The Brick in Architecture's (BIA) 2013 Best in Class awards span ten categories of buildings and projects that represent the most interesting and innovative uses of clay brick in current construction. Architectural and design firms can enter their best material to be judged by a jury of their peers, provided clay brick products comprise more than 50 percent of a building's principal exterior or paving material. More awards, and information on submitting projects for 2014, are available at gobrick.com.

Best in Class Winners
Commercial:
Farm Credit Services of America Corporate Office Building 2
Omaha, Nebraska
Architect/Landscape Architect: Clark Enersen Partners
Builder: Sampson Construction
Mason Contractor: D C Masonry Inc.

This building expanded an existing corporate headquarters, connecting to the primary building via skywalk. Clerestory windows and glazing work together to maximize natural light into the facility, while deep window overhangs on the east and west reduce exposure to direct sunlight. Designed originally for LEED certification, conscious efforts were made to use local materials, like brick, and vegetated roofs with native and drought-tolerant plants reduce heat island effect.

Educational (Higher Education):
University of Pennsylvania Law School
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Architect: Kennedy & Violich Architecture, Ltd.
Landscape Architect: Richard Burck Associates, Inc.
Builder: Hunter Roberts Construction Group
Manufacturer: Belden Brick Company
Mason Contractor: Dan LePore and Sons

Built adjacent to the monumental 19th-century Georgian-style brick Silverman Hall, Penn Law's existing public face, The new Golkin Hall completes the school's architectural vision by linking three existing law buildings with new bridges, roof terraces, and a 2,000 sq. ft. student lounge. Rooftop water retention and strategies for energy reduction, among other elements, are expected to earn the site LEED Gold certification.

Educational (K-12):
New Settlement Community Campus
Bronx, New York
Architect: Dattner Architects
Landscape Architect: MKW + Associates
Associate Architect: Edelman Sultan Knox Wood
Builder: Turner Construction Company
Manufacturer: The Belden Brick Company
Mason Contractor: Mastercraft Masonry I, Inc.

The New Settlement Community Campus's various face bricks all contain a percentage of recycled materials, most notably in the cream-colored Cunningham Silverstone Velour, which contains 57 percent recycled kaolin clay discarded by mining operations in North Carolina. This former brownfield site was reclaimed with environmental remediation, and the interplay of materials and patterning with contrasting brick colors creates interest across the 172,000 sq. ft. facility.

 


Health Care:
Hendricks Regional Health YMCA
Avon, Indiana
Architect: American Structurepoint, Inc.
Landscape Architect: Context, LLC
Builder: Skillman Corporation
Mason Contractor: Purdy Masonry, Inc.

In Avon, a growing community west of Indianapolis, several like-minded organizations joined forces to meet several area needs. A regional hospital, a physician's group and the YMCA agreed to share space in a 115,000 sq. ft. facility that provides fitness and recreational opportunities, physical rehabilitation services and healthcare for the region.

Houses of Worship
Kent R. Hance Chapel
Lubbock, Texas
Architect: McKinney York Architects
Manufacturer: Acme Brick
Mason Contractor: Western Builders

Located on the southeast corner of the Texas Tech University campus, the Kent R. Hance Chapel features the campus's signature Spanish Renaissance architecture complete with a tiled roof, decorative stone medallions and a bell tower. The 6,879-square-foot building features 14 colorful stained glass windows, and inside, pendulant chandeliers illuminate a gold-tinted, hand-plastered accent wall.

Municipal/Government:
Fountaindale Public Library District
Bolingbrook, Illinois
Architect: Nagle Hartray Architecture
Landscape Architect: Wolff Landscape Architecture Inc.
Builder: Power Construction
Manufacturer: The Belden Brick Company
Mason Contractor: Ramcorp

The Fountaindale Public Library is LEED Gold certified, and features include green roofs; recycled and regionally sourced building materials; low VOC-emitting paints and carpets; water-efficient plumbing fixtures; energy-efficient mechanical systems; and controlled lighting.

Paving & Landscape Architecture:
Pierce's Park
Baltimore, Maryland
Architect: Mahan Rykiel Associates, Inc.
Builder: P. Flanigan & Sons, Inc.
Mason Contractor: Priority Construction Corp.

Pierce's Park was designed as a sustainable space with educational opportunities, including indigenous trees, native plantings and three rain gardens, providing opportunities to educate visitors on the benefits of capturing runoff. The park design centers on two open/play spaces, separated by undulations in the ground that mimic waves.

Renovation/Restoration:
Warren Cultural Center
Greenfield, Iowa
Architect: INVISION Planning Architecture Interiors
Builder: Lang Construction Group, Inc.

Built in 1896, the Warren Cultural Center reopened in the spring after a 15-year, $6 million renovation project. Restoration experts worked to return the structure and it's 240-seat concert-style auditorium to its original colors and 16 stenciling patterns.

Residential – Multi-Family:
Gables 12 Twenty One
Arlington, Virginia
Architect: The Preston Partnership
Builder: Gables Residential
Mason Contractor: Diverse Masonry

Overlooking Arlington National Cemetery to the south, these two residential buildings contain 131 units on a 2.73-acre lot, separated by a future pocket park. The LEED Silver-certified buildings blend the mix of building scales of single-family homes to the west and seven to eight story apartment towers to the east.

Residential – Single-Family:
French Normandy Guest House
Greenwich, Connecticut
Architect: Charles Hilton Architects
Builder: Home Construction, LLC
Mason Contractor: Mauro Fidaleo Construction, LLC

This guesthouse was designed in the style of an old post and beam French Normandy manor, with an exterior is clad in long, thin Roman bricks set randomly in-between an authentic timber frame. "Green' amenities include geo-thermal HVAC, high performance glazing, extensive LED lighting, on site electrical co-generation, and smart-house control systems.