of Orlando and adjacent neighborhoods participated in visioning workshops and numerous meetings over a two-year period to help refine the site plan. Their desires for a vibrant main street, public access to lakes, and a variety of housing types were addressed in the design. The village center core consists of four urban blocks with three-story mixed-use buildings. The upper levels of these buildings contain a variety of residential units defined by individual architecture and balcony configurations. All retail and commercial spaces are serviced from the rear without intruding on the residential spaces on the opposite side of Main Street. In keeping with the detailing of a regional small town shopping street, the exterior materials are brick, stucco and siding.
Winner: Mixed Use
Bay Street Emeryville
Emeryville, Calif.
Developer: Mac Farlane Partners/Madison Marquette
Architect: SB Architects
Sited on 5.67 acres adjacent to several highways and sources of mass transit, this project converts a vacant industrial brownfield on the edge of San Francisco Bay into a lively mixed-use district. Bay Street Emeryville provides the target market of urban and suburban professionals with a bustling urban lifestyle as well as a sense of privacy, exclusivity and community. Encompassing three city blocks connected by a main street, this project provides 387,000 square feet of residential space atop 365,400 square feet of street-front retail completed several years earlier. The $150-million development cost for the residential portion of the project was financed through a public-private partnership between the developers and the city's redevelopment agency. Atop the two buildings on the bay side of the street, Bay Street One provides 95 for-sale townhomes, ranging from 900 to 1,300 square feet, above the retail podium. Across the street, The Metropolitan houses 284 rental apartments ranging from 700 to 1,400 square feet. Twenty percent of the apartments are designated for low-income residents.
Grand Prize: Urban Mixed Use
Hartford 21
Hartford, Conn.
Developer: Northland Investment Corporation
Architect: CBT/Childs Bertman Tseckares Inc.
This 36-story, 262-unit residential tower and retail complex is a key component in a mixed-use development revitalizing Hartford's downtown. The return of residential life to the city encourages street activity while complementing a mix of retail and entertainment offerings. One of the governor's "Six Pillars of Development," Hartford 21 was partially subsidized by the state. The project doubles the number of existing housing units in the city core offering condominium-quality rental units with "a New York look and feel at Hartford's price point." The 938,000-sq.-ft. project includes units ranging from a 730-sq.-ft. one-bedroom apartment to a 2,000-sq.-ft. penthouse. Energy-conscious design solutions include heating with steam heat provided by the local utility and pumps and fans to circulate heating and air conditioning. With just eight units per floor, Hartford 21 provides a sense of privacy unusual in a rental property.
Seniors/International
Takarazuka
Osaka, Japan
Developer: Half Century More Co., Ltd.
Architect: Bar Architects
Designed to meet the demand for privately run high-quality residential communities for seniors in Japan, this new continuum of care retirement facility (CCRC) consists of 285 apartments for seniors as well as a nursing care center and a range of public areas, recreation and dining spaces. Congregate living communities in Japan are a rapidly emerging market. For this project, the target population is active, affluent seniors in the top 20 to 30 percent of the Japanese market. The design gracefully blends elements of traditional Eastern design with contemporary Western influences while remaining decidedly non-institutional and non-commercial. Key goals included incorporating gardens, integrating indoor/outdoor relationships, maximizing the number of southern-facing units and views, and demonstrating that senior living environments can be beautiful and residential in character.
Green
The Kalahari
Harlem, N.Y.
Developer: FSLM (Joint Venture of Full Spectrum of New York and L&M Equities)
Architect: Frederic Schwartz Architects
This state-of-the-art, green luxury residence combines an impeccable sense of design with the striking indigenous motif of Sub-Saharan Africa. Beyond a uniquely articulated façade, residents and their guests enjoy a rich and comfortable lobby with elevated ceilings and warm woods. Kalahari will utilize 25 percent of its energy from wind and solar energy. Other green features include filtered air delivery systems, low-VOC materials (in cabinetry, paint and carpeting), Energy Star appliances, and a 3,000-sq.-ft. landscaped courtyard. Thoughtful designs are enhanced by sustainable bamboo floors and generously sized windows that bathe airy rooms in sunlight. Site zip car service is among the amenities offered. Kalahari's total development cost is approximately $114 million. It is a mixed-income community, offering 129 market-rate units for sale and setting aside nearly 50 percent of the residences for affordable buyers with incomes between $44,000 and $152,000.
Adaptive Reuse
Winner: For Rent
Alpha Mill Apartments
Charlotte, N.C.
Developer: Crosland LLC
Architecture: Narmour Wright Creech Architecture PA
Founded in 1888, Alpha Mill operated as a cotton mill until the 1950s and then as a textile pattern engraving operation until the building was closed in 2001. Today the local historic landmark includes 167 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments with a wide variety of floorplans designed for the target demographic of young uptown workers. Ninety-four apartments have been located in a new building and a common area is in the mill's old boiler room. The attractive Romanesque architecture with elaborate brick ornamentation of the original buildings is now renovated and revealed. Converted mill residences feature exposed brick, large wooden beams, 12-ft. windows and ceilings as high as 17 feet.
Adaptive Reuse
Winner: For Sale
The Eastern Columbia
Los Angeles
Developer: KOR Group
Architect: Killefer Flammang Architects
A magnificent blue-green terra cotta building—and downtown Los Angeles Historic Core landmark—The Eastern Columbia has been transformed from a long-abandoned clothing warehouse into 147 elegant condominiums. Concrete floors and ceilings up to 14 feet are offered in a variety of unit types including two-story lofts and a spectacular four-story unit. The building's north and west facades have new, historically compatible windows and balconies, creating an historic environment reminiscent of classic Los Angeles. The main lobby entrance off Broadway remains and is grounded by the original terrazzo sidewalk and pathway, guiding residents into an elegant entry lobby with fluted paneling and antiqued mirrors. A rooftop leisure terrace, under the famous clock tower, offers a fitness center, pool, spa, sun deck and outdoor fireplace with spectacular city views.
Urban Infill
720 Lofts
Minneapolis
Developer: SchaferRichardson Inc.
Architect: UrbanWorks Architecture
While much of Minneapolis' Warehouse District consists of historic warehouses that are still functioning or being converted to mixed-use, 720 Lofts has the power to reweave the neighborhood fabric. It is the second phase of a multi-building redevelopment designed so people can live, work and play close to downtown. The project adds much needed green space and provides a fresh take on the industrial aesthetic in the context of its historic surroundings. The plan is a simple box within a concrete structure similar to a typical warehouse, but each interior unit contains a curved wall to juxtapose this rigidity. Unit designs appeal to young urban professional buyers, demonstrating the value of design in the marketplace—despite the cooling of the local condo market, the project reports strong sales.
Condo/Condo-Hotel
110 + Broadway
New York
Developer: MacArthur Holdings
Architect: Platt Byard Dovell White Architects LLP
The aesthetic of this new 150,000-sq.-ft., 57-unit development is respectful of Manhattan's Upper West Side neighborhood while bringing a contemporary element to the mix. The building's paneled base brings forward its important corner with engaging warm cast stone and abundant metal detail, while the floors above the required setback are set off in clear and fritted glass. Units in the $52.5-million building range in size from studio to four bedrooms and one to three-and-a-half baths. All have solid bamboo floors and nine-and-a-half-ft. ceilings. Many of the windows stretch from floor to ceiling to accommodate views of the neighborhood and accentuate the open feel of the rooms. Upper-floor units have terraces and balconies to take advantage of Hudson River and Broadway views.
Affordable Housing
Studio 15
San Diego
Developer: Affirmed Housing Group
Architect: Carrier Johnson
In a region where entry-level housing is an economic challenge, this 100,000-sq.-ft., 273-unit Single Room Occupancy project provides well-designed rentable housing around a vibrant, experiential courtyard—proving affordable housing doesn't have to sacrifice rich design. Inspired by the surrounding local artists' community, the design of the complex conceptualizes the highly geometric "De Stijl" art movement into the architecture, courtyard, and landscaping, intermixing primary colors and primary values with linear paths, distinctive rectangular forms, and industrial materials. The selection of interior materials, finishes and patterns also complements the geometry and colors of the project.
Student Housing
Westfield State College Student
Residential Hall, Westfield, Mass.
Developer: Westfield State College/Massachusetts State College Building Authority
Architect: DiMella Shaffer
A 410-bed apartment-style residence hall for a public college, this project brings Davis Hall—a late 1960s residence facility—into a better dialogue with the rest of the campus. It provides the amenities that are important to today's students including meaningful common areas that encourage interaction. The building is structured around four- and six-person suites combined into a linear building that forms the walls of the quadrangle space. One of the design challenges was to avoid the potential monotony of the long walls it takes to enclose space, and lighting the equally long corridors inside. Sustainable design elements include a highly reflective roof, water-efficient plumbing fixtures and irrigation system, native landscaping, and daylight in over 90 percent of occupied spaces.
New Urbanism/ Public/Private Partnership
Rockville Town Square
Rockville, Md.
Developer: RD Rockville
Architect: WDG Architecture
Rockville Town Square is the result of a focused effort by a public/private partnership between the project developer and the city of Rockville to create a high-quality, mixed-use project that will serve as a new, mixed-use focal point for the city. It exemplifies many smart growth principles by placing high-density, mixed-use, public/private development adjacent to an existing metro rail location in a suburban edge city. The project was designed for young professionals and empty nesters seeking the benefits of a condominium lifestyle with high-end finishes, on-site grocery and retailers, wide sidewalks with extensive landscaping that encourage a sense of community.
Transit-Oriented Design
Crossings at Gresham Station
Gresham, Ore.
Developer: Lone Oak Development
Architect: Myhre Group Architects Inc.
This public/private project combines retail, residential and office spaces creating a high-density community that takes its cues from a bygone era before urban sprawl. It is one of the first in the area to utilize the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) program which encourages the use of mass transit to help mitigate traffic congestion, influence surrounding land use patterns and promote urban living. The project cost approximately $11 million and was partially funded by the TOD program and by METRO, an elected regional government that serves the Portland metropolitan area. The design includes below-grade parking, surface parking, harvested rainwater features, ground-floor retail, and 81 market-rate studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments as well as loft-style units ranging from $775 to $1,400 per month.
Unbuilt
COR
Miami Design District
Developer: Nexus Development Group
Architect: Oppenheim Architecture + Design
Representing a dynamic synergy between architecture, structural engineering, and ecology, this sustainable mixed-use condominium will rise 400 feet above Miami's Design District. COR will extract power from its environment utilizing the latest advancements in wind turbines, photovoltaics and solar hot water generation—while integrating them into its architectural identity. A hyper-efficient exoskeleton shell simultaneously provides building structure, thermal mass for insulation, shading for natural cooling, enclosure for terraces, armatures for turbines, and loggias for congregating on the ground. Comprising commercial, office, fitness, live/work and play residential spaces, this mixed-use building looks toward the future while preparing to offer progressive living in an innovative setting.
Interior Design
360 Newbury
Boston
Developer: The Boston Residential Group
Architect: ADD Inc.
Historic architecture and a spirit of individuality converge to create luxury loft living in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood. This address first garnered attention in 1989 when Pritzker Architecture Prize-winner Frank O. Gehry added the signature cantilevered canopy and transformed the 1918 landmark into an icon. Building on this legacy, the ADD Inc. team converted the top five floors of underperforming office space into a premier residential address. Deep floor plates, large industrial windows, and 12-ft. ceilings provided the ideal framework for 50 elegant loft units. Finely detailed interiors combine sophisticated finishes and top-of-the-line appliances to distinguish 360 Newbury Street in Boston's competitive condominium market.
THE FINALIST
High Rise Category
Folio Boston
Boston, MA
Archstone Boston Common
Boston, MA
The Crescent at Fells Point
Baltimore, MD
Developer: The Hanover Company & MetLife, Inc.
Architect: The Hanover Company
Mid-Rise Category
Gables Upper Kirby
Houston, TX
Developer: Gables Residential
Architect: Looney Ricks Kiss Architects
The Gantry
Long Island City, NY
Developer: DevCon Partners, The Milestone Group
Architect: Gerner Kronick + Valcarcel
Main St. Lofts
Royal Oak, Michigan
Developer: RSW Development
Architect: AZD Associates
Rockville Town Square
Rockville, MD
Developer: RD Rockville LLC
Architect: WDG Architecture
Low Rise/Garden Category
Austin Ranch-Phase IV
The Colony, TX
Developer: Billingsley Company
Architect: James, Harwick Partners Inc.
Oakland Estuary
Oakland, CA
Developer: Signature Properties
Architect: KTGY Group
Russia 43
Denver, CO
Developer: Meiz Development
Architect: Architecture Denver
Seniors Category
Triangle Square
Los Angeles, CA
Developer: McCormack Baron Salazar
Sun City Ginza East
Tokyo, Japan
Developer: Half Century More, Co.
Architect: Barry Design Associates
Villages of Stonebrook
McKinney, TX
Developer: Zerga Development
Architect: Gauer. Tolson. French Design
Green Category
Terrazzo
Nashville, TN
Developer: Crosland Tennessee LLC
Architect: Hastings Architecture Associates, LLC
Adaptive Re-use Category
Dumbarton Place
Washington, DC
Developer: Monument Realty LLC
Architect: Hickok Cole Architects, PC
Depot Lofts
Binghamton, NY
Developer: ARISE Development
Marine Terminal
Milwaukee, WI
Developer: Mandel Group, Inc.
Urban Infill Category
The West Eastland
Nashville, TN
Developer: Urban Blueprint, LLC
Architect: DAAD
Icon
Atlanta, GA
Developer: Lane Company
Architect: Poole & Poole Architecture
Cityville Greenville
Dallas, TX
Developer: The Inland Real Estate Group, Inc.
Architect: James, Harwick Partners, Inc.
Condo/Condo-Hotel Category
The Mercado
Rosemary Beach, FL
Developer: South Barrett Square LLC
Architect: Looney Ricks Kiss Architects
23 Condominium
Philadelphia, PA
Developer: Turchi Properties
Architect: Cope Linder Architects
Madison Tower
Seattle, WA
Developer: First Ave. Partners
Architect: Weber & Thompson
The Historic Watch Hill Inn
Watch Hill, RI
Developer: Watch Hill Inn Properties
Architect: RGD Corporation
Affordable Housing Category
Morgan Woods
Edgartown, MA
Developer: The Community Builders
Architect: Winslow Architects, Inc.
Skid Row Housing/Rainbow Apartments
Los Angeles, CA
Developer: Skid Row Housing Trust
Architect: Michael Maltzan Architecture, Inc.
The Rick Weiss Apartments
Palm Springs, CA
Developer: McCormack Baron Salazar
Architect: Killefer, Flamming, Purtill, Architects with Ralph Mechur
Student Category
Jamestown North & South Residence Halls, College of William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Developer: Sasaki Associates/W.M. Jordan Company
Architect: Clark Nexsen Architecture & Engineering
University of New Hampshire, Gables Student Residence Hall
Durham. NH
Developer: University of New Hampshire
Architect: DiMella Shaffer
New Urbanism Category
North Main Village
Milwaukie, OR
Developer: Kemper Co, LLC
Architect: Myhre Group Architects, Inc.
Public/Private Partnership Category
Dorado
Buena Park, CA
Developer: Simpson Housing Solutions
Architect: Design Collective Inc.
The Bricks at MCB Quantico
Quantico, VA
Developer: Clark Realty Capital
Architect: Torti Gallas and Partners
International Category
Majestic Mansion
Beijing, China
Developer: Greentown China; Beijing Xinyewanfa Real Estate Development Co.
Architect: Meeks + Partners
Transit Oriented Design Category
aka Virginia Square
Arlington, VA
Developer: Ed Peete Company
Architect: WHA Architecture and Planning, P.C.
Unbuilt Category
Terrazzo
Nashville, TN
Developer: Crosland Tennessee LLC
Architect: Hastings Architecture Associates, LLC
166 Perry Street
New York City
Developers: Richard Born, Charles Blaichman, Ira Drucker
Architect: Asymptote Architecture
Platinum on the Bay
Miami, FL
Developer: Maysville, Inc.
Architect: Perkins+Will
Denver Corporate Center
Denver, CO
Developer: Hamilton-Titan Partners
Architect: Davis Partnership Architects
Interior Design Category
Eleven
Los Angeles, CA
Developer: South Group
Architect: Ankrom Moisan Architects
The Flats at Dupont Circle
Washington, DC
Developer: Archstone Smith
Architect: WDG Architecture
36sixty Richmond Ave.
Houston, TX
Developer: The Morgan Group
Architect: Wallace Garcia Wilson
