CAMPFIRE COLLABORATIVE RECEIVES 2020 EMERGING FIRM AWARD. The AIA Northwest and Pacific Region (NW+PR) recognized Campfire Collaborative from Springfield, Oregon. The Emerging Firm Award seeks to recognize new practices that are challenging traditional perceptions and methods of architecture. Firms must be in practice for 10 years or less. The award was presented as part of a virtual Honors and Awards program on September 24, 2020.
Read more about the award HERE.
Sixteen projects recently received 2020 Region Design Awards from the American Institute of Architects Northwest and Pacific Region.
The winners are the best architectural designs submitted by architects in the Region, which includes Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana and the Marianas, the AIA Northwest and Pacific Region said in a press release. They represent the finest standards in sustainability, innovation, building performance, and overall integration with client and surrounding community.
Eighty projects were submitted. The winners were recognized in the honor, merit and citation categories.
Jurors for the design awards are Kai Uwe-Bergmann, FAIA, partner at BIG | Bjarke Ingels Group; Andrea Love, AIA, LEED Fellow, principal and director of building science at Payette; and Julie Snow, founding principal at Snow Kreilich Architects. Uwe-Bergmann and Love presented the awards.
The Region also gave Holst Architecture of Portland, Oregon the 2020 Region Firm of the Year award and Campfire Collaborative of Springfield, Oregon the 2020 Emerging Firm award. Both awards recognize outstanding contributions to the profession through excellence in design and through elevating the quality of the built environment.
Jurors for the Firm and Emerging Firm awards are Kim Yao, AIA, principal of Architecture Research Office; Andrea Leers, FAIA, principal and co-founder of Leers Weinzapfel Associate; Matt Zinski, AIA, principal at Weinstein A+U; and Ian Butcher, AIA, founding partner at Best Practice. Yao and Zinski presented the awards.
In addition, seven student projects won awards from 37 submitted. They were recognized in the honor, merit, citation, and honorable mention categories.
The Region held a virtual awards program on September 24th, 2020.
Go to www.aianorthwest-pacific.org to learn more about the award-winning firms and projects.
Watch the recording of the Honors and Awards program here: https://vimeo.com/464080715
Cue to 52:05 to see Campfire Collaborative receive the Emerging Firm Award.
“Right now, more than ever, if feels that the more a firm works within and with a community to bring people together architecture and design, it’s a significant thing. And to this end, Campfire Collaborative demonstrated as an innovative approach to practice, as well as sustainability, design, mentorship, leadership, the whole gamut. What we really focused on was the innovation of their practice through community outreach, education, and investment. They make a tremendous effort to make architecture accessible to everyone. They don’t silo architecture as a high design on a pedestal for some people, but rather they work to make it available to the wider population. And it’s a profound effort to bring the community along to appreciate design. I think all of our jobs would be a lot easier if the world prioritized good design they way that they are trying to encourage the community to do so. It also doesn’t go unrecognized that they are doing all of this in a small town in Oregon. It really speaks to what they bring to the community and how they bring design to the community. I think this leads to another approach that was really significant, which was how their investment in community demonstrates a sustainable approach to architecture. They advocate for preserving and renewing an existing town center through the renovation of Main Street. And of course, we all know sustainability is inherent to the reuse of existing buildings. But what struck us is their focus on renewing the heart of a community provides another perspective on what sustainability means - it’s not just about building performance, but also about building communities and people together.”