For AN’s third annual design awards, seven jurors gathered in New York to review nearly 500 projects submitted by architects and designers.
The jury included Amale Andraos, dean of Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation; Nicholas Koster, project manager at Snøhetta; Chee Perlman, editor and curator of Chee Company; Ana Garcia Puyol, computational designer at Thornton Tomasetti; Ali Tayar; founder of Parallel Design Partnership, Terence Riley, founding partner at Keenan/Riley, and Mimi Zeiger, AN’s west coast editor.
In each category, a winner and an honorable mention were selected, although there were a couple of ties. Over the coming days, we will be posting their selections in the 21 categories.
Civic Winner
Santa Monica Library, Pico Branch
Architect: Koning Eizenberg
Location: Santa Monica, CA
Conceived as a community living room, this branch library engages its park setting to encourage use of an educational resource in a minority neighborhood. The project was developed with the community in a series of public design workshops that resulted in an inclusive design approach and interactive service strategies that attract families normally reticent to use institutional resources. The library’s siting preserves existing green space while repurposing underutilized space to activate the park’s event plaza. On Saturdays the front door opens to the edge of the local Farmers Market. A photovoltaic canopy spans the fire lane, offsetting carbon footprint while enhancing walkability.
