Two Dublin buildings win major architectural awards

Two contemporary works of architecture in Dublin, the Alto Vetro residential tower on Grand Canal Quay and the Elmpark complex on Merrion Road, have won awards from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design. They are among 97 distinguished projects and major urban schemes worldwide selected for this year’s International Architecture Awards – billed as “the most important barometer for the future direction of new architectural design and thinking today”.



Co-presented by the Chicago Athenaeum and the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies, this year’s award winners were chosen by an all-Finnish architectural jury from hundreds of submissions. The 16-storey Alto Vetro tower was designed for Treasury Holdings by Shay Cleary Architects, while the mixed-use Elmpark scheme is by Bucholz McEvoy Architects. Its client was Radora Developments Ltd, headed by builder-developer Bernard McNamara.

Coincidentally, Merritt Bucholz was born in Chicago; he set up practice with his wife Karen McEvoy and now heads the University of Limerick’s School of Architecture. Their projects include Fingal County Hall and Limerick County Council’s headquarters in Dooradoyle.

McAslan, AHMM and BDP top shortlist for BD’s Architect of the Year Awards

The finalists for BD’s Architect of the Year Awards 2008 have been announced, with Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, BDP and John McAslan & Partners all gaining four nominations.

Maccreanor Lavington and Shedkm are nominated in two of the 14 categories, both competing with Allford Hall Monaghan Morris for Private Housing Architect of the Year (over 14 units).

The winners will be announced on October 30 at the London Hilton on Park Lane.

BD’s Architect of the Year Awards 2008 shortlist

Affordable Housing Architect of the Year

Allford Hall Monaghan Morris

Jestico & Whiles

Levitt Bernstein Associates

Maccreanor Lavington

Stock Woolstencroft

Private Housing Architect of the Year (over 14 units)

Allford Hall Monaghan Morris

Broadway Malyan

Maccreanor Lavington

Richard Murphy Architects

Shedkm

Private Housing Architect of the Year (one to 14 units)

Alison Brooks Architects

Julian Cowie Architects

Shedkm

Simon Conder Associates

Education Architect of the Year

Allford Hall Monaghan Morris

DSDHA

Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios

John McAslan & Partners

Penoyre & Prasad

Wright & Wright Architects

Healthcare Architect of the Year

BDP

Buschow Henley

David Morley Architects

Toh Shimazaki Architecture

Interiors Architect of the Year

Adjaye Associates

BDP

Bennett Interior

David Archer Architects

Pringle Brandon

Masterplanning Architect of the Year

BDP

Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios

John McAslan & Partners

Stephen Taylor Architects

Office Architect of the Year

Atkins

Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios

Make

Shedkm

Public Buildings Architect of the Year

Allford Hall Monaghan Morris

Denton Corker Marshall

Gareth Hoskins Architects

Keith Williams Architects

Marks Barfield Architects

Retail Architect of the Year

3DReid

Adjaye Associates

BDP

Foreign Office Architects

John McAslan & Partners

Sport & Leisure Architect of the Year

David Morley Architects

Dyer

EPR Architects

HOK Sport Architecture

Hopkins Architects

Transport Architect of the Year

3DReid

Grimshaw

John McAslan & Partners

Pascall & Watson Architects

Zaha Hadid Architects

Accordia wins the Stirling Prize

Accordia in Cambridge by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, Alison Brooks Architects and Maccreanor Lavington has won the 2008 Stirling Prize.

The judges commented: “This is high density housing at its very best, demonstrating that volume house-builders can deliver high quality architecture – and that as a result they can improve their own bottom line.



"The whole scheme is about relationships: between architect and developer/contractor/client; between three very different firms of architects – Feilden Clegg Bradley, Maccreanor Lavington and Alison Brooks Architects; and between private and public external spaces, providing a new model for outside-inside life with interior rooftop spaces, internal courtyards and large semi-public community gardens.”

Peter Clegg, senior partner with Feilden Clegg Bradley Architects, told BD: “I predicted all of the other winners but I couldn’t have predicted this one. What we are doing is changing the mould of housing.”



When Accordia was shortlisted, BD Buildings Editor Ellis Woodman said: “By rights, Accordia should have been on last year’s shortlist. However, when the RIBA jury visited the scheme they found that they couldn’t get access to any of the houses so decided that it couldn’t be put forward for an award. The Stirling hasn’t had a great record of recognising quality housing developments. After BedZed, Accordia is only the second housing scheme to be shortlisted in the prize’s history. However, it would make a very worthy winner.

“In a period when the housing sector has become increasingly focussed on the construction of inner-city apartments, Accordia addresses the urgent need to build quality family homes at large scale and a sustainable density.”



The judges’ choice of Accordia will certainly be of relief to the bookmakers. Going into the final day, the Cambridge housing scheme was sixth with odds of 5/1 at William Hill.

RIBA special awards

Also announced on Saturday night were the RIBA special awards:

Manser Medal for the best one-off house or housing scheme: Oxley Woods

Stephen Lawrence Prize for the best example of a building with a construction budget of less than £1 million: The Sackler Crossing in Kew by John Pawson Architects

RIBA CABE Public Space Award which celebrates publicly accessible external space: The Old Market Square, Nottingham by Gustafson Porter

Crown Estate Conservation Award, for the best work of conservation which demonstrates successful restoration or adaptation of an architecturally significant building: St. Pancras International by Alastair Lansley (for Union Railways)

RIBA Sustainability Award: The Manchester Civil Justice Centre, Manchester by Denton Corker Marshall

Sorrell Foundation Schools Award: Westminster Academy at the Naim Dangoor Centre by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris.

Construction World Architect & Builders Awards: 2008 To Be Held on Aug 22

The 3rd Construction World Architect & Builders Awards will be held on August 22 at the ITC Grand Central, Parel. The awards organized by ASAPP Media and supported by the Builders Association of India (BAI) and Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry (MCHI) will be presented to a total of twenty recipients – ten architects and ten builders. His Excellency S.C. Jamir, Governor of Maharashtra, Dr. J.M.Pathak, Commissioner, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and over three hundred senior professionals from the construction industry across India will be present at the event.

Russell Gilchrist from Skidmore, Owings & Merril, Chicago, designers of Burj Dubai, the tallest building in the world will deliver the key note address. Russell, with a history of working on innovative and world-renowned projects, will provide valuable insights on unique trends in architecture and the growth of international high-rise construction in his keynote address.

Constituted by ASAPP Media, the awards recognize exceptional work done by Architects and Builders in various aspects of infrastructure and real estate industry over the years. The selection was based on a survey conducted amongst the professionals from the industry.

“We have used the perception mapping process to select winners. An exhaustive survey was conducted among professionals within the industry. The highlight of CW Architect & Builder Awards 2008 is that it is recognition and admiration by peers. The awards are given by the industry to the industry. The value of the awards is highlighted by the fact that the whole industry is participating in the awards,” says Pratap Padode, Managing Director, ASAPP Media Information Group

Padode, who has been instrumental into getting the awards constituted adds, “Our consistent efforts in documenting success, recognizing talent, addressing pertinent issues, and creating the awakening for a transparent and well-governed industry are bearing fruit in the form of a community that is more forthright about sharing information”

The Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2007

The Tenth Cycle of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture ceremony will be held on the 4th of September 2007.

The Prime Minister of Malaysia, Yang Amat Berhormat Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, will join His Highness, Aga Khan in announcing the nine recipients of the 2007 Aga Khan Award for Architecture.

The ceremony will be by invitation only, will be held at the Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS (PETRONAS Philharmonic Hall), at the PETRONAS Twin Towers.The prize-giving ceremony will be followed by a seminar at Ballroom 1, Level 3, KL Convention Centre on 5th September.

The seminar is a public forum to discuss the relevant issues and trends that emerged during the Award Master Jury's deliberations and through the selection process. It will allow Malaysian professionals, students and journalists to ask questions of the members of the Award’s Steering Committee, Master Jury and the 2007 Award Winners. The award, established by the Aga Khan in 1977, spiritual leader of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslim community, to identify and encourage building concepts that successfully address the needs and aspirations of Muslim societies, was also aimed at enhancing the understanding and appreciation of Islamic culture expressed through architecture.

It is organised in a three-year cycle and is governed by a steering committee chaired by the Aga Khan.The award seeks to identify and encourage building concepts that successfully address the needs of aspirations of societies in which Muslims have a significant presence.The Award's method is to seek out and recognize examples of architectural excellence, encompassing varied contemporary designs, social housing, community improvement and development, restoration, reuse and area conservation, as well as landscaping and environmental issues.

Its selection process emphasizes architecture that not only provides for people's physical, social and economic needs, but also stimulates and responds to their cultural and spiritual expectations.Particular attention is given to building schemes that use local resources and appropriate technology in an innovative way and to projects likely to inspire similar efforts elsewhere.

A total of nine awards will be given out, with prize money totaling US$ 500,000. This constitutes the largest architectural award in the world, and is presented every three years to projects selected by an independent Master Jury.