Photo courtesy of AIA
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is recognizing two projects with its Innovation Awards.
The Innovation Awards recognize the exemplary use and implementation of innovative technologies and progressive practices among architects, designers, collaborators, and clients. Awarded projects must support the design, delivery, and operation of buildings or research in practice and academia. Recipients for the 2020 Innovation Awards—which were selected by AIA’s Technology in Architectural Practice Knowledge Community—are as follows.
Category—Development of Design or Design-Thinking
BHoM Life Cycle Assessment Toolkit by Buro Happold
This new tool, an open-source endeavor, is an accessible and data-driven framework that allows design professionals to measure embodied carbon of all elements within building design. Supported by a network of architects, engineers, and software developers who have contributed code to it, the Buildings and Habitats object Model (BHoM) boasts a range of functionality spanning multiple disciplines and represents a transformative and democratic approach to measuring embodied carbon in everyday construction materials.
Category—Holistic Design
Catalyst Building | MGA | Michael Green Architecture, Katerra
Born of close collaboration and a set of shared values, Spokane’s Catalyst Building is a testament to the fact that wood buildings can meet and exceed the performance of their steel and concrete counterpoints. Composed of more than 4000 m3 (141,259 cf) of cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glue-laminated (glulam) timber products, it is expected to be one of the largest buildings in North America to achieve Zero Energy and Zero Carbon certifications from the International Living Future Institute (ILFI).
