Charter Awards honor wide variety of projects
A form-based code was adopted by Cincinnati to revitalize their urban neighborhoods, with funding assistance from HUD.
A contemporary transit-oriented development in Union City, California and a massive form-based code for Cincinnati, Ohio took top honors at the 13th Annual CNU Charter Awards. The ceremony was held at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center in Buffalo, New York, at the organization’s Congress.
The Station Center affordable housing project, designed by David Baker Architects, in Union City, California, tied for grand prize. “This 157-unit housing block simply has it all,” commented Jeff Speck, who led the jury. “TOD, affordability, great public spaces indoors and out, LEED Platinum, hidden parking, community gardens, social services, recreation, and public art, all wrapped up in a lively, contemporary package.” Opticos Design, also of California, was the other grand prize winner for developing the largest form-based code in the country for Cincinnati, Ohio, which was adopted last year.
The winners were selected by a very prestigious jury, including European sculptor and architect Rob Krier, modernist Arizona-based architect Will Bruder and CNU co-founder Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk. Winning projects are recognized for their excellence in fulfilling and advancing the principles of the Charter of the New Urbanism, which defines the essential qualities of walkable, sustainable places from the scale of the region down to the block and building.
“The quality of submissions we received this year was remarkable,” said Speck. “I served on a Charter Awards jury years ago, and many of the submitters didn’t understand new urbanism at all. It’s a testament to the impact CNU has had over the past two decades that the principles in the Charter are now embraced and reflected in projects around the world.”
The full list of winning projects is as follows:
GRAND PRIZE (TIE)
Cincinnati Citywide Form-Based Code: Opticos Design, Inc.
Station Center, Union City, California: David Baker Architects
Station Center: “This 157-unit housing block simply has it all,” said Jeff Speck. “TOD, affordability, great public spaces indoors and out, LEED Platinum, hidden parking, community gardens, social services, recreation, and public art, all wrapped up in a lively, contemporary package. This is an exemplary way to grow density around rail.”
STUDENT PRIZE
GRAND PRIZE: Getting To It and Getting Through It: The Rehabilitation of Philadelphia's 30th Street Station District, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: University of Maryland
The ground plane of the 30th Street Station is extended to cover the existing rail yards to allow for new development and public spaces.
AWARD OF MERIT: After Burnham: The Notre Dame Plan of Chicago 2109, Chicago, Illinois: University of Notre Dame Architecture Department
AWARD OF MERIT: Havana Waterfront, Havana, Cuba: University of Notre Dame
SPECIAL JURY AWARD
Jean Lafitte, Louisiana: Dover Kohl
BEST BLOCK
Karlstad, Swedenkarl: Brunnberg & Forshed Arkitektkontor AB
BLOCK, AWARD OF MERIT
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Strada
BEST BUILDING-HOUSING
Station Center, Union City, California: David Baker Architects
BEST BUILDING - CIVIC
Dunbar High School, Washington, DC: Perkins Eastman
BEST CITY PLAN
Curridabat City Plan, Curridabat, Costa Rica: Castillo Arquitectos
BEST CORRIDOR PLAN
Columbia Pike Initiative, Arlington, Virginia: County of Arlington
BEST DISTRICT PLAN
Sundance Square, Fort Worth, Texas: David M. Schwarz Architects, Inc.
BEST NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN
Southwest Waterfront, Washington, DC: Perkins Eastman
AWARD OF MERIT: Heart of Lake, Huixdang Island, China: Robert A.M. Stern Architects
BEST PLANNING TOOL OR PROCESS
Cincinnati Citywide Form-Based Code: Opticos Design, Inc.
AWARD OF MERIT: Fayetteville 2030: Food City Scenario, Fayettville, Arkansas: University of Arkansas Community Design Center
BEST STREET
Bagby Street Reconstruction and Bagby Street Infographics, Houston, Texas: Walter P. Moore and Design Workshop
BEST SUBURBAN RETROFIT
Westlawn Gardens, Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Torti Gallas
BEST TACTICAL URBANISM
Tactical Urbanism Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario: Street Plans Collaborative + The Hamilton-Burlington Society of Architects
BEST URBAN INFILL
Kendall Square: Goody Clancy
URBAN INFILL, AWARD OF MERIT:
Mining Basin, Pas de Calais, France: PAS DE CALAIS HABITAT + Marc Breitman & Nada Breitman Jakov
URBAN INFILL, AWARD OF MERIT:
Barn in Weiler-la-Tour, Weiler-la-Tour, Luxembourg: Colum Mulhern
CNU will begin accepting submissions for the 2015 Charter Awards at the beginning of November 2014. Information on all the winners will be available soon on www.cnu.org. For press images, story details and interviews, contact CNU communications director Tim Halbur atthalbur@cnu.org.
