2016 Brick in Architecture Awards Winners Announced

RESTON, Va. — Two school projects — one at Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas and the other at Intermediate School 230Q Annex in Queens, N.Y. — were named as part of the seven 2016 Best in Class Brick in Architecture Awards winners from the Brick Industry Association (BIA). The awards honor the country’s most visionary projects incorporating fired-clay brick in seven categories: Commercial, Educational (Higher Education), Educational (K-12), Healthcare, Municipal/Government, Residential (Multifamily) and Residential (Single Family).

The new, 96,000-square-foot Agriculture & Business Multipurpose Classroom Building at Prairie View A&M University was designed by Overland Partners and constructed by Linbeck Construction Corp. — both of which have offices in San Antonio. The L-shaped structure houses the university’s College of Agriculture and Human Sciences as well as the College of Business. The building’s brick exterior ties into the university’s cultural heritage and personality, while also maintaining a forward-looking design. It was completed in fall 2015.

The 36,200-square-foot Intermediate School 230Q Annex is a four-story school constructed in the historic district of Jackson Heights in Queens. Designed by New York-based John Ciardullo Associates, the school features a U-shaped design to allow natural light to flood the space from all angles. The 10,000-square-foot facility houses 423 students in sixth to eighth grades. Bohemia, N.Y.-based Citnalta Construction Corp. built the school, which was completed in August 2014.

In total, BIA awarded 32 Best in Class, Gold, Silver and Bronze winners in 17 states and Canada throughout all seven categories. The projects were judged by a jury of peers, including Steve Berg AIA LEED AP, design leader for BWBR; Fiske Crowell FAIA, LEED AP, principal at Sasaki Associates; Kristin Hawkins AIA, associate principal at Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects; David Meleca AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BC+D, principal at David B. Meleca Architects LLC; Clint Rigsby RLA, ASLA, LEED AP, senior landscape architect at SeamonWhiteside; and Fernando Villa AIA, LEED AP BD+C, principal at Magnusson Architecture and Planning PC.

The other higher education projects honored include:
Gold: Princeton University’s Lakeside Graduate Housing; Princeton, N.J.
Silver: North Park University’s Nancy and G. Timothy Johnson Center for Science and Community Life; Chicago
Bronze: Kester International Promenade; High Point, N.C.

The other K-12 projects honored include:
Gold: CREC Medical Professions & Teacher Preparation Academy; New Britain, Conn.
Silver: Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 School; Alexandria, Va.
Bronze: William F. Cooke, Jr. Elementary School; Hockessin, Del.