Morphosis Architects Headline AIA's 2015 Technology In Architectural Practice Innovation Awards

The AIA has announced four projects as the winners of its inaugural Technology in Architectural Practice (TAP) Innovation Awards, with Morphosis Architects' Emerson College Los Angeles taking away the headline "Stellar Architecture" award. Started in 2005, the TAP Knowledge Community has led efforts to acknowledge and disseminate the best use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) technologies, and the AIA hopes that the new TAP Innovation Award will "enliven the discourse on how these innovations can advance the profession and practice of architecture and further the mission of the Institute."

See all four awarded projects after the break.

Morphosis Architects Headline AIA's 2015 Technology In Architectural Practice Innovation Awards - More Images+ 4

Winner: Stellar Architecture
Emerson College Los Angeles / Morphosis Architects

The new building establishes an iconic home for Emerson College in the heart of the entertainment industry. Image © Iwan Baan

Celebrating exemplary design delivered with the use of the latest architectural design technology, this award was given to Emerson College largely thanks to the custom computational tool which Morphosis Architects used in the design. This tool allowed the balancing of aesthetic and sustainable features, with the project predicted to achieve LEED Gold, featuring an automated sunshade which maximizes views and a 31% reduction in water use.

A grand stair provides space for social gatherings, connecting the students to Sunset Blvd below with a view of the Hollywood Sign ahead. Image © Iwan Baan

Winner: Delivery Process Excellence
University of Delaware’s Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Lab (ISE Lab); Newark, DE / Ayers Saint Gross

The building and site utilize best ‘green’ practices, including capturing stormwater in the landscape. Image © Tom Holdsworth

The Delivery Process Excellence Award is given to teams which demonstrated exceptional use of the collaborative potential of BIM to meet project goals. In the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Lab, Ayers Saint Gross worked with their consulting engineers to produce thirteen design models, which were then combined to give a full understanding of how the building's many systems affected each other. Through an open exchange of project files on the cloud and robotically-controlled construction methods, the project was delivered 60 days ahead of schedule.

An extremely complex project, coupled with very aggressive schedule, made full-team BIM collaboration necessary. Image © Whiting Turner Contracting

Honorable Mention: Delivery Process Excellence
OHSU/PSU/OSU Collaborative Life Sciences Building; Portland, OR / SERA Architects and CO Architects

The three main massing elements (south bar, atrium and north tower) are each designed with their own structural systems and floor-to-floor heights to maximize efficiencies. Image © Alene Davis

The honorable mention for the Delivery Process Excellence category was awarded to SERA Architects and CO Architects for their project which united 28 teams across 10 states. Going from inception to completion in just 38 months, a combination of digital collaboration and frequent clash-detection meetings allowed them to save the client an estimated $10 million.

The use of BIM allowed the design and construction team to save the project millions of dollars through just-in-time delivery and all-electronic documentation. Image © SERA Architects

Winner: Exemplary Use in a Small Firm
D-Bridge / Point B Design

The design's canted glazing intensifies reflections of immediate environment. Image © Point B Design

The Exemplary Use in a Small Firm award is given to a practice of fewer than 10 staff for exemplary work on any stage of design. In their as-yet unbuilt D-Bridge project, Point B Design worked with BIM to design an extension to a private gallery and residence featuring 1,000 laser-cut cells of folded steel sheets.

Section perspective illustrating the material matrix. Image © Point B Design

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Cite: Rory Stott. "Morphosis Architects Headline AIA's 2015 Technology In Architectural Practice Innovation Awards" 27 May 2015. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/635945/morphosis-architects-headline-aia-s-2015-technology-in-architectural-practice-innovation-awards> ISSN 0719-8884

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