2023 AIA Baltimore & AIA Chesapeake Bay Honors

We’re thrilled to announce that three projects have won AIA design awards with two local chapters.

On October 20, AIA Baltimore hosted the organization’s annual Excellence in Design Awards. Collectively, the Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center and the New Carrollton Branch Library received three awards from the AIA Savannah jury. Then on November 2, AIA Chesapeake Bay hosted their own reception where the St. Mary’s College of Maryland Nancy R. & Norton T. Dodge Performing Arts Center & Learning Commons was honored by the jury from AIA Western Massachusetts.

The transformation of the New Carrollton Library from a tired, non-descript building to a dynamic and welcoming facility received an Excellence in Design Honorable Mention. The jury took note of how the project responded to the dynamic shift of libraries from places of quiet study to vibrant centers of community collaboration with an updated entrance that invites patrons in where there was formerly an understated entrance in an austere Brutalist facade. According to the jury, the project “checks every box - beauty, sustainability, and service to the community” and gave the team “high praise for working with an irregular triangular plan!” The project previously won Merit Awards from both AIA Maryland and AIA Potomac Valley.

Situated at 14,115 feet above sea level, the Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center commands what one juror called “a sexy site!” The project received both an Excellence in Design Award and an Excellence in Sustainable Design Award for how the “reserved design places the focus on the stunning landscape, allowing boundless sky and views to take center stage.” Jurors commended the project for its accessible walkways and overlooks, thoughtful choice of durable and natural materials, and minimal environmental impact all of which combine to foster a sense of connectedness and stewardship of natural landscapes. The project, designed with RTA Architects, previously won an AIA Maryland Jury Citation.

The Dodge Performing Arts Center and Learning Commons at St. Mary's College of Maryland, designed in collaboration with GUND Partnership, received a Merit Award. The jury appreciated how the design used the vocabulary of the architectural context to unify the two new buildings in the campus’ overall composition while allowing key program elements to be expressed and celebrated. “The gabled brick portion of the building is beautifully done. The proportions of the windows, the roof edge detail, and the subtle brick patterning create a building that is both modern and historically compatible. The use of wood paneling and natural light at performance spaces creates a warm and inviting setting for musical performance” said the jury. The project was also named AIA Maryland’s 2023 Public Building of the Year and received an Honor Award from the chapter.