News   Jul 12, 2024
199 Church Showcases Heritage Facade and Artwork at Street Level
 825     0 
News   Jul 12, 2024
Six Points Plaza Redevelopment Advances With 36-Storey First Phase
 744     0 
News   Jul 12, 2024
Trading Spaces: Can Real Estate Conversion Help Boost Housing Supply?
 314     0 

Toronto wins big at "Good Design is Good Business" Awards

wyliepoon

wyliepoon

Senior Member
Member Bio
Joined
Apr 22, 2007
Messages
2,011
Reaction score
3
Architectural Record

Link to article

BusinessWeek and Architectural Record Announce 2007 Awards
August 8, 2007

by Jenna M. McKnight

BusinessWeek and Architectural Record magazines announced the winners of their 10th annual “Good Design is Good Business” international competition today. These honors recognize innovative building design projects that help solve problems and achieve specific goals for companies, nonprofits, institutions, and governmental agencies. Four projects received an Award of Excellence in 2007:

* Navy Federal Credit Union, Pensacola, Fla., designed by ASD Inc.
* InterActiveCorp headquarters, New York City, designed by Gehry Partners/STUDIOS Architecture
* Young Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, designed by Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects
* United States Census Bureau Headquarters, Suitland, Md., designed by Skidmore Owings and Merrill

An additional six projects received a Citation for Excellence:

* San Diego Padres Ballpark/Petco Park, San Diego, designed by Antoine Predock
* Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, designed by Diamond and Schmitt
* Hearst Tower interior, New York City, designed by Gensler
* SJ Berwin law offices, London, designed by HOK
* The Gardiner Museum, Toronto, designed by Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects
* Hubbell Lighting Headquarters, Greenville, S.C., designed by McMillan Smith & Partners

Award recipients will be honored at a dinner that will be held during the Architectural Record Innovation Conference, October 10 - 11 in New York City. For more information about the conference, visit ArchitecturalRecord.com. The projects will also be featured online and in the November issue of Architectural Record, as well as in the print and online editions of BusinessWeek.

“The entries were extremely high caliber, making the selection of winners especially difficult,” says Architectural Record’s editor in chief, Robert Ivy, who was one of the seven jurors. “The role of an architect goes far beyond creating an attractive building, as these projects demonstrate. With effective collaboration, architects can help clients strengthen their workforce, generate more revenue and illustrate a commitment to sustainability. These are just a few of the myriad benefits of good design.”

The winners were selected from a diverse and competitive pool of 96 projects from nine different countries. All projects were completed within the past four years. The contest was open to any architect registered in the U.S. and abroad. Jurors applied rigorous standards while looking for exemplary design fused with a strong business case. Successful applications clearly described how the building’s design elements led to improvements that might include increased employee retention, reduced energy costs, heightened production, rebranding or a boost in revenue.

“This program honors the architects and clients who best utilize design to achieve strategic objectives,” says Helen Walters, editor of innovation and design for BusinessWeek.com. “From a corporate headquarters to a center for the performing arts, the diverse array of buildings awarded in this competition shows how smart architectural thinking can be effective in any context.”
 
So nice to see the concept of good design explained in terms of a process for solving problems, rather than as simply creating something real pretty.
 
"Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, designed by Diamond and Schmitt"

No money = dull building. No problem.

Nice to see the Ceramic gallery and Young Centre getting rightful recognition however.
 
Business has been exceptionally good for the COC since their new home opened - a 99% sold out season last year, plenty of new subscribers for this year, performers happy with the backstage facilities and the performance hall, paying audiences happy about the great acoustics, the general public happy about the new series of free concerts in the City Room, the COC's international profile raised, Toronto's prestige as a centre of excellence enhanced, etc. The purpose of these awards is to honour excellence in design as a vehicle for achieving business success, and if that is done on a tight budget - as it was with all three of our Toronto winners - so much the cleverer.
 
Yes, but they could have sold out that remaining 1% of seats if they'd only trimmed up the loading dock a bit more. That seems to be the concensus.
 
The COC now does more performances of each opera than before, and they added three complete cycles of the Ring last season. In the 07/08 season at the new house they've increased the number of operas to seven, and I believe the objective is to go to nine in a few years time. The beautiful new building, the critical acclaim, the high demand for tickets ... they're victims of their own success.
 
Jurors applied rigorous standards while looking for exemplary design fused with a strong business case. Successful applications clearly described how the building’s design elements led to improvements that might include increased employee retention, reduced energy costs, heightened production, rebranding or a boost in revenue.
Click to expand...

I agree with Bogtrotter. This award doesn't necessarily mean this is a great exterior design.
 
It does according to juror Robert Ivy, who points out, "The role of an architect goes far beyond creating an attractive building, as these projects demonstrate".
 
Urban Shocker said:
He's saying that in addition to being an attractive building it works extremely well.
Click to expand...

I don't see that. He's not necessarily saying the Four Seasons is an attractive building, for example. He's saying that the role of an architect goes beyond just creating attractive buildings.

“The role of an architect goes far beyond creating an attractive building, as these projects demonstrate. With effective collaboration, architects can help clients strengthen their workforce, generate more revenue and illustrate a commitment to sustainability. These are just a few of the myriad benefits of good design.â€
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top