An elegant arts center in China, expansive greenspace in Dallas, and a new arts-oriented apartment building in Philadelphia, are among the projects awarded by the Brick Industry Association (BIA) for their innovation and presentation of the strong and eco-friendly building material. Brick’s sturdy form and traditional burnt red aesthetic make it a tried and true chose for architects and designers worldwide for centuries. The BIA, a trade association that represents brick suppliers and manufacturers, annually awards projects that push the envelope when it comes to crafting buildings with the masonry material.
Since 1989, BIA has been observing new clay brick projects. In this latest iteration of awards, it recognized projects in nine categories: Craftsmanship, Thin Brick, International, Residential Single Family, Commercial, Residential Multi-Family, Education (Colleges & Universities), Paving and Landscaping, Education (K–13), and Historic Renovation. As in year’s past the organization awards four honors—Best in Class, Gold, Silver, and Bronze—in each of these categories.
Best in Class is the achieving goal for these buildings and architects, but a Craftsmanship award is the Best in Show pick from the judges. The 2023 pick for craftsmanship went to Ace Hotel Toronto, a new 14-story hotel by Canadian architecture firm Shim-Sutcliffe. Its brick facade mirrors the minimalist room interiors while still providing a modern finish. While the downtown Toronto scene is constantly evolving, this winning building shows up to a clean-cut example of what brick can be.
The 2023 picks recognize 44 projects from across the U.S. to Mexico, China, and beyond from notable architecture and landscaping firms such as Gensler, Leong Leong, Reed Hilderbrand, Field Operations, and others.
The full list of winning projects is reproduced below:
Commercial
Best in Class
Ace Hotel Toronto
Toronto
Shim-Sutcliffe Architects
Gold
Kendall Square Lobby
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Merge Architects
Silver
Charleston Fire Station #11
Charleston, South Carolina
Liollio Architecture
Bronze
Hotel Vin
Grapevine, Texas
Architexas
Bronze
Unity Hall at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcerster, Massachusetts
Gensler
Education – Colleges and Universities
Best in Class
TCU Music Center
Fort Worth, Texas
Bora Architecture & Interiors
Gold
Nicholas S. Zeppos College, Vanderbilt University
Nashville
David M. Schwarz Architects, Inc.
Silver
Amanda & G. Brint Ryan Tower, UNT Dallas
Dallas
TreanorHL
Bronze
Saint Mary’s New Catholic Church
College Station, Texas
BRW Architects
Bronze
Florida State University Student Union
Tallahassee, Florida
Education – K-12
Best in Class
John Webb Elementary School
Arlington, Texas
BRW Architects
Gold
First Baptist Church Education Building
Charleston, South Carolina
Liollio Architecture
Silver
Walter P. Carter & Lois T. Murray Elementary/Middle Schools
Baltimore
Newman Architects
Silver
Flint Hill Middle School
Oakton, Virginia
DLR Group I Bowie Gridley
Bronze
Pace Academy Kam Memar Lower School
Atlanta
TVS
Bronze
Echo Trail Middle School
Louisville, Kentucky
JRA Architects
Historic Renovation
Best in Class
Foundry 101
Cambridge, Massachusetts
CambridgeSeven
International
Best in Class
TIC Art Center
Guangzhou, China
DOMANI Architectural Concepts
Gold
Maison Rouge Club House
Moscow
ADM Architects
Silver
Expansion and Renovation of U.S. Air Force Flying Tigers Zhijiang Museum
Huaihua City, China
Yang Ying Design Studio
Bronze
Jojutla Central Gardens
Jojutla, Morelos, Mexico
Estudio MMX
Bronze
Mayala Ordynka 19
Moscow, Russia
ADM Architects
Bronze
Dingshu Vocational School of Pottery
Yixing, Yukon, China
genarchitects
Paving & Landscaping
Best in Class
West End Square
Dallas
Field Operations
Gold
Wharf D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Michael Van Valkenburgh
Silver
Alamo Plaza Restoration Project
San Antonio
Reed Hilderbrand
Bronze
Private Residence Paver Walkway
Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
Hilary Farr Design
Residential Multifamily
Best in Class
1 Boeurm Place
Brooklyn, New York
SLCE
Gold
80 Terrace Street
Boston
Primary Development
Gold
601 Baltic
Brooklyn, New York
Grid Group
Silver
Forena
Boston
Hacin
Bronze
55 Brighton
Boston, Massachusetts
Hacin
Bronze
The Ray
Philadelphia
Leong Leong
Bronze
The Ruby
New York
COOKFOX
Residential Single Family
Best in Class
Canvas House
Toronto
PARTISANS
Gold
Jackman House
Toronto
Superkül
Silver
Bedford Quarry House
Bedford, New York
Steven Harris Architects
Bronze
Pacific Railway Single Residence
Montreal, Canada
Architecture Microclimat
Thin Brick
Best in Class
345 North Morgan
Chicago
Eckenhoff Saunders
Gold
The Krog District
Atlanta
ASD|SKY
Silver
Boys Town Education Center
Boys Town, Nebraska
DLR Group
Bronze
Northstar Dermatology
North Richland Hills, Texas
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