September 25, 2024

Five projects take top honors at AIA Washington Council's 2024 Civic Design Awards

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Washington Council held its 2024 Civic Design Awards ceremony on Thursday Sept. 19.

These annual awards celebrate and honor publicly funded projects across Washington state that exemplify the finest standards in innovation, sustainability, building performance, and overall integration with the client and surrounding community.

This year, a total of 12 projects were recognized with five ‘trailblazing' civic developments taking home the top honor of the evening – an AIA Honor Award.

The Honor Award winners include a new life skills training center for blind and low vision young adults and an expanded and reimagined community theater on Bainbridge Island.

In a news release, the AIA Washington Council said the winning projects and their visionary designs “are redefining public spaces and setting new benchmarks for community-centric architecture.”

“These projects aren't just buildings - they're catalysts for social change,” a juror remarked, encapsulating the transformative power of this year's winners.

In addition to the top honors, three Merit Awards, two Citation Awards and three Honorable Mentions were given.

The full list of winners is below.

HONOR AWARD

Photo by Lincoln Barbour [enlarge]

This new building at the Washington State School for the Blind campus in Vancouver took home an Honor Award.

Project: Life Skills Training Center, Washington State School for the Blind

Owner: Washington State School for the Blind

Architect: Mahlum Architects

Location:Vancouver

Washington State School for the Blind's new Life Skills Training Center, designed by Mahlum Architects, revolutionizes education with an immersive, real-world learning environment.

The new two-story 11,570-square-foot building replaced a single-story brick structure from the 1970s on the school's campus in Vancouver. It is the new home for two programs previously located elsewhere on campus. The Learning Independence for Today and Tomorrow (LIFTT) program's Life Skills Training Center occupies the ground floor, and a new office for the Washington Department of Services for the Blind is located on the second floor.

LIFTT is a 10-month residential program designed to teach independent living skills to young adults who are blind or have low vision. The LIFTT space is laid out like a typical residence to provide a safe setting that prepares individuals to navigate home environments and spaces upon completion of the program.

Particular attention was paid to the acoustical design of the facility, as people with low vision and blindness navigate the world around them through sound. Installing controllable lighting systems was also crucial, as individual participants can often see more or less depending on the type and intensity of light in a space.

Photo by Sean Airhart [enlarge]

The new Seattle Ferry Terminal, which replaced an aging terminal at the Colman Dock was one of five Honor Award winners.

Project: Seattle Ferry Terminal

Owner: Washington State Ferries

Architect: NBBJ

Location: Seattle

The Seattle Ferry Terminal debuted in 2023 and replaced the decades-old Colman Dock at the Seattle waterfront. It was the first public building to be constructed west of Alaskan Way on the waterfront following the removal of the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

An estimated 9 million people per year commute through the terminal between downtown Seattle, Bainbridge Island and Bremerton.

Designed as a place welcoming to all, the new flagship terminal for Washington State Ferries reconnects a region and its people to the waterfront and serves as a gateway to the Olympic peninsula.

Photo by Lara Swimmer [enlarge]

LMN won an Honor Award for the renovation and remodel of The Buxton Center for Bainbridge Performing Arts.

Project: The Buxton Center for Bainbridge Performing Arts

Owner: Bainbridge Performing Arts

Architect: LMN Architects

Location: Bainbridge Island

Bainbridge Performing Arts' Buxton Center, designed by LMN Architects, breathes new life into a beloved island landmark.

The project transformed an existing 11,330-square-foot theater into a welcoming state-of-the-art cultural space through a host of internal renovations and a modern 5,387-square-foot addition.

LMN's design reoriented the building to the axial plan of Bainbridge's Town Square to help build a stronger connection to the civic heart of the island. A dramatic new wave-form roof and ceiling plane of expressed wood structure was added to the center and ties together new program spaces. A wood-and-glass curtain wall encloses a new double-height lobby space, immersing patrons in a lush woodland landscape during the day and creating a welcoming glowing beacon at night.

HONOR AWARD FOR EQUITABLE PROJECT

Photo by William P. Wright [enlarge]

Bloomside in Burien was the sole affordable housing building to win a 2024 Civic Design Awards Honor Award.

Project: Bloomside

Owner: Downtown Emergency Services Center

Architect: SMR Architects

Location: Burien

Bloomside is a new permanent supportive housing building developed as part of the city of Burien's Affordable Housing Demonstration Program.

The building has 95 studio units plus supportive services and indoor/outdoor community spaces for single adults who are disabled and formerly homeless.

SMR Architects design integrates cost-effective materials to create a welcoming environment and incorporates durable finishes that can withstand heavy use while maintaining a home-like atmosphere.

Bloomside has large windows and open community spaces to draw people in and foster a sense of belonging. The layout of indoor and outdoor gathering areas also encourages social interactions, and the design of common areas incorporates trauma-informed principles.

Photo by Mika Sundberg [enlarge]

The new White Center Foodbank opened in January and has won a 2024 Civic Design Awards Honor Award.

Project: White Center Food Bank

Owner: White Center Food Bank

Architect: Side X Side Architects

The new White Center Food Bank opened at 10016 16th Ave. S.W. in January. The food bank originated in the mid-1970s as an emergency measure to support struggling families and individuals in the White Center and Highline areas during a significant economic downturn. Initially located in a church basement, the facility was relocated several times before settling on a property owned by King County.

In 2020, King County informed the food bank that their current location would be redeveloped into affordable housing and a community center, necessitating another move. Seizing this as an opportunity, the board and staff chose to reinvent the food bank as a comprehensive food hub, aimed at serving the entire community with a strong, permanent presence in the downtown White Center core.

Since opening the new location, the food bank says it has seen an increase of 40% use.

The AIA Washinton Council commended both Bloomside and the White Center Food Bank for proving that “transformative design thrives on any budget.”

In addition to the top honors three Merit Awards, two Citation Awards and three Honorable Mentions were given.

Those were awarded to:

MERIT AWARD

Project: James Baldwin Elementary School

Owner: Seattle Public Schools

Architect: NAC Architects

Location: Seattle

Project: Postmark Center for the Arts

Owner: City of Auburn

Architect: Johnston Architects

Location: Auburn

Project: Spokane Valley Library

Owner: Spokane County Library District

Architect: Integrus

Location: Spokane Valley

CITATION AWARD

Project: Cowlitz 911

Owner: Cowlitz 911 Public Authority

Architect: Rice Fergus Miller

Location: Longview

Project: Peperzak Middle School

Owner: Spokane Public Schools

Architect: Integrus

Location: Spokane

HONORABLE MENTION

Project: Kimball Elementary School

Owner: Seattle Public Schools

Architect: NAC Architects

City: Seattle

Project: Station Space

Owner: Cultural Space Agency

Architect: Side X Side Architects

Location: Seattle

Project: Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe Hatchery + Beach Shelter

Owner: Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe

Architect: CAST Architecture

Location: Kingston

The 2024 Civic Design Awards were held in Seattle at the offices of architecture firm EHDD. For full details on all 12 honored projects, visit http://www.aiawa.org.