Edward Kirkbride Award
The
Edward Kirkbride Award is bestowed upon a project that exhibits exceptional strength in each of the judging criteria.
2022 Regional Design Awards
Kirkbride Award
Solomon Solis-Cohen Elementary School
The School District of Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA
Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates
Solomon Solis-Cohen Elementary School is a 150,000 square foot replacement school, first through fifth grade school serving 1,400
students, the largest elementary school in The School District of Philadelphia completed in the fall of 2021. Situated in the heart of dense housing approximately one
mile in diameter in Northeast Philadelphia, the building was designed from early discussions with the school district, staff and community to not only improve the
educational environment for the students, but also to act as a center to bring the diverse and multilingual community together. Physically the building’s exterior
reflects materials found in the surrounding community, but more importantly the student body is a reflection of the diversity of the community with more than 30% of
the student body speaking a language other than English as their primary language. Exterior of the building proper, goals were set for the new campus to act as a park
for the community during the day but as important after hours and weekends.
Project of Distinction
Benjamin W. Murch Elementary School
District of Columbia Public Schools | Washington, DC
Hord Coplan Macht
“A School in the Park” Responding to History & Place at the Urban Scale
The site of Benjamin W. Murch Elementary School is situated along a path of contiguous green space that cuts through the dense residential area of northwestern Washington, D.C. This open space has become the beating heart of the surrounding community, and the design team made a concerted effort to respect the scale of adjacent single-family homes while maximizing the amount of open space on and around the building. The resulting building massing allowed the design team to nestle the new addition seamlessly into this context.
Project of Distinction
Minuteman Regional Vocational High School
Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School District | Lexington, MA
Kaestle Boos Associates Inc.
The architectural design of the new facility includes large classrooms, vocational programs organized into trade clusters, a “main street” retail area, and break out spaces for small group learning. Retail areas with public access are located away from the main academic areas for additional security. Academic areas are also be able to be locked off from community accessible spaces such as the gymnasium and cafeteria. The school blends performing and industrial arts with a flexible, teaching auditorium which includes a flyloft, and is adjacent to the carpentry spaces where scenery will be produced. The new facility is anticipated to achieve LEED Silver certification.
Project of Distinction
Northeast Community Propel Academy
School District of Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA
Stantec Architecture and Engineering, LLC
The new K-8 school on Ryan Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia was a design-build turnkey project. The Stantec-Gilbane team was selected by the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) to avoid the extended timeframes normally associated with multi-prime bidding processes and to help manage the associated financial risks by securing a guaranteed maximum price (GMP).
Designing a modern educational facility for SDP started with the recognition that all learning is social. Their team then began design by considering the appropriate size for “groups within the group,” acknowledging that scaling the facility would be key to fostering the sense of intimacy required to support the new learning models. Working together in a shared “Big Room” hosted by Stantec, every stakeholder explored design strategies and options in a collaborative and integrated fashion. Their knowledge of SDP’s standards and ability to navigate Philadelphia’s regulatory agencies helped the project team remain on schedule.
Past Winners »