BUILD - Architecture Awards 2017

2017 Architecture Awards Build between the areas’ characteristics. The objective was to seek a building design solution that served both areas appropriately while maintaining distinction between misaligned zoning identities. The buffering of a busy 4-level structure from adjacent condominium homes became the primary motivation for the design of a large-scale garden structure. Rather than disguise the garage with a false building mask in the style of other commercial structures, the ACBA solution employed the characteristics of the neighbouring garden city streetscape vegetation and dressed the structures with layers of living flowering vines, large hedges at the base, overhanging shrubbery and other flowering species at each of the decks perimeter planters, all of which are complemented by a sidewalk planting plan that installed tall palms and mature shade trees around the garages perimeters. The structures evolved into a vertical park which shields the activity and the night lighting from the neighbours’ views. Unlike other parking solutions, this is a solution that has become beloved as attractive, environmentally friendly, complimentary to the garden city tradition, as well as becoming a landmark architectural language for the popular commercial main street. Overall, producing iconic solutions that are inventive, functional and beautiful are the ultimate goal of Andrea Clark Brown Architects, PA on behalf of the firm’s clients. This imperative is the key to moving forward an appreciation of the important and creative design process distinguishing a building product from a true Architecture.