BDT WINS AIA 2019 MERIT AWARD
On Nov. 7, 2019, the AIA Columbus Chapter announced the winners of its annual Architecture Awards Program. BDT Architects & Designers—an Athens, Ohio architecture and design firm—won a merit award in the “large project” category for their 26 E Park Drive project. Judges commended the designers’ response to the building’s site, located in the City of Athens floodplain of the Hocking River.
The 18,000 square foot medical/professional office building is designed to meet FEMA’s “floodway” definition , a designation even more stringent than “floodplain.” The building is raised on 42 concrete piers, one foot above flood elevation. The design intent was to permit flood waters to flow through the building site unimpeded by the structure. The topography of the site was left intact by limiting the points at which the structure touches the ground. The Athens Planning Commission granted a variance to build on the delicate site based on BDT’s Architects & Designers’ minimally invasive design.
The building is prominently visible from across the Hocking River on US Route 50, its unique design making it a noteworthy addition to the cityscape. Design features include a dramatically curving roof, shiplap cedar siding and full-height windows. Clerestory windows that run the entire south length of the mezzanine level achieve passive solar design, warming the interior in the winter and daylighting workspaces.
“We are honored to be recognized by the AIA. Their program is the gold standard of design awards,” said Don Dispenza, principal at BDT Architects & Designers.
“Working on the margins of our industry in southeastern Ohio, we certainly never expected our project to be selected from over three dozen entries,” principal Nicholas Bittner noted. “The competition included projects found in more renowned locations that had budgets nearly triple the one we worked with, so we really feel this is a strong statement about the quality of our work.”
The jury for this year’s awards were led by Anne Chen, AIA of GBBN Pittsburgh. “The interesting environmental challenge inspired a unique language and shaping of experience not expected in a medical office building project,” the head juror explained. “We appreciate that the interiors are shaped by the spatial volumes, not by finishes.”
Bittner and Dispenza were presented with the award at an AIA ceremony held November 7, 2019, at Station 67 in Columbus, Ohio. The AIA Columbus Chapter’s annual Architecture Awards Program recognizes design excellence on the part of Columbus-area architects.
Founded in 1913, the AIA Columbus Chapter serves a 32-county area including cities such as Mansfield, Marietta, Lancaster and Columbus. This is BDT’s first design recognition from the American Institute of Architects. We couldn’t be more ecstatic about taking home the prize.