Richmond’s Lulu Awards Honour Top Five In Urban Design Excellence
09 March 2009Five of Richmond’s pre-eminent design and development projects have garnered prestigious Lulu Awards for urban design excellence, announced tonight.
Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie made the announcement and presented the awards at tonight's Council meeting, following a welcoming reception.
This year's honourees are:
- McKinney Crossing and London Station. Winners in the Residential Mid-Rise category; both developed by Dana Westermark, designed by Gomberoff Bell Lyon Architects Group Inc. and Patrick Cotter Architect Inc respectively, with landscape design by Ito & Associates Inc. The projects are the newest completed phases of a new waterfront neighbourhood next to historic London Farm. The award recognizes the neighbourhood design approach of these projects, which include condominiums, townhomes and local retail stores.
- The Paloma 1. Winner in the Residential High-Rise category; developed by Regent International and designed by Integra Architecture Inc., with landscape design by Ito & Associates. Located north of Saba Road, the 15-storey tower includes commercial space along No. 3 Road, condominium units in the tower, and a landscaped roof on top of a 2-storey parking podium. Paloma 1 fits into its context, addressing the commercial importance of No. 3 Road, the adjacent bank building and providing a generous No. 3 Road pedestrian realm next to the new Canada Line.
- BCIT Aerospace Technology Campus. Winner in the category of Industrial; developed for the British Columbia Institute of Technology and designed by Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning Ltd, with landscape design by Perry + Associates. Located on Cessna Drive, this stunning campus is home to classrooms, a glass airplane hangar, as well as offices for Sport BC.
- Vancouver International Airport Link Building. Winner in the category of Public Buildings; developed by Vancouver International Airport Authority and designed by Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning Ltd. The curved glass structure connects the international and domestic terminals, and the new Canada Line rapid transit station. The large interior space showcases substantial artwork installations and the project presents a high quality of design, structure, and materials.
- Middle Arm Open Space Master Plan Concept for the Riverside Spirit Square Plaza. In the category of Public Open Space; developed for the City of Richmond and designed by Phillips Farevaag Smallenberg as a part of the Cannon Design Team. Opened in November, the spacious, multi-level plaza on the riverfront side of the Richmond Olympic Oval is part of the B.C. Spirit Square Program, designed to commemorate the 150 anniversary of the founding of B.C.
“It’s a great pleasure to present the awards this evening to projects distinctly contributing to our community’s rich urban design,” said Mayor Brodie. “Many excellent projects were submitted this year, and I thank all the talented people involved in every one of them for helping to make Richmond a vibrant, attractive, memorable and safe community.”
The Lulu Awards, held every two years by the City of Richmond, recognize vision and excellence in local urban design; that is, architecture, streetscapes and built landscapes that combine to create the look of Richmond's built environment.
The awards are open to architects, designers, planners, landscape architects, engineers, developers, owners, contractors and the general public. A variety of project types are eligible, including residential, commercial, industrial, mixed-use, open spaces, public utilities and recreational projects.
This year’s judging panel included internationally renowned, award-winning architect, James Cheng; former president of the Canadian Institute of Planners and well-known urban planner, Jay Wollenberg; and acclaimed landscape architect and visionary, Don Vaughan
More information on the 2009 winners, the awards program and eligibility is available at www.richmond.ca/services/planning/luluawards.htm.
