Congratulations to the 2016 TxA Studio Award winners! Aaron Seward traveled to New York City and met the studio awards jury at the offices of Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R). The distinguished panel of jurors consisted of three DS+Rers: firm principal Charles Renfro, AIA; associate Brian Tabolt, who is also an assistant professor at Cooper Union, visiting critic at Syracuse NYC, and a 2009-10 Peter Reyner Banham Fellow; and Sean Gallagher, who is director of sustainable design at DS+R and on the faculty at Columbia University GSAPP. The jurors deliberated over 45 entries, selecting 5 winning projects. The winners are listed below along with descriptions provided by their design teams, and are pictured in the gallery above. A feature about the Studio Award winners will appear in the November/December issue of Texas Architect.
In no particular order, the winning projects are:
Element House, Ricardo A. Muñoz, AIA
Element House derives its organization from an evolution of Thoreau’s cabin to a modern place of shelter. The gable structure represents the historical memory of built structures on the site while the rectangular frames on the opposite end of the project represent the unknown future structures that could occupy these grounds. The serenity and stillness of Walden provide real yet ever changing vignettes through large windows that will linger in the visitor’s mind as a memory of a painting.
Dallas Arboretum Garden Education Center, Perkins + Will
Acting as a clear gateway to the Arboretum, all visitors pass through the Garden Education Center. This proposal is visibly non-invasive as it burrows into the ground or mounds up into the air without dominating the site. The loop form offers an interesting perspective: anyone that walks a full loop will have been turned around 360 degrees and given an informative panorama of the entire site.
Oujda Stadium, WW Architecture
The new Grand Stade d’Oujda will play many roles. It will be home to the Mouloudia Soccer Club. Its grounds will form a vibrant new public space, both during games and when the stadium is not in use. The stadium is first and foremost a sequence of perceptions: a hovering object, a ring lightly tethered to the landscape, a series of tailored entry points, an elevated promenade pressed between the upper and lower bowls of seating, and, finally, a single room holding a teeming crowd of soccer fans.
Confluence Park, Lake|Flato Architects and Matsys Design
Confluence Park provides a unique opportunity to celebrate the ecology of the South Texas region, demonstrate the value of natural resources, and foster environmental stewardship and education in a traditionally underserved area adjoining the San Antonio River. The BHP Billiton Pavilion, the park’s primary pavilion, is constructed of large concrete forms that geometrically combine to collect and funnel rainwater.
This O House, Zui Lig Ng, University of Houston
This O House proposes an affordable and sustainable design alternative to current gated townhouse developments in the historical Third Ward of Houston. This 3 bedroom, 2 bath house uses retired shipping containers, build-it-yourself options, low energy bills, and a partial renting opportunity to lower the cost and promote a more sustainable homeownership.