Last night was the 3rd Annual BSA Design Awards Gala at the InterContinental Hotel. Over 17 individuals from Payette attended to network with friends and colleagues in the architectural community.
As an emerging professional at Payette, I was excited to be invited to the BSA Awards Gala. It’s easy to forget about all the incredible design that is going on around us. This event reminded me what a rich design community we have here in Boston and I felt so lucky to be a part of it. As I looked around the room it was clear that I was surrounded by passionate, creative people. Architects sometimes forget the impact they have as a whole on the built environment. It’s not just the singular buildings that we are all designing, but it’s the collective of all the architects, engineers and other design trades who are truly shaping our built environment. This year we saw so many innovative designs that were truly pushing the envelope. I’m looking forward to continuing to be part of this collective whether it is through the BSA, the AIA or just grabbing coffee with friends in other firms. There is a lot going on here and we should all be proud of that.
Payette was well represented at this event. Two of our principals were jurors for these prestigious award programs. Sho-Ping Chin, FAIA was on the jury for the Harleston Parker Medal and George Marsh, FAIA was on the jury for Unbuilt Architecture and Design.
Payette was also fortunate to celebrate two design awards with our clients and consultants last night. Bridgewater State University’s Science and Mathematics Center won a Citation in the Honor Award for Design Excellence program and Connecticut College’s New London Hall Science Center won an Award in the Education Facilities Design: Higher Education program.
Cape Cod Community College’s Frank and Maureen Wilkens Science and Engineering Center is a net-positive energy building designed to transform the heart of campus.
The project approaches sustainability through a holistic and global approach, implementing a range of moves including passive solar shading overhangs, air-source heat pumps, high performance materials with low embodied carbon and the expansion of the range of thermal comfort and lighting power density. Combined with on-site photovoltaics, the project achieves net-positive energy use.
The project’s thermally modified wood rainscreen façade is a study of the modern expression of vernacular Cape Cod architecture while reducing embodied carbon. Early lifecycle assessments identified the immense carbon savings of wood over fiber cement. The design team did not stop there, furthering reductions by peeling back unnecessary finishes like carpet and ceilings. Together, these decisions enabled a 19% reduction in embodied carbon.
#earthweek #designalways #buildingscience #performalism #netpositive #capecodmodernism #capecod #newengland