Custom Residential Architects Network

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  • 1.  RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECT design awards

    Posted 05-01-2012 11:46 PM
    This message has been cross posted to the following Discussion Forums: Housing Knowledge Community and Custom Residential Architects Network .
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    Is anyone else bothered by the lack of variety exhibited in this year's design award winners?

    Yes, the projects are innovative and stunning.  Of the 36 award winners, there are eighteen projects which consist of custom homes, speculative homes, affordable housing, multifamily and whole house renovations.   Of the 18, 14 are what I would consider to be "Euro-boxes" and 4 are what I would call "Modern Sheds".  None of these look like houses, or look domestic or have any stylistic precedent. 

    Don't get me wrong, I love Euro-boxes and Modern Sheds.   However this is "a magazine of The American institute of Architects".  Should there not be a better cross-section of styles that better represents the demographics of residential architects within the institute - and the profession at large?  There were over 800 entries, yet five of the six custom homes look like they could be from the same architect.

    The editorial talks about designing for the 99%.  Yet, I doubt the majority of the 99% would warm up to these homes.  Instead, most will do what they always do - call a builder!

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    Edward Shannon
    Waterloo IA
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  • 2.  RE:RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECT design awards

    Posted 05-02-2012 10:20 AM


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    David Ward AIA
    David F. Ward AIA, Architect
    Wilmington NC
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    Edward, I couldn't agree more. I thought the very same thing as I saw the award results. Surely there is more to architecture than the euro box or modern shed.






  • 3.  RE:RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECT design awards

    Posted 05-02-2012 12:07 PM

    I agree as well. As a residential architect who delights her clients by designing traditional-looking additions and traditional-looking custom homes, it's frustrating to see euro boxes and modern sheds dominate the awards.

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    Dawn Zuber AIA
    Owner
    Studio Z Architecture
    Canton MI
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE:RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECT design awards

    Posted 05-02-2012 12:46 PM
    This is what I posted on Linkedin LINK HERE

    OK, this has been bothering me for about a week, so here goes, into the deep end.

    I received the recent March April Residential Architect and looked through the Design Awards. (link is here http://tinyurl.com/c9noxek ) It is made up of absolutely spectacular modern work (I mean this sincerely) and a token traditional renovation. To my eye, the reason for these results is that is that the jury is made up of some of the most prolific modern architectural minds in the country.... why would they be choosing anything else. I get this, understand their thought process, but question it. I suppose you can argue that there were no traditional entries, (for obvious reasons,) but still, would Villa Savoye have had a chance to win with a jury made up of 10 Leon Kriers?

    I wonder if the paradigm upon which these judges were chosen seems in direct conflict with the group that "Residential Architect, A Magazine of the American Institute of Architects" represents, which is all AIA Residential Architects and the totality of all good residential archetypes? This is clearly not happening here, by design? These awards, for the most part, celebrate a singular style as being predominantly award worthy by their inclusion, and the rest as not by their exclusion.

    As a participant on the AIA's Custom Residential Architects Network, our underlying philosophy is that architecture should be judged without regards to style.

    In search of love,

    David Andreozzi

    PS: I have no skin in the game. I did not submit anything for the awards. If you are interested, AIA CRAN is here http://network.aia.org/CustomResidentialArchitectsNetwork/Home/




  • 5.  RE:RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECT design awards

    Posted 05-03-2012 11:16 AM

    Dave: well said.  Shouldn't us practicing architects in the HKN/CRAN vote on who the judges should be for the annual AIA awards?  Who better than the people out here in the trenches?

    P.S. I agree that all of us (me included) should take some care to craft our comments in this forum (which is visible to the entire Universe) to be of a constructive nature, seeking to improve what we do and help those who do it, as well as our profession as a whole and our clients' lives through our creations. 
    Are we in tough times?  You betcha.  So let's focus on how to improve things, presenting our thoughts as if we were in person, in front of a group of 100 people, half of whom are architects, the other half prospective clients, all of them listening to every word and judging us and our profession by what we say and how we behave.  Now then, the reality is that there are about 80,000 architects and possibly many more clients out there scrutinizing this forum.  This is your opportunity to shine. 
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    Rand Soellner AIA
    Architect/Owner/Principal
    Rand Soellner Architect
    Cashiers NC
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE:RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECT design awards

    Posted 05-03-2012 11:13 AM
    I wanted to talk about the fact that the awards are most difficult to find.  I noted the CRAN comments and wanted to review the winners so I typed in awards 2012 in the AIA search and came up empty, I tried several variations, in AIA search and also "CRAN AIA residential design awards 2012" in Google and came up empty.  I returned tothe discussion and found the tiny url link and was able to see the winners. To me this is a very bad thing, the discussions of if the awards appeal to 99% or not are mute if no one can see them. I was the original web master for AIA-New Jersey many years ago and know there are difficulties in getting material out in easy to find ways, but I do think this is a very big problem. The discussion cannot only be among architects who happen to have CRAN bookmarked, as an educator, I would like to see a more public venue for awards. My 2 cents.

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    Dr. Roger Keller AIA
    Roger W. Keller, Architect
    Upper Black Eddy PA
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  • 7.  RE:RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECT design awards

    Posted 05-03-2012 12:33 PM
    Hi Roger,

    The March/April Residential Architect Design Awards are here. (link is here http://tinyurl.com/c9noxek )

    CRAN does not have a design awards program, but we (CRAN steering Committee) broached that exact idea with AIA national and we were told it would dilute the existing housing awards.  I kind of get it, but not totally.  In any case we morphed our idea into an annual monograph of projects that would represent and celebrate all archetypes and all vernaculars.  This was loved by the AIA and we are beginning the planning stage of an even more aggressive idea, a quarterly that would do the same.  Optimistic schedules have us rolling out as early as next year! This is all happening within CRAN... a brand new knowledge community here at camp AIA!

    Also, here is a link to our upcoming CRAN Symposium in Newport, RI LINK HERE

    Dave

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    David Andreozzi AIA
    Andreozzi Architects
    Barrington RI
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    Original Message