AIA Minnesota has honored seven projects with 2020 AIA Minnesota Honor Awards, including MSR Design’s 510 Marquette studio. Announced at the AIA Minnesota Virtual Awards Celebration, the Honor Awards recognize outstanding built projects by AIA Minnesota members that practice professionally in Minnesota. New this year, the program evaluated submissions according to the AIA Framework for Design Excellence, in alignment with the national AIA Architecture Awards.
The 30th project in the firm’s history to receive an AIA Minnesota Honor Award, the 510 Marquette studio is designed to leave as small an impact on the environment as possible with a focus human health and well-being. Located on the second floor of a downtown Minneapolis building constructed in 1925, MSR Design’s studio builds on irregular traces of the past and simple lines introduced by the design transformation. Equitable access to daylight and amenities drives the spatial organization, with a central black box that contains acoustically private spaces for focus and collaboration. The project also features an enhanced HVAC system designed for occupant health and comfort, which meets industry recommendations for pandemic-ready spaces. The design team designed the project to achieve Living Building Challenge (LBC) petal certification for the materials, beauty, and equity petals (certification is currently pending).
The AIA Minnesota Honor Awards jury lauded the MSR Design 510 Marquette studio in the categories of Design for Energy, Design for Well-Being, Design for Resources, and Design for Change. According to AIA Minnesota, “The jury was impressed by this ultra-sustainable workplace . . . and felt it was a great example of sustainable corporate design.” The jurors’ comments during the AIA Minnesota Virtual Awards Celebration can be heard here.
Three internationally renowned architects (Andrea Love, AIA, principal with Payette; Patricia Rhee, FAIA, partner with Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects; and Barry Alan Yoakum, FAIA, principal with Archimania) evaluated 59 projects for this year’s AIA Minnesota Honor Awards program.