Five faculty members and alums of the Department of Architecture were honored last month by the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Institute of Architects with a 2021 Architectural Excellence Award. Among the firms from across Pennsylvania recognized for excellence in design, contributions to the profession of architecture, and commitment to the quality of the built environment were Erdy McHenry Architecture, ISA, DIGSAU, and KieranTimberlake, which are led by instructors or graduates of the Weitzman School.
Jurors selected one project from a pool of 105 submissions to receive the Silver Medal, the most distinguished design award. The recipient of this honor was Erdy McHenry Architecture for Anderson Hall. Located on Temple University’s campus, Anderson Hall features a grand glass atrium, creating a new gateway into the academic building and offering a renewed prominence and added functionality.
Erdy McHenry Architecture, led by Lecturer Scott Erdy, FAIA, was awarded the 2016 AIA PA Architectural Firm of the Year Award. When speaking about the firm, Erdy said, “We are mindful of our firm’s Philadelphia roots, wherever we work. In a city where themes of architectural expression and meaning have been posed by visionaries long before our time, we are proponents for a new Philadelphia School, where young firms can explore craft and programmatic expression that may be unique to Philadelphia, but ultimately will have a broader positive influence.” In addition to the Silver Medal, Erdy McHenry was awarded a Merit Award for Fifth Façade: Franklin County Extension, the first facility completed as part of the CFAES Master Plan, bridging the gap between the community and the Ohio State University campus, as part of its Land Grant mission.
ISA, which is led by alum and Lecturer Brian Phillips (MArch'96), received an Honor Award for the project 22 South 40th Street. The brick structure at 22 South 40th Street, attributed to architect Frank Furness, originally housed a precursor to the Philadelphia Free Library and was later transformed into a PECO showroom and a community health clinic. ISA’s strategic approach to preservation looked to balance historic restoration with reactivating and reopening the building to West Philly’s vibrant street life, welcoming whatever the future holds. ISA’s Oxford Green was also recognized with a Merit Award. Oxford Green is currently the largest, greenest housing project to-date by the Philadelphia’s Habitat for Humanity.
Other Weitzman honorees were DIGSAU, where Mark Sanderson (MArch'00) is principal, and KieranTimberlake, led by alumni Stephen Kieran (MArch’76) and James Timberlake (MArch’77). In addition to a Merit Award for their design of Jeff and Judy Henley Hall, University of California Santa Barbara, Kieran and Timberlake received the Medal of Distinction, the highest honor given by AIA PA. During the boradcast, the architects were praised for "a portfolio of beautifully crafted, thoughtfully made buildings that are holistically integrated into site, program, and people."
Weitzman alum and member of the Board of Advisors, Mark Gardner (MArch’00), AIA, NOMA, of Jaklitsch/Gardner Architects, served on the jury.
About this year’s 2021 Architectural Excellence Awards recipients, AIA PA executive director Stephen Swarney, JD said during the broadcast, “These winners showcase some of the best work that is happening in the profession today.”
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