13th Annual R+D Awards

Do we control technology or does technology control us? Never has that question seemed more apt than now. The use of computational design, digital manufacturing, and artificial intelligence, if mismanaged, can have frightening consequences, the implications of which society is just beginning to comprehend. But the jury for ARCHITECT’s 13th annual R+D Awards was determined to accentuate the positive side of these advancements, seeking the best examples that “melded technology, craft, and problem-solving,” says Craig Curtis, FAIA.

The eight winners selected by Curtis and fellow jurors James Garrett Jr., AIA, and Carrie Strickland, FAIA, prove that designers can remain solidly in the driver’s seat despite the frenetic pace of technological developments in the building industry and beyond. “Architects are anticipating the future, helping to shape it, and giving it form,” Garrett says. “Moving forward, we are not going to be left behind. We are going to be a part of the conversation.”

JURY

Craig Curtis, FAIA, is head of architecture and interior design at Katerra, where he helped launch the now 300-plus-person design division of the Menlo Park, Calif.–based technology company and oversees the development of its configurable, prefabricated building platforms. Previously, he was a senior design partner at the Miller Hull Partnership, in Seattle.

James Garrett Jr., AIA, is founding partner of 4RM+ULA, a full-service practice based in St. Paul, Minn., that focuses on transit design and transit-oriented development. A recipient of AIA’s 2019 Young Architects Award, he is also an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota School of Architecture, a visual artist, a writer, and an advocate for increasing diversity in architecture.

Carrie Strickland, FAIA, is founding principal of Works Progress Architecture, in Portland, Ore., where she is an expert in the design of adaptive reuse and new construction projects and works predominantly in private development. She has also taught at Portland State University and the University of Oregon, and served on AIA Portland’s board of directors.

• 13th Annual R+D Awards

  From 89 submissions, the jury picked eight entries that prove architects can be at the helm of innovation, technology, and craft.

  

• Award: Drywall Waste Block, a Green CMU

  Washington State University's Taiji Miyasaka and David Drake develop a simple way to recycle and reuse a major source of waste from buildings.

  

• Award: Performative Millwork at Alliance Theatre, Realized Through Handcraft and Augmented Reality

  Trahan Architects transforms a historic venue into an interactive destination made possible through the combination of artistry, design, and lasers.

  

• Citation: Nest Tool Kit, a Modular Take on Affordable Housing

  To tackle the homeless epidemic in Los Angeles, Brooks + Scarpa and Plant Prefab develop a customizable system that also meets code.

  

• Citation: Uber Sky Tower Reimagines the Future of Air Transport

  Creativity and attention to detail define this Pickard Chilton and Arup entry to an invited competition.

  

• Citation: Uplift Tech Cabinet, More Than Meets the Eye

  This elegant design solution by Robern impressed the R+D jury with its utility and minimalism.

  

• Honorable Mention: Moon Village, a Vibrant Hub in the Unknown

  Innovation knows no geographic bounds in this collaboration by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the European Space Agency, the MIT Media Lab, and the MIT Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

  

• Honorable Mention: Post Occupancy Data Device (PODD), a Hands-Free Way to Monitor Projects

  From hardware to software, LMN Architects has developed and designed a platform to help document the performance of buildings upon their completion.

  

• Honorable Mention: Slide Identifies an Opportunity in Mudslides

  In a region prone to natural and anthropogenic disasters, Rios Clementi Hale Studios formulates an idea to stabilize steep terrain.