R+D AWARDS WINNERS
Award: R-House
Della Valle Bernheimer, Brooklyn, N.Y. and Architecture Research Office, New York
Designed for infill sites in the Westside neighborhood of Syracuse, N.Y., the compact R-House offers a prototype for low-energy housing that’s also affordable and adaptable.
Award: Shadow Pavilion
PLY Architecture, Ann Arbor, Mich.
The surface of the Shadow Pavilion consists of 100-plus laser-cut cones that test the limits of sheet aluminum while funneling in light, moisture, and sound.
Award: Digital Steam-Bending: Developing a Parametrically Adaptable Wishbone Structural System
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.
A research group revisits the 19th century technique of bending wood using steam with decidedly 21st century techniques, including as parametric modeling and Rhino scripting.
Award: RUBBiSH (Recycled Rubber Sinks)
Minarc, Santa Monica, Calif.
In the world of green products, worth is usually measured by a series of acronyms—VOCs, IAQ, FSC, etc.—or by percentage of recycled content, and even that is subdivided into categories: pre-consumer, postindustrial, and the most coveted, post-consumer. So it is refreshing to see RUBBiSH, which has a pedigree so pure that no acronyms are necessary.
Award: Chicago Central Area Decarbonization Plan
Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, Chicago
The team at Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, known for net-zero and positive energy designs, lent its expertise to its hometown of Chicago in an effort to help the city meet its carbon reduction goals, which include 25 percent reduction in carbon emissions below 1990 levels by 2020 and 100 percent reduction in carbon emissions for new and renovated buildings by 2030, in accordance with the 2030 Challenge.
Award: North House: Responsive Envelope Prototyping
RVTR/Team North
Designed and built for the 2009 U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon, this solar-powered, 800-square-foot prototype house is tailor-made for northern climates. The project combines a responsive louver and building-integrated solar-panel skin with a savvy interior that contributes to the overall building performance.
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View North House Blinds Video »
Award: Green-Zip Tape
Green-Zip Tape Partition, Magnolia, Texas
It’s hard to get simpler in conception and execution than Green-Zip Tape. The product is a substitute for the joint-compound tape that has been used between gypsum board panels since the introduction of prefabricated plasterboard in the early 1930s.
Citation: Bitmaps
PROJECTiONE, Muncie, Ind.
Wallpaper isn't everyone's cup of tea. In response to a client's interest in 3D wall paneling, the team developed a modular system of vacuum-formed panels, manufactured with a reusable mold.
Citation: HelioTrace Façade System
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, New York
Designed for infill sites in the Westside neighborhood of Syracuse, N.Y., the compact R-House offers a prototype for low-energy housing that’s also affordable and adaptable.
Citation: Community Rowing Boathouse
Anmahian Winton Architects, Cambridge, Mass.
When the only public-access rowing club on Boston’s Charles River required a new facility, Anmahian Winton Architects saw a chance to modernize the vocabulary of local rowing structures while taking inspiration from antecedents such as covered bridges and tobacco barns.
Citation: New York Stock Exchange Security and Streetscape
Rogers Marvel Architects, New York
In the post-9/11 era, security has become omnipresent in urban centers such as New York's financial district, often resulting in an obstructed streetscape. Finding existing street security options lacking in either performance or design, New York–based Rogers Marvel Architects developed the Turntable Vehicle Barrier (TVB), which features perforated-bronze-clad bollards set in a paved piece that can swivel to block the street or allow vehicle access as necessary.
