BUILD Architecture Awards 2024 Most Innovative Public Safety & Commercial Architecture Practice 2024 – Northeast USA Port City Architecture Founded in 1989, Port City Architecture provides specialist architectural solutions for municipal projects in Portland, Maine. Practicing sustainable design methods, the company aims to make a difference to its community. Following Port City Architecture receiving its title in the Architecture Awards 2024, Co-Owner and Principal Architect Andy Hyland tells us more. Port City Architecture takes a holistic approach to its architectural services, with safety at the forefront of all the company’s designs. With a focus on municipal buildings and the higher education sector, Port City Architecture primarily works alongside public safety, commercial, higher education, laboratory, and residential clients. The company holds three values close when collaborating with clients – Form, Function, and Finance. These three elements are pivotal to providing the exemplary design services that Port City Architecture is renowned for. “It’s who you are. Every aspect, you’re really focused on the form of your project and the functionality of it. Making sure that it’s done well, that it meets the mission of the client, and that it’s able to help them perform their jobs to the best of their ability in a safe environment,” Andy tells us. Most recently, Port City Architecture has completed the 25,000 square foot Augusta police station, in the state capital of Maine. With a 42inch sewer mainline running through the middle of the site, the project was challenging to undertake. However, Andy reflects that the main challenge of the design was ensuring that the building was secure and that all the programming elements would fit onto the pre-chosen site. With such an important community site, the team had to think ahead and judge the future of the location. Port City Architecture installed 380 solar panels on the roof of the police station and is looking at the future installation of a full generator. Whilst completing the project, the company had to consider the building’s placement near the Kennebec River, assessing the potential for flood zones and major climate events. Reflecting on the Augusta police station project, Andy says, “We’re very proud of the building, of its resiliency, and of meeting the police’s needs as well as meeting the city of Augusta’s desires to make it a desirable looking community building.” Balancing aesthetics, functionality, and durability is a masterful skill that Port City Architecture has honed over the years. With its primary projects being municipal buildings, functionality is of the utmost importance. However, these buildings must maintain a certain level of aesthetics to appeal to the general public as well as remain durable in the event of a natural disaster. Andy tells us, “The biggest challenge that we as architects face is the climate change that’s happening, especially when we specialise in public safety buildings. The IBC code was written to make sure that police stations, fire stations, and hospitals are held to a higher structural standard than regular buildings. The idea is that these buildings are standing in the event of a catastrophe.” To ensure that projects are being completed to the highest standard, Port City Architecture follows its projects from start to finish. The company assigns the same team to work on the project, which makes for seamless communication and shorter construction times. Following the project from the initial conception to the final construction allows for the architects to take ownership of their work and make more confident decisions, speeding up the process and saving the client money. Port City Architecture is on a trajectory to success, with no plans of stopping soon. We ask Andy about the company’s future, and he proudly tells us, “I’m 64 now and was thinking of slowing down a little bit, and the firm just took the opposite track and is going crazy. So luckily, I enjoy what I do, and we’re certainly set on a prosperous course for 2024. We’re working on some really exciting projects.” With such a visionary as Andy steering the direction of the company, it is no wonder that Port City Architecture is continuously at the forefront of the industry. The company has ingeniously blended an eye for aesthetics, complete functionality, and a durable foundation to create innovative buildings that stand the test of time. It is for this very combination that Port City Architecture has been named the Most Innovative Public Safety and Commercial Architecture Practice 2024 – Northeast USA. Contact: Dylan Lepore Company: Port City Architecture Web Address: https://www.portcityarch.com/
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