The American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) and Kawneer Co. Inc. recently announced the winners of the Frozen Music Design Competition. A team of students, which included Samantha Dengerud, Jin Han and Tyler Lundsgaard, fifth year students from Iowa State University, under the advisement of Calvin F. Lewis, were awarded first place and $3,000 for their design, “Jazz House, Pier 70, San Francisco.” This was the eighth year of the Kawneer and AIAS Student Design Competition.
Sponsored by Kawneer and administered by the AIAS, the competition challenged students to explore the relationship between music and architecture, both of which are in constant change within the confines of time and technology, by designing an innovative concert hall for a musically inclined coastal city. Throughout the competition, participants were encouraged to write a symphony of their own components with a design that not only enriched and enlightened the community, but also tied into the fabric of the city. Utilizing a range of Kawneer products and systems including those with a strong emphasis on exterior use with a focus on blast mitigation, competition participants were also tasked with creating inspiring designs that could become the definition of what music means to the architecture of today.
The competition jury was comprised of five architectural professionals: JW Blanchard, AIA, Healthcare Architect, AECOM, AIAS National President, 2008-2009; Brent Castro, Assoc. AIA, Architectural Designer, EYP Architecture and Engineering; Greg G. Hall, PHD, AIA, NCARB, Chair of Architecture, Professor of Architecture, Savannah College of Art and Design; Brian McLaren, AIA, Director, Component Communication and Resources, The American Institute of Architects; Laura Meador, Assoc. AIA. Jurors evaluated entries for their creation of an adaptable music hall, utilization of Kawneer products, integration of sustainability in design, and the exploration of multi-use space. Winning submissions included:
Samantha Dengerud, Jin Han, and Tyler Lundsgaard, Iowa State University, “Jazz House, Pier 70, San Francisco” – First Place ($3000)
A former powerhouse amid the historic buildings of San Francisco’s Pier 70 provided the clay from which the team of Dengerud, Han and Lundsgaard molded the “Jazz House.” By centering the design on adaptive reuse, the ability to see the music and building flow, the students were able to create a modern, sophisticated structure while maintaining the integrity of its historic surroundings. With acoustics paramount in the design, the team opted for the Kawneer 2500 PG Unitwall™ glass walls to reduce the flutter of sound. A gradient pattern of fritted glass was added to control exterior light.
Mira Irawan, David O’Brien, Mark Jongman-Sereno, Iowa State University, “Evolutionary Urbanism: Reframing Street, Music as Cultural Infrastructure” – Second Place ($1500)
Leveraging Rincon Hill’s commitment to adding 20,000 residents to the San Francisco-area community over the next ten years, the team of Irawan, O’Brien and Jongman-Sereno centered their design on repurposing a defunct parking structure. By making the design strengths of the garage central to the design, the team was able to “reprogram” the structure as a mixed-use development. And, because it connects easily to the parking structure’s existing slabs, the Kawneer 1600 Wall System was utilized on the building’s exterior.
Yangzhou Huang, Meng Jiang, Shiyuan Zheng, Iowa State University, “The Embarcadero Jazz Garden” – Third Place ($750)
Rather than molding their construction around an existing structure, the team of Huang, Jiang and Zheng opted to design “an iconic piece of architecture that functions as a visual landmark for visitors… and reinforces San Francisco’s reputation as an epicenter of culture.” The Embarcadero Jazz Garden integrates a circular footpath that links the many different segments of the “Garden” (performance hall, art gallery, etc.). Kawneer curtain wall wraps the north street façade, reflecting views of the bay toward the street in the daytime while “revealing the cultural life” at night.
Honorable mentions ($500) were awarded to: Oretola Thomas, Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo, “Musical Collisions;” Zoe Bick, Michael Madsen, Kelsey Vetter, Iowa State University, “The Edge;” and Nathan Huette and Casey Tucker, University of Texas – Arlington, “Sound Cloud.”
View all winning entries. In addition, they will be displayed at the AIA Convention 2014, June 26-28 in Chicago; the AIAS Grassroots Leadership Conference, July 24-27 in Washington, D.C.; and the AIAS FORUM 2014, Dec. 29, 2014 – Jan. 1, 2015 in Knoxville, Tenn.