Archive: Around Town

Baird Sampson Neuert Architects, the designers of the Brian C. Nevin Welcome Center at Cornell Plantations, will receive a “Design Excellence” award from the Ontario Architects’ Association in May for their work on this dynamic new building. This is the second such designation the Plantations’ Nevin Welcome Center has received.  Earlier in the year the architects received an Award of Excellence from Canadian Architect magazine and online journal.

Fifteen new buildings in Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton, Orillia, Montréal, Kitchener, Vancouver, and Ithaca (New York) have been recognized as leading examples of architecture by receiving ‘Design Excellence’ awards. There were 150 submissions and the Jury unanimously agreed on the consistent high level of quality in the 2011 winning projects.

This year was the first time in the OAA Awards’ history the Honours and Awards Task Group extended the entry criteria to include buildings located outside the province of Ontario, designed by Ontario architects. The 2011 entries reflected a number of important aspects in architectural design and practice: an increased effort to address sustainability criteria, innovation when working on extremely tight budgets, and an increasingly collaborative approach in working with clients.

“From the inception of the concept, it has been critically important to us that this building be a model of sustainable design, meet all of the needs of our visitors, and fit organically into the site,” stated Donald A. Rakow, the E. N. Wilds Director of Cornell Plantations.“We are delighted that the Ontario Architects’ Association has recognized these qualities and has chosen to confer this honor on the Nevin Welcome Center.”

The 2011 awards will be presented in Toronto on Friday, May 20, at the OAA Celebration of Excellence, as part of the OAA Conference, May 18 – 21, 2011.

The public also has a chance to vote for the Nevin Welcome Center as part of OAA’s Peoples Choice Awards.

The Brian C. Nevin Welcome Center was dedicated on October 28, 2010 and was opened to visitors in February of this year. Cornell Plantations is pleased to have a dedicated space in which to welcome, orient, and educate the public—and to provide the amenities that will enhance their experience. Designed to achieve Gold LEED certification, the Nevin Welcome Center is also a significant step forward in Plantations’ and Cornell’s commitment to sustainability.

The Nevin Welcome Center is named for Brian C. Nevin ’50, at the request of the primary benefactor, C. Sherwood “Woody” Southwick Jr. A grand opening celebration for the Ithaca community will be held May 22, 2011 from 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM.  There will be fun for the whole family - lively music, a "green" tour of the building, tours of our gardens, exhibits, refreshments, and fun activities for kids!

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