Top left to bottom right: Bell Museum; Lora; Target Center Renovation; Hennepin County Webber Park Library; Westminster Presbyterian Church Addition and Renovation; and YouthLink and Project for Pride in Living
For high-resolution images of individual projects, contact Sheri Hansen.
MINNEAPOLIS, July 18, 2019 — AIA Minneapolis awarded six Merit Awards to projects designed by AIA Minneapolis architects that tell a story of excellence beyond design; emphasize public interest design; and embrace the varied forces that shape a building. Unique in its approach to assembling a jury, the AIA Minneapolis Merit Award encompasses the views of business professionals, real estate developers, community advocates, academic leaders, as well as architects.
2019 AIA Minneapolis Merit Award recipients:
Perkins and Will’s Bell Museum, located as a strategic gateway to the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota, showcases the University’s reputation for innovative research, education, and public engagement.
ESG Architecture & Design’s Lora, carved into stone cliffs in Stillwater along the St. Croix River, is a creative repurpose of four dilapidated structures into a 40-room boutique hotel, restaurant, bar, and café.
Alliiance’s Target Center Renovation is a transformational update to a downtown Minneapolis arena that engages the city and enhances the experience for people inside the building.
UrbanWorks Architecture LLC’s YouthLink and Project for Pride in Living, a renovation and addition that created a unified campus that creates holistic, positive, and vibrant communities for young people experiencing homelessness in Minneapolis.
Lawal Scott Erickson (LSE) Architects, Inc.’s Hennepin County Webber Park Library connects new to old in North Minneapolis with a beautiful and functional building.
James Dayton Design, Ltd.’s Westminster Presbyterian Church Addition and Renovation expanded the historic building and grounds to improve access and provide space for the congregation to thrive.
The Hennepin County Webber Park Library and Westminster Presbyterian Church Addition and Renovation each received the additional honor of being selected for the 2019 Michael L. Schrock, AIA, Merit Award(see description below).
The Michael L. Schrock, AIA, Merit Award was created to honor Mike Schrock, AIA, who tragically passed away in 2008. This is an additional honor awarded within the context and structure of the AIA Minneapolis Merit Awards to the winning project that most embodies Michael’s 7 Rules of Architecture:
- Know where you are from.
- Know who you are.
- Know why you are.
- Respect your benefactors.
- Honor the environment.
- Architecture must serve those who occupy it.
- There is beauty in functional, economical, safe, environmentally responsible, owner-driven architecture.
The Merit Award jury included: Patsy Bartley, SHIFT; Andrew Blaisdell, AIA, University of Minnesota and Dunwoody College of Technology; Kathy Kacher, Career/Life Alliance Services, Inc.; Gail Manning, Hennepin County Facilities; and Kelly Martinez, AIA, AIA Minneapolis President-elect and RSP. The jury reviewed how well the entries achieved client/team satisfaction, technical innovation, environmental responsibility, budget/business success, community impact, and the architectural solution.
The Merit Awards were presented to recipients at the AIA Minneapolis Chapter Luncheon on July 18. Learn more about the awards on the AIA Minneapolis website.
AIA Minneapolis is the largest chapter in Minnesota with more than 1,600 members. Centered in Minneapolis, the chapter territory includes the southwestern portion of the state. As a large chapter, AIA Minneapolis participates with other large AIA chapters nationwide to focus attention on significant issues facing AIA members. The chapter provides leadership, networking, and outreach opportunities for its members.
