June 28, 2017

El Centro project wins AIA/HUD award

Photo by William Wright Photography [enlarge]

Plaza Roberto Maestas, a mixed-use apartment complex in Seattle, is one of three projects that won 2017 AIA/HUD Secretary Awards for housing design.

The award program is by the American Institute of Architects' Housing Knowledge Community and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Seattle project won for “creating community connection.”

The two six-story buildings were completed last year at 2524 16th Ave. S. by the social services group El Centro de la Raza. The buildings flank an outdoor plaza that opens onto a festival street adjacent to the Beacon Hill light rail station.

In a press release, AIA said El Centro created this multicultural hub after nearly eight years of planning with the community.

The complex has 112 low-income units, local retail, office space, community space and a bilingual child center. AIA said the complex addresses the need for affordable housing and economic opportunity in the neighborhood, and is a model for community-inspired transit-oriented development.

The architect of record is SMR Architects, and the design architects are 7 Directions Architects & Planners and Third Place Design Co-operative.

Walsh Construction Co. is the general contractor and Beacon Development Group acted as the development consultant. The team also includes Cerna Landscaping, Shannon & Wilson, South Earth Strategies, The West Studio, Swenson Say Faget, and Bush, Roed and Hitchings.

(Editor's note: This story has been changed to show that The West Studio is the landscape architect.

Monteverde Senior Apartments in Hayward, California, won an award for affordable housing design. The architect is Dahlin Group Architecture Planning and the owner is Eden Housing.

Flance Early Learning Center in St. Louis won for its “community-informed design.” The architect is Trivers Associates and the owner is St. Louis Housing Authority.

For more information and photos, go to http://tiny.cc/yzusly/.