The AIA Philadelphia Design Awards Gala was held on October 14, 2015 at the National Museum of American Jewish History. The gala serves to acknowledge AIA Philadelphia members and other individuals that are shaping the built environment in the Philadelphia region and beyond. The Design Award winners are selected through a jury with this year’s jury from Portland, OR.
Gold Medal: KieranTimberlake [ Faculty and alumni Stephen Kieran (M.Arch’76] and James Timberlake (M.Arch’77)], Dilworth Park. The Gold Medal recognizes a single built work of the most exemplary design quality. The redesign created a more dignified civic plaza with a calm structure so as to not inerfere with Philadelphia’s grand and exuberant city hall. In addition to improving access both to the subways and across the park, the design includes a raised lawn, a fountain with an integrated art installation and a cafe with both indoor and outdoor seatings. The jury recognizes it as “a truly civic project that is inclusive and allows for many types of people to coexist happily”.
Silver Medal: Erdy McHenry, PennDesign Meyerson Hall Transformation. The Silver Medal recognizes a single unbuilt project of the most exemplary design quality.
The transformation features a prominent pedestrian entrance with an addition of luminescent glass to the façade on the north side. Erdy McHenry also redesigned the Walnut/34th street plaza to a friendlier street presence that provides places for student interaction.
Young Architect Award: Fon S. Wang [MSHP’07 ], AIA, LEED AP, Director of Historic Preservation at Ballinger. The Young Architect Award, presented by AIA Philadelphia’s Steering Committee of Fellows, seeks to recognize a candidate’s contribution to the categories of leadership, practice and service. Ms. Wang’s professional expertise stems from a broad range of practical experience in the field of architectural design and historic preservation. Her impressive portfolio ranges from new construction to adaptive reuse and historic preservation for commercial institutional and residential clients. She is a Board Member for the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia, Co-chair of Community Outreach Committee for CREW Philadelphia and volunteers her professional design services for the Community Design Collaborative. Additionally, Ms. Wang is a lecturer at PennDesign’s Historic Preservation Studio.
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