The School of Architecture congratulates the faculty, students, and alumni that were recently recognized in the 2019 AIA Pennsylvania Architectural Excellence Awards. This year’s awards featured over 50 firms and individuals across Pennsylvania honored for excellence in design, contributions to the profession of architecture, and commitment to the quality of the built environment in the Architectural Excellence Design, Special Award, and Student Award categories.
Associate Professor Gerard Damiani and his firm studio d'ARC architects received an AIA Pennsylvania Honor Award for the South Side Courtyard House Pool Pavilion and Landscape. The SoA’s Urban Design Building Studio (UDBS) won a Bronze Award for the HOME INCUBATOR project and an Honor Award for the SECOND COURSE: Millvale Moose project. Fifth-year Bachelor of Architecture student Selena Zhen was the SoA’s 2019 recipient of the AIA Pennsylvania Student Award. This year, AIA Pennsylvania awarded SoA alumnus Sylvester Damianos, FAIA from the class of 1956 with the Medal of Distinction, the highest award bestowed upon a living AIA Pennsylvania member.
More information about the winning projects and award recipients is listed below, and on the AIA Pennsylvania website.
Image: Denmarsh Photography, Inc.
South Side Courtyard House Pool Pavilion & Landscape
Award Level: Honor Award
Architecture Firm: studio d'ARC architects
Project Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Client: Withheld at Owner’s Request
Photography credit: Denmarsh Photography, Inc.
Category: Single Family Residential
Image: Urban Design Build Studio (UDBS)
HOME INCUBATOR
Award Level: Bronze Award
Architecture Firm: Urban Design Build Studio (UDBS)
Project Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Client: Pittsburgh, PA Residents
Photography credit: Urban Design Build Studio (UDBS)
Category: Impact Design
Image: Urban Design Build Studio (UDBS)
SECOND COURSE: Millvale Moose
Award Level: Honor Award
Architecture Firm: Urban Design Build Studio (UDBS)
Project Location: Millvale, PA
Client: New Sun Rising, 412 Food Rescue, Spezzatura
Photography credit: Urban Design Build Studio (UDBS)
Category: Impact Design
Selena Zhen
Selena Zhen
AIA Pennsylvania Student Award
Carnegie Mellon University
Bachelor of Architecture
Sylvester Damianos, FAIA
Sylvester Damianos, FAIA
AIA Pennsylvania Medal of Distinction
AIA Pennsylvania’s Medal of Distinction is the highest award bestowed upon a living AIA Pennsylvania member. Recipients have made contributions to architecture that transcend local boundaries and have been of benefit to the profession and citizens of Pennsylvania.
Sylvester (Syl) Damianos, FAIA is an honors graduate of Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) and was a Fulbright Scholar at the Technological Institute of Delft, the Netherlands. He co-founded his first of three architectural firms in 1967. His dual career of both art and architecture has spanned over 60 years serving clients primarily in non-profit, disability, and art-related fields, as well as his commission by fellow architects to produce art for their buildings. He has held national roles such as President of The American Institute of Architects, Chancellor of the AIA College of Fellows, and Chair of the American Architectural Foundation. Syl has been honored with the Edward C. Kemper Award from AIA and the Distinguished Achievement Award from Carnegie Mellon University.