SARA New York Announces 2009 Design Awards Winners

The Society of American Registered Architects New York Council just announced the winners of the 14th Annual Professional Design Awards.

The Friends of the Highline have been awarded the Medallion of Honor.

The jury said: “For not only did they succeed in preserving an historic structure; they have created a new public “park in the sky” which has spurred the rezoning of West Chelsea, precipitating it’s transformation from a barren industrial wayside to a verdant, vibrant and popular cultural, commercial and residential area.”

The New Cooper Union Academic Building designed by Morphosis has been awarded the Visionary Architecture Award.

“This building is not only groundbreaking in its design and use of new materials and technology; Morphosis has created a new paradigm for academic buildings that engage the environment both within and without. The design and structure embody a new spirit of collaboration, which is beginning to be evident in the professions and is physically expressed in the intermingling of architects, engineers, and artists who will inhabit this new structure.”

One Bryant Park designed by Cook+Fox and developed by the Durst Organization has received the Project of the Year Award.

“This building is the physical manifestation of the Durst’s commitment to the public and their environment. The public’s relationship with this structure is beautifully choreographed whether they originate from Grand Central or Times Square or Bryant Park itself. The developers commitment to the environment is recognized by this buildings LEED Platinum rating and the fact that it is currently the largest green building in the United States at 2.2 million Square feet.”

Here’s the complete list of 2009 Design Awards Winners:

Medallion of Honor: Friends of the High Line

Visionary Architecture Award: The Cooper Union Academic Building

Project of the Year: 1 Bryant Park

Award of Excellence:

• Housing - 40 Bond Street - Herzog & de Meuron: Design Architect; Handel Architects: Architect of Record
• Commercial - Standard Hotel, New York - Polshek Partnership Architects LLP
• Interior Design - Science Department Renovation and Addition - Murphy, Burnham & Buttrick - Mary Burnham
• Interior Design - Enterprise Community Partners – Stephen Yablon - Stephen Yablon Architect
• Educational - Syracuse University S.I. Newhouse III School of Public Communications - Polshek Partnership Architects
• Rehabilitation/Remodeling - Apartment & Garden - A+I Architecture PC – Brad Zizmor
• Rehabilitation/Remodeling - Yale University Art Gallery Kahn Building Renovation - Polshek Partnership Architects
• The Arts - Birdhaus - The Office of Carol JW Kurth, AIA Architect, PC - Carol JW Kurth
• Student - Brooklyn Waterfront Museum – Yeinny Daza

Award of Merit:

• Housing - North Sea Residence - Shelton, Mindel & Associates - Jessica Fowler
• Housing – 304 Spring Street - Zakrzewski + Hyde Architects - Stas Zakrzewski
• Educational/Institutional - University of Michigan Biomedical Science Research Building - Polshek Partnership Architects
• Educational/Institutional - Newseum/Freedom Forum World Headquarters - Polshek Partnership Architects
• Interior Design - Fortune 100 Co - Mancini Duffy - Peyton Cochran
• Interior Design - Hudson River Residence - Shelton, Mindel & Associates - Jessica Fowler
• Rehabilitation/Remodeling - Beacon Institute - Gensler - Joseph Brancato
• Urban Design Studies - NABA Masterplan - Wendy Evans Joseph - Wendy Evans Joseph Architecture
• Student - Museum of the Brooklyn Waterfront - Hsiang-Jen Chuang - New York City College of Technology

Award of Honor:

• Housing - The Satori - Scarano Architects, PLLC – Robert Scarano
• Educational/Institutional - Weill/Cornell Medical College, Weill Greenberg Center - Polshek Partnership Architects
• Interior Design – Toku - Bentel & Bentel Architects - Carol Bentel
• Interior Design - North Sea Pool House - Shelton, Mindel & Associates - Jessica Fowler
• Interior Design - Central Park West Residence - Shelton, Mindel & Associates - Jessica Fowler
• Interior Design - NY Mets Exec/Admin Offices - Mancini Duffy - Peyton Cochran
• Rehabilitation/Remodeling - Spector Group LI Offices - Spector Group - Marc B Spector
• Rehabilitation/Remodeling - Artist’s Studio - Vaidya Stolz Architects – Alexander Stolz