| Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center Washington, DC |
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| A R C H I T E C T U R E | ||||
| This building is a
successful completion to the Federal Triangle complex. It
holds its own against the originals--a feat that is
seldom accomplished. While the building may be too
historicist to some people, it shows how excellence of
proportion, exquisite detailing, and use of fine
materials can transcend stylistic issues to create a
compelling urban space. -Jury Comment
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Fitting the
last piece into a puzzle is not always easy, particularly
when the puzzle is the historic 70-acre Federal Triangle
complex of Government office buildings in the heart of
the Nation’s capital and the piece is a
3.1-million-square-foot building—the second largest
Federal building after the Pentagon. Eschewing a facile
replication of the surrounding buildings, architect James
Ingo Freed merged traditional and contemporary themes to
create a mixed-use building of permanence and stature. The key to the design is the turning of Pennsylvania Avenue. The insertion of Freedom Plaza in 1979 terminated the avenue's axis at 13th Street, bifurcating it and changing its direction. Rather than let it simply dwindle away, Mr. Freed designed a large domed rotunda at the corner of the building to act as a hinge that symbolically turns the avenue into a four-acre public courtyard. The rotunda serves as the front door for the International Trade Center. The building’s 14th Street side is the principal entrance to the Federal offices. To counter the linear bulk of the block-long Department of Commerce building across the street, Mr. Freed curved the Reagan Building's facade inward. While the limestone exterior maintains the scale and massing of the neighboring neoclassical buildings, the Reagan Building's classicism derives from Mr. Freed's contemporary interpretation of the style. Details are constructed by layered walls, or flat slabs of built up stone, one plane on top of the other. There are no pilasters per se, but only pieces of flat stone standing upright; no podium, but a rusticated base designed to capture light and shadow in abstract patterns. Inside, the building reflects Mr. Freed's reputation as a modernist. A circular atrium 175 feet in diameter occupies the building's full 110-foot height and provides a stunning light-filled public space. To create a more human scale, Mr. Freed inserted a cone-shaped skylight inside the circle. The cone starts out low and ends up high, opening in a structural rhythm from a 30-foot span in the front to 175 feet in the back. |
 Credits James
Ingo Freed Ellerbe Becket Architects & Engineers, P.C. National Capital Region Public
Buildings Service
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| National Data Processing Center Bureau of The Census Bowie, Maryland |
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| A R C H I T E C T U R E | ||||
 Credits Steven
M. Davis Harold
E. Davis National
Capital Region |
Using a stainless steel tensile truss glazed
system and metal flat and ribbed panels in a palette of
white and gray, the architects created a sleek, airy
computer and telecommunications center reflecting the
Census Bureau's commitment to technology. Window walls
and large expanses of glass provide a light-filled work
environment while minimizing the mass of the
130,000-square-foot, one-story building that sits in a
park-like suburban setting. The building projects an
image of openness and accessibility, even though numerous
protection devices are concealed within the structure to
provide a high level of safety and security. Flexibility and adaptability for computer and telecommunications equipment are achieved through an accessible cable-tray system in the corridors, allowing for easy recabling of computer and office modules. All of these modules are on flush-raised floors two feet deep. Movable partitions permit the open office spaces to be rearranged and the conference areas to be subdivided as needed. Views to the outdoors from offices, break areas, and corridors eliminate visual monotony. To contain construction costs, economical ground-faced concrete bearing walls and a simple, lightweight joist roof system were used as the major components of the computer modules. Flooring and ceiling materials are "industrial" and easy to maintain, yet human in scale. A corrugated metal skin wraps the mechanical modules. A single-story design was chosen to avoid the cost of elevators and stairs.
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 An elegant and open work of architecture that honors the poetic and subtle role of technology and detail. A great role model for inexpensive and modern aesthetic deployed in a generally nonpublic building that still conveys accessibility and objectivity appropriate for the U.S. Census Bureau. - Jury Comment |
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| Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse Portland, Oregon |
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| A R C H I T E C T U R E | ||||
The building demonstrates a care and craftsmanship that is markedly reassuring in such a prominent public building. The asymmetrical, yet balanced facade, speaks to the language of a courthouse in a refreshing contemporary way. - Jury Comment
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The
courthouse takes its form from its context—a small
city block adjacent to the historic Lownsdale and Chapman
Square parks, commanding views of the Willamette River
and Mount Hood, a strong pedestrian streetscape, and the
nearby Justice Center, County Courthouse, and Portland
Building--and a demanding functional program. The
563,300-square-foot building is actually a series of
sculptural masses that work like separate buildings for
various court-related functions. A 16-story tower containing the courtrooms and judges’ chambers intersects an eight-story "sidecar" containing administrative offices, a law library, and a cafe. The sidecar, which has a roof terrace open to the public, matches the height of the County Courthouse across the park and the "waistline" of the adjacent Justice Center. The tower is layered functionally from west to east. To the west, public lobbies with a glass curtain wall offer magnificent park views. At its heart, a limestone-clad moment frame houses the courtrooms and jury deliberation rooms. The limestone represents the permanence and weight of the judiciary. The courtrooms and jury deliberation rooms are filled with natural light via "light scoops" near the ceilings that channel sunlight in through the adjacent corridors, providing a view of the sky and visual interest. The judges' chambers are stacked and paired east of the courtrooms in glass bays with views of the river and mountains. Capping the building is a dramatic arched roof that provides a rich acoustic ceiling and airy decorum to the 16th-floor ceremonial courtroom, where new citizens are sworn in and the highest profile cases are heard. The roof tapers to an aerodynamic edge with an awning dramatically cantilevered over another roof terrace with stunning views eastward to Mount Hood.
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 Credits William
Pedersen John
A. Meadows Northwest/Arctic
Region
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| U.S. Port of Entry Point Roberts, Washington |
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| A R C H I T E C T U R E | ||||
| Credits David Miller Northwest/Arctic Region Public
Buildings Service |
The Point
Roberts peninsula is the westernmost Port of Entry along
the 49th parallel dividing the continental
United States and Canada--the longest straight-line
border in the world. The border station was conceived as
a bold gesture to stand as a remote sentinel of national
identity. The design focused on integrating an
appropriately scaled and elegantly detailed building with
the naturally forested setting to mark the international
boundary and gateway. A dramatic mast and cable structural system supports the building’s two inspection canopies. These canopies are inspired by the masts and sails of the boats in the waters surrounding Point Roberts. As a counterpoint to the canopies, the internal program functions are housed in two wood-clad "boxes," reflecting the minimal development of the area--some residences, a small commercial center, and a marina. Open office and public information areas are located in glazed and steel-framed pavilions attached to the boxes. Continuous skylights along the intersection of the two components illuminate the steel joinery framing the open, airy interior. The "boxes" screen a busy road to the east, while the drive-through inspection areas, office space, and lobby face the forest, creating a primeval environment for workers and visitors.
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 It’s clean; it’s crisp; it’s tight; it works. It feels like it was done for that place and feels right for that place. Material and form come together to welcome the visitor and to make this transitional marker less stressful. Good color and provocative geometry. - Jury Comment |
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| Booklet United States Court of Appeals Building for the Ninth Circuit San Francisco, California |
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| G R A P H I C D E S I G N | ||||
| The publication
celebrates the building’s history and rebirth
through a series of beautiful photographs, elegantly
presented. It engages the reader at several levels:
visually through the photos and intellectually through
the easy-to-read, clearly composed text. - Jury Comment |
The U.S. Court of Appeals building in San
Francisco is one of America’s most beautiful Federal
buildings. Designed in the 1890’s by James Knox, the
Supervising Architect at the U.S. Treasury Department,
the building is one of the finest examples of the
American Renaissance style—a distinctly American
expression of French Beaux-Arts classicism. The building
was one of the few to survive the earthquake of 1906 but
was severely damaged in the Loma Prieta earthquake in
1989. As a result, GSA undertook a complete renovation
and 45,000-square-foot addition, along with a seismic
retrofit using base-isolation technology. This booklet
was published to commemorate the history and rebirth of
this landmark building and inform the public about a
unique American architectural treasure. The design of the 5.5-by-8.5-inch, 48-page booklet was preceded by months of research on the building's history. At the same time, the building was photographed while being restored. The designer spent many hours studying the various marbles, woodwork, and carvings. This background work helped the designer create a look and feel for the booklet that reflects the building’s luxurious materials and detailed ornamentation. The booklet contains many full-page photographs inset with details of the elaborate designs of the floors, walls, and ceilings. Cost was considered throughout the process. Historic photographs were consolidated and reproduced in black and white, allowing a number of signatures to be printed in just two colors (black and spot varnish). Use of digital proofs expedited approvals and contained costs. The booklet was printed on a digital press, minimizing the make-ready process. The text was judiciously edited and carefully coordinated with the photographs and illustrations. The result is an easy-to read and visually compelling booklet that gives the reader a brief but complete view of the history and significance of this remarkable landmark.
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 Credits Rick
Helf Pacific
Rim Region |
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| Signage Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse Portland, Oregon |
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| G R A P H I C D E S I G N | ||||
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The signage for the new Mark O. Hatfield U.S.
Courthouse is distinguished by its thoughtful integration
into the architecture. The graphic design team was
challenged to develop a multifaceted environmental
graphics program that would reflect the timeless
tradition and dignity of the judiciary within the context
of a modernist building containing state-of-the-art
technology. The project encompassed not only exterior and
interior signage but also the planning and design of
electronic video displays for court calendars and an
interactive touch-screen building directory system. Court clerks used to post courtroom schedules by hand on clipboards at each courthouse entrance. This antiquated and inefficient system was replaced in the new courthouse by integrating electronic information displays into the architecture at 26 lobby locations in the 16-story building. A video wall adjacent to the law court elevator lobby displays each day’s proceedings. This display wall is augmented by interactive electronic information displays in each courtroom floor lobby, allowing access to the building directory and other information. The information on the interactive electronic displays, including a home page and floor plans, was designed by the same team that designed the building's signage to ensure compatibility and continuity. Working with the architects, the graphic designers developed stainless steel equipment enclosures for the interactive system so that they became a compositional element along with the limestone, cherrywood, and plaster walls. |
 The graphic designer has thoughtfully integrated an easily understood information system into the design of a complex building. - Jury Comment
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