Jury names 79 American-designed new works in annual program of the Chicago Athenaeum and the European Centre of Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies
The Chicago Athenaeum and the European Centre of Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies, March 27, named its American Architecture Awards for 2017. Three BNIM projects were among the 79 entries receiving recognition: The Pacific Center Campus Development includes a new building—the Amenities Building—that transformed the sense of (work)place for a Fortune 500 company in San Diego, Calif.; American Enterprise Group National Headquarters is a sensitive renovation/adaptation of a 1965 Gordon Bunshaft/SOM building in Des Moines, Iowa; the Visual Arts Building at the University of Iowa was the result of a BNIM collaboration with Steven Holl Associates in Iowa City, Iowa.
“Everyone at BNIM is excited and honored that we have been recognized with three American Architecture Awards, including one we share with Steven Holl Architects,” says Steve McDowell, CEO of BNIM. “We see this program as especially important because, like our own practice, it is interdisciplinary—addressing architecture, landscape architecture and planning. Through all those lenses, BNIM is Building Positive—designing for positive outcomes.”
University of Iowa Visual Arts Building (with Steven Holl Architects), Iowa City, Iowa. Photo: © Iwan Baan
A jury of Greek architects and cultural leaders met in Athens to review a shortlist of 300 American-designed new works of architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design/planning, and named 79 as the crop of winners for 2017. A gala event will take place during the American Institute of Architects’ Conference on Architecture in Orlando this month. BNIM’s Rod Kruse and Carey Nagle are presenting the American Enterprise Group project at A’17 and will be available for interviews on site.
McDowell notes that this year’s American Architecture Awards Greek jury deliberated in Athens. “Perhaps they were inspired by the deep roots of culture and architecture of that city,” he says. “That context makes this honor even greater. Site-specific cultural and design heritage inform the ideas behind every project we touch.”
Pacific Center Campus Amenities Building, San Diego, Calif. Photo: © Nick Merrick, Hedrich Blessing
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BNIM delivers beautiful, integrated, living environments that inspire change and enhance the human condition. The architecture and design firm is an innovative leader in designing high performance environments. Through an integrated process of collaborative discovery, BNIM teams create transformative, living designs that help organizations and communities thrive. As early pioneers of sustainability in the building industry, BNIM continues to shape the national and global design conversation on design excellence and delivering transformational results for clients. The firm received the 2011 AIA National Architecture Firm Award for their work. www.bnim.com
