Communication Associate: Public Relations | Lori Melton | lmelton@d.umn.edu | (218) 726-8830
December 19, 2011 Susan Banovetz | Director of External Affairs | 218 726-6141| banovetz@d.umn.edu
Christiana Kapsner | UMD Public Relations Assistant | 218 726-8830 | ckapsner@d.umn.edu
National Design Award Recognizes UMD
The James I Swenson Engineering Building Honored by AIA/CAE
The UMD LEED Gold certified James I Swenson Engineering Building was among the honored buildings recognized with a 2011 AIA/CAE (American Institute of Architects/Committee on Architecture Education) Educational Facility Design award. The 13 CAE awards presented to various campus locations in North America were based on three categories that included Citation, Merit, and Excellence. UMD was presented with a CAE Merit award for exhibiting superior quality.
According to the AIA website, the Design Awards seek to identify, honor, and disseminate the projects and ideas that exhibit innovation and excellence through:
• The enhancement of the educational program through the thoughtful planning and design of facilities
• The integration of function and aesthetics in designs that also respect the surrounding community and context
• A planning/design process that is educational, collaborative, and builds the capacity of the school and its community to support its students
The design details recognized by the AIA/CAE Merit award in the UMD James I Swenson Engineering building included the incorporation of sustainable strategies. The increased ventilation and use of low-emitting construction materials, advanced lighting control, advanced thermal comfort control, access to daylight and views for occupied spaces, and the use of an under-floor air distribution system are all components of sustainable practices. The building design also highlighted construction and site systems related to the field of civil engineering including oversized scuppers that channel storm water from the roof to the French drains, and two 20-ton gantry cranes located within the 25+ feet high structural lab. Designed by Ross Barney Architects, Chicago, the project was cited for sustainable features including energy efficiency and advanced site engineering techniques.
The 2011 AIA/CAE Educational Facility Design Awards jury included: Peter C. Lippman, Assoc. AIA (jury chair), JCJ Architecture; R. Thomas Hille, AIA, Tabula Rasa Architecture + Design; Christian Long (Educator), Be Playful / Design & Studio; David Schrader, AIA, SchraderGroup and Susan Whitmer (Researcher), Herman Miller, Inc.
The AIA/CAE annually honors excellence in educational and cultural facilities through its design awards program.
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