Five SOM-designed projects have been included in the 2017 Awards Book, a publication of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) New York State chapter. The Baccarat Hotel & Residences, the Center for Character & Leadership Development? at the U.S. Air Force Academy, the FBI Biometric Technology Center, Public Safety Answering Center II, and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice were recognized by AIA New York State in the the organization’s 2017 Design, Excelsior, and Honor Awards.
The Baccarat Hotel & Residences in New York City won an Award of Merit in the Design Awards. Sheathed in faceted, jet-black aluminum panels, the 50-story tower was commended for its “restrained elegance” by the awards jury.
The U.S. Air Force Academy – Center for Character & Leadership Development in Colorado Springs won an Institutional Award of Excellence in the Design Awards. The building’s most prominent feature, a 105-foot-tall skylight, aligns precisely with the North Star as a reflection of the Academy’s core values. The jury called the structure “reverential and sublime.”
The FBI Biometric Technology Center in Clarksburg, West Virginia won an Institutional Award of Citation in the Design Awards. With a modular design, the building provides a flexible and adaptable workplace for more than 1,000 employees. Designed to be a “future-proof” facility, ?the building is LEED® Gold-certified.
Public Safety Answering Center II in the Bronx, New York won an Honor Award in the Excelsior Awards. The 911 call center enhances New York City’s existing emergency response system and is designed to operate continually under adverse conditions.? The awards jury noted the building as “a strong visual statement to the surrounding public environment.”
The John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City also won an Honor Award in the 2017 Excelsior Awards. In recognizing the building, the jury noted, “This visually spectacular project’s carefully composed facade successfully deals with a large program mass and breaks it down into smaller elements, creating visual interest.”