News
Oct 1, 2024 _ news
AIA Ohio Recognizes Three GBBN Projects
Three GBBN projects have been recognized with awards for design excellence from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Ohio. At the 2024 awards ceremony, held in Dublin, Ohio, our design of the Digital Futures Office Building received an Honor award. Our design of Mercy Health’s Kings Mills Hospital won an Honors Interior award, and our renovation of University of Cincinnati’s MarketPointe dining facility was recognized with a Merit Interiors award. Once again, we’re thrilled to be the only firm to receive three awards.
The jury called out “the detailing and clever use of punched windows,” on the elevated façade of the Digital Futures Office Building. Using a single material, in a single color, with a single fold, the façade of the Digital Futures Office Building allows light to play off the surface in different ways depending on the time of day and the season. Working with GBBN’s in-house computational design and fabrication studio, our design team was able to maximize use of the material and cut down on waste. The jury also appreciated this project’s Fitwel 2-star rating.
For Mercy Health’s Kings Mills Hospital, the design is notable for its ample daylight and views to the outdoors that create an uplifting experience for patients, visitors, and staff. “It’s so airy,” said the jury, “it feels like a hospitality project, not a hospital project.” Contributing to that feel is the creative and efficient use of a specific case wood. Rift white oak was fabricated to create pattern, texture, and warmth within the hospital’s public spaces.
Our work on the University of Cincinnati’s MarketPointe dining hall also features a strong fabrication story. MarketPointe’s custom designed feature wall was designed and tested in-house and fabricated in collaboration with local partner, ADEX International. Sustainability measures like non-phthalate vinyl upholstery and a Lighting Power Density goal of 68% below baseline also helped contribute to the recognition. “It does not feel like a standard dining hall,” noted the jury, who also appreciated the way the design exposed MarketPointe’s original waffle slab ceiling. “They really took advantage of what was already there.”
In addition to our projects being recognized, GBBN Principal, Angela Mazzi FAIA, FACHA, EDAC received the 2024 AIA Ohio Gold Medal Award, the highest honor the organization can bestow on an individual architect. The award recognizes Angela’s exemplary contributions and significant accomplishments in design, leadership, and service to the profession. Read more about Angela’s Gold Medal Award here.
Thank you to the jury for recognizing our work this year!
View the Design Award 2024 recipients here.
Read more about our work in mixed-use, healthcare, and higher education.
