FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(New Haven, CT, May 10, 2018) AIA Connecticut is pleased to announce the recipients of its annual 2018 Business Architecture Award. The award honors architects for solving business problems for Connecticut clients, thereby demonstrating the power of architecture to shape business performance, improve peoples’ lives, and provide a value- added service. Original submissions were received in two categories: Firms under 50 Employees and Firms over 50 Employees.   Jurors for the 2018 program were: Victor Cassella, American Polyfilm Company, Branford; Brent Robertson, Fathom, West Hartford; Tony Terry, AIA, Terry Architecture, Branford, who also awarded two additional awards, Special Award for Community Integration and Special Recognition for Civic Contribution.

The Firms under 50 employee’s winner was Brand Strategies Group at Quinnipiac University, Hamden, designed by Amenta Edwards Architects with offices in Hartford and Stamford.

This 19th-century house was transformed into a 21st-century powerhouse for ideas for Quinnipiac University’s Brand Strategy Group. The design team opened up the spaces of the house, resulting in a collaborative, contemporary environment. The meeting spaces, facing one another across the atrium, promoted the cross pollination of ideas between the marketing staff on the first floor and the creative staff on the second, and allowed more collaboration and more communication, while attracting and retaining the kind of creative workforce that is key to the group’s success.

The jurors commented that this was a startling combination of exterior preservation and interior innovation. It seemed impossible to create, but reflects a new generation of thought on space planning. The integration of work force with mission pushed the vocabulary for an open, collaborative space.

In the second category Firms over 50 Employees, the recipient was Inspira Marketing, Norwalk, designed by CPG Architects, Stamford.

Inspira Marketing wanted a space that embodied its energetic spirit that accommodated a client base that visits it often and a workspace that blurs the lines between hospitality and office and showcases its award -winning brands. The design team perfectly reflected the company’s culture and ethos.

The jurors felt the design for this office encouraged clients to successfully go out of their way to be in the space, capturing the tone of hospitality. It is really successful in creating an environment—so that that the firm can live out its story.

A Special Award for Community Integration was given to Silver Hill Hospital, New Canaan, designed by Richard Turlington Architects Inc., New Haven.

This renovation involved the ability to integrate complicated hospital compliance codes, historic building sensitivity, a range of permitting requirements, and a deep understanding of the hospital’s mission. Each building aimed to be a critical part of a patient’s path to holistic wellness, welcoming patients, their families, and our staff and reaffirming hope in the future. Awards for the design work at the hospital reassured neighbors and a town less than enthusiastic about a psychiatric hospital in their midst. These buildings express the values of dignity, hope and beauty for each patient, their families and our staff and contribute to the physical, emotional and spiritual wellness of our patients at a critical time of their lives.

The jurors believed the scale of different communities was taken into consideration as the architect had to serve many masters: the range of issues was daunting. The project was remarkable in its scale and scope.

Special Recognition for Civic Contribution was given to One State Street Café & STEAM Coffee Bar and Renovation, Hartford by ID3A, LLC, Glastonbury.

The designer played a critical role in upgrading and modernizing the existing space for a modern coffee bar. Strategic placement has provided a vibrancy to the lobby throughout the business day. This amenity serves both as an informal meeting space and a landing spot for clients awaiting meetings. A destination for occupants of the surrounding buildings, the renovation has proven to be successful by driving increased foot traffic and revenue.

The jurors felt this submission warranted a special award as there are few spaces in Hartford where different groups can come together and interact and was a strong response to effective market research.

About AIA Connecticut:

AIA Connecticut serves the architectural profession, encourages design excellence, and works to improve society through a concern for the quality of the built and natural environments.  Activities of the chapter include continuing education programs, presentations by renowned architects, a speakers’ bureau on architectural topics, events on the design, construction, and historic preservation fields, advocacy on the State and Federal level, and an annual convention and design exposition.  For more information, visit AIA Connecticut’s website at www.aiact.org

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