At the November 12^th meeting of the American Institute of Architects in Estero, PK Studios won four of the seven awards given this year in various design excellence categories.

The projects recognized by our peers this year were:

• Conditioned Air Warehouse & Office (Built Excellence for Restorations & Additions)
• Advanced Medical Center (Built Excellence for Interior Design)
• Attainable & Sustainable: Community Design for Bayshore CRA (Merit in Unbuilt Design)
• Collier County Kayak Launch (Award of Honor for Architectural Graphics)

Over our firm’s lifetime, this brings the design award total to 35! We’re proud of our achievements and thankful to the clients who continue to provide us the opportunity to design such outstanding projects.

What follows is brief information about each award-winning project. Check back in the coming weeks for more detailed profiles of all of these projects (We’ll be sure to link from this post, as well).

Conditioned Air Warehouse & Office

When a prominent local business wanted to expand their operations, an existing warehouse was a natural fit. The solution involved the purchase of an abandoned industrial metal building, and preserving a large warehouse volume inside, while creating a two-story office component at the street façade. The primary goal was to transform the existing building from what was functionally and aesthetically a factory facility into a corporate headquarters and work space.

The jury noted that “this renovation project attempts, with minimal intervention, to re-invent what was an unmemorable “butler” building into a corporate headquarters for an air conditioning company. The bringing in of light through new clearstory windows improves dramatically interior spaces that are nicely detailed with honest use of material components.”

Photo courtesy of Conditioned Air

Advanced Medical Center

This two-story design for a medical office building kept the client’s vision of promoting good health and being environmentally conscious.

The well-being of the patients, staff and product life cycle were major considerations. Large, open volumes are accentuated by the angled reveals, ceilings, and walls. Large windows allow ample natural light to flow into the patient treatment rooms without compromising individuals’ privacy.

Warm, coordinating colors and materials are carried throughout the entire facility to help relax patients and encourage open interactivity between departments. Partitions between spaces are treated with different shapes and textures to ensure each space incorporates a unique identity.

The design award jury commented that “this project exhibits a clarity of concept that is usually difficult to achieve in medical facilities. Simple execution of volumes with a color palette that is coordinated and appealing to potential patients, in a simple and understated solution.”

Attainable & Sustainable

This is a community design that would create a realistic, efficient, economical, and environmentally sensitive neighborhood in what is now a blighted 2.3-square-mile area close to Downtown Naples. Much of the Bayshore CRA district is encompassed in this design’s scope.

On a macro scale, the project analyzed existing uses and problems, proposes projects and land uses that would enhance the community, and provides potential property buyers with information regarding sustainability and design solutions.

On a micro scale, four case studies for residential lots in the community were developed as a “kit of parts” for potential homeowners.

The design award jury noted that this was a “thorough analysis of the parts desirable in an eco-friendly development as a strategy.”

Collier County Kayak Launch

This design for a Collier County kayak pavilion is one of the many “dots” along a future two-mile ecological and trail corridor. Connecting the dots between adjacent properties and linking future projects along the proposed Gordon River Greenway was the purpose of this design.

Graphics were critical in this project to clearly communicate a sense of style and overall feeling.

The award jury felt that “the submission did an exemplary job of explaning the project as a linear experience and was very clear and consistent with the graphics, limiting the color palette and information in an organized and easy to understand manner. The building design of the architectural components was consistent with the presentation.”