AIA Honours award winners announced

The American Institute of Architects has announced the 2008 winners of their AIA Institute Honor Awards. Projects from the US, Canada, South Korea and the UK are among best, trend setting projects of the year.

The American Institute of Architects announced the awards it will give to leading architecture designs around the world. Some 800 submissions were made, of which just 28 will be honored, with 13 projects taking top honors.

The largest award given by the group is the 2008 Institute Honor Awards for Architecture. 13 leaders in the industry were included here. The criteria for being awarded such an honor includes a spotlight on sustainable building practices, which still providing a distinguished design.

These include the 26th Street Low Income Housing in Santa Monica California by Kanner Architects, the Delta Shelter, Mazama, in Washington by Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects, and the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles by Pfeiffer Partners Architects.

The Bloch Building at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art and Liberty Memorial, both within Kansas City are also on the list, making them the only two awards given to projects within the same city. The Bloch Building has always received negative response from the public, yet has continuously been thought of as an architecture wonder.

Also included in the awards are the Loblolly House on Taylors Island, Maryland by Kieran Timberlake Associates LLP, the Olympic Sculptures Park, in Seattle by Weiss/Manfredi Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism, Residence Halls Units 1 and 2 Infill Student Housing at Berkeley California by EHDD Architecture and the Shaw Center for the Arts in Baton Rouge, Louisiana by Schawartz/Silver Architects, Inc.

The Institute is an association of architects that has served architects from all over the world for over 150 years. Other top awards honored each year include the 2008 Institute Honor Awards for Interior Architecture and the 2008 Institute Honor Award for Regional and Urban Design. These awards are highly recognized by industry professionals and are well sought after by architects.