AIA Chicago names finalists for best projects at 2022 Design Excellence Awards

AIA Chicago has announced the finalists for their Design Excellence Awards. Spanning architectural and interior architectural projects around the world designed by Chicago architects, the organizers intend the awards to “show the breadth of knowledge and expertise that Chicago architects have to offer.” The series also includes a dedicated Decarbonization Award.

This year, the awards have been restructured to recognize projects of all scales, with categories spanning XS to XL in Architecture and S to L in Interior Architecture. Projects vying for the awards include major schemes such as the Central Park Tower in New York City and the Shanghai Financial Exchange Plaza to smaller commissions including beach houses and greenhouses.

The finalists for the 2022 edition of the awards are as follows:

Architecture XL Category

• Central Park Tower by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, Adamson Associates Architects (Associate Architect); Extell Development Company, New York, NY
• Optima Kierland Center by David Hovey Sr., FAIA, Optima, Inc.; David Hovey & Associates Architect, Inc.; Scottsdale, AZ
• Shanghai Financial Exchange Plaza by Jahn/ | FGP Atelier; Shanghai Stock Exchange, China Financial Futures Exchange, China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation Ltd., Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China

Architecture L Category

• SoMa Site 3 Lab Building byPerkins&Will; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
• Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center by Perkins&Will; Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
• The Place at Fifth + Broadway by Pappageorge Haymes Partners; Gresham Smith, (Architect of Record); Brookfield Properties, Nashville, TN

Architecture M Category

• By The Hand Club - Moving Everest by Present Future Architects; By The Hand Club For Kids, Chicago, IL
• KLEO Art Residences by JGMA; Imagine Development and Brinshore Development, Chicago, IL
• Robert Crown Community Center by Woodhouse Tinucci Architects, MJMA Architecture and Design (Collaborating Architect); City of Evanston, Evanston, IL
• The 801 by DesignBridge, Ltd; The Community Builders, Oak Park, IL
• The David Rubenstein Forum by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Brininstool + Lynch (Associate Architect); The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

Architecture S/XS Category

• Gillson Park Beach House by Woodhouse Tinucci Architects; Wilmette Park District, Wilmette, IL
• Granor Greenhouse by Wheeler Kearns Architects; Granor Farm, Three Oaks, MI
• O'Hare Airport Emergency Generator Station by Epstein with Andrew Metter, FAIA; Department of Aviation, City of Chicago, Chicago, IL
• Rising Sun by David Hovey Sr., FAIA; Optima DCHGlobal, Inc.; Optima DCHGlobal, Inc., Scottsdale, AZ
• Riverview Pedestrian Bridge & Bike Path by Epstein with Andrew Metter, FAIA, UrbanLab (Associate Architect); Chicago Dept. of Transportation (CDOT), Chicago, IL
• SOS Children's Villages by JGMA; SOS Children’s Villages Illinois and Maestro Cares, Chicago, IL

Interior Architecture L Category

• Financial Service Firm by Perkins&Will; Confidential, Chicago, IL
• Facility Art Space by Carlo Parente Architecture Inc.; Nick Cave & Bob Faust, Chicago, IL
• Lobby and Cafe Renovation by Perkins&Will; Shure Incorporated, Niles, IL
• Willis Tower Repositioning by Gensler; EQ Office, Chicago, IL

Interior Architecture M Category

• 999 Residence by Vladimir Radutny Architects; Confidential, Chicago, IL
• Chicago Cultural Center Grand Army of the Republic Rooms Restoration by Harboe Architects; City of Chicago, Chicago, IL

Interior Architecture S Category

• BARDAVID by Brininstool + Lynch; University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
• Dayglow by Range Design & Architecture; Tohm Ifergan, Chicago, IL

Decarbonization Award

• McDonald’s Global Flagship @ Walt Disney World Resort by Ross Barney Architects; CPH (Architect and Engineer of Record) McDonald's Corporation, Lake Buena Vista, FL
• The Keller Center by Farr Associates, Architecture and Urban Design, Woodhouse Tinucci Architects (Collaborating Architect); The Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

Award winners will be announced on September 12 at the Pritzker Pavilion during Designight 2022 in Chicago. The event will present category winners with an Honor Award or a Citation of Merit Award.