Category: Honors + Awards

AIA Western Mountain Region Recognizes Fentress Architects

Posted on by Jessica del Pilar

25-Year Award for Denver International Airport’s Passenger Terminal Complex and the Special Recognition Award for Miami Beach Convention Center

The 2021 American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Western Mountain Region (WMR) Design Awards were presented last Thursday, October 1 at the annual AIA WMR Summit, which was held in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

­2021 AIA Western Mountain Region Twenty-Five Year Award: Denver International Airport (DEN) Passenger Terminal

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Western Mountain Region selected the Denver International Airport (DEN) Passenger Terminal as the recipient of the 2021 Twenty-Five Year Award. As one of the most prestigious honors for Colorado’s built environment, the award is presented annually to a project that has “significantly influenced design and lifestyle in Colorado” and features a “timeless and enduring design that has created a sense of place” for at least 25 years.

“Our vision for DEN’s Passenger Terminal was to create a memorable design—a gateway to Colorado and the West,” said Curtis Fentress, FAIA, RIBA, Principal in Charge of Design at Fentress Architects. “Twenty five years later, the design continues to transcend time and is known around the world. I would like to thank AIA Colorado Honor Awards Jury, the entire project team, and my former partner Jim Bradburn.”

Completed in 1995, Fentress’ design for DEN’s Jeppesen Terminal stimulated a paradigm shift in the way architects and the public perceive airport design. Previously, airports were conceived as ‘people processors’—nondescript warehouses comprised of low ceilings and dim lighting. Fentress sought to change this notion by creating an airport that serves as a symbol of Denver and a gateway welcoming all to Colorado and the West; architecture as memorable as it is functional.

To create a significant airport, the terminal’s design embodies forms and materials native to the Rocky Mountain region. Peaked roof forms rise 130 to 150 feet, evoking a sense that one has stepped onto the snowcapped mountains that inspired the building’s architecture. This context-driven design marks the first time an airport became a timeless icon of a region through expressive forms.  It inspired the architecture of hundreds of airports worldwide.

2021 AIA Western Mountain Region Special Recognition Award: Miami Beach Convention Center

Miami Beach Convention Center won the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Special Recognition Award for 2021. Located in the heart of the city, the 1950’s-era Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC) needed a transformation befitting its reputation as a world-class entertainment destination.  The venue has become renown for hosting preeminent annual events including Art Basel and eMERGE Americas. The Fentress team, together with Arquitectonica, mined the surrounding culture and context to create a design that is quintessentially South Florida, and has become a contextual representation of the city.

One of the greatest challenges was harmonizing the 1.4-million-square-foot, grand scale building with the intimacy of human scale to create flexible, intuitive, and daylit spaces. Inspired by undulating ocean waves, exterior façade “fins”—angled aluminum linear forms—filter light to create a dappled effect within the building’s daylit lobbies and pre-function spaces.  This provides visitors with a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor environments. Contextual inspiration was brought inside with colors and patterns that emulate receding water, sea foam, and local coral reef patterns.

BNA’s New Concourse D Receives Top Award

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Southeast Chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives Names Concourse D ‘Commercial Airport Architectural Project of the Year’

Less than a year after opening, Nashville International Airport’s state-of-the-art Concourse D has earned airport industry acclaim for excellence. The Southeast Chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives (SEC-AAAE) this week announced Concourse D as the recipient of its 2021 Commercial Airport Architectural Project of the Year Award, an industry-recognized mark of distinction for BNA’s fourth major concourse.

BNA received the award among peers at SEC-AAAE’s annual members conference in Savannah, Georgia. SEC-AAAE is the largest chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives and represents airport management professionals in 12 Southeastern states, including Tennessee, in addition to the Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia.

“We are honored to receive this award from SEC-AAAE and are immensely proud of the Concourse D project,” said Doug Kreulen, BNA’s president and CEO. “This award represents more than two years of hard work that resulted in a multi-faceted modern concourse for BNA travelers. It also signifies $55 million in contracts for small, minority and woman-owned business enterprises (SMWBEs), a 72 percent local workforce and a commitment to sustainability. It’s BNA at its best, and we thank our SEC-AAAE colleagues for this tremendous recognition.”

Concourse D is a major component of BNA® Vision, the dynamic expansion and renovation plan for Nashville International Airport. The $292 million facility opened in July 2020 with 115,000 square feet of new terminal space, six domestic aircraft gates operated by Southwest Airlines, compelling public art displays and a variety of customer conveniences. It was built in tandem with a 200,000-square-foot terminal expansion that added new ticketing and baggage claim space to the north and south ends of the central terminal, a 136,000-square-foot renovation of existing terminal space and an 11,000 square-foot central utility plant.

This award from SEC AAAE comes only three months after Concourse D received another noteworthy recognition: LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for green design and construction. Upon achieving LEED Silver, Concourse D became one of only nine newly constructed airport facilities in the world to attain this distinction under USGBC’s rigorous LEED v4 standards.

Traveler amenities and special features include high ceilings, two compelling public art installations, art cases showcasing selections from BNA’s permanent collection, Wi-Fi, restrooms, a mother’s room, an indoor service animal relief area, compelling airfield views, dynamic electrochromic technology that blocks out excessive heat and sunlight, and new terrazzo flooring. Additional space is available for future concessions.

Concourse D was built by Hensel Phelps Construction Co. and designed by Fentress Architects. Other key partners included Corgan (master architect for BNA® Vision), I. C. Thomasson Associates Inc. (mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineer), Smith Seckman Reid Inc. (commissioning agent) and S&ME (civil engineer/landscape designer).

The Concourse D and Terminal Wings Expansion was the first major terminal expansion project completed as part of the ongoing BNA® Vision program, which is dramatically remaking the airport to meet future demand and existing needs. Other BNA® Vision projects to be completed by 2023 will include a larger central terminal, a state-of-the-art International Arrivals Facility, expanded central security checkpoint, an on-airport hotel, top-to-bottom terminal renovation, a variety of new dining, retail and service amenities and a massive terminal parking garage complex.

Source: Nashville International Airport®

Fentress Architects’ Director of Sustainability, Deborah Lucking, Elevated to AIA College of Fellows

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Fentress Architects is proud to announce that the American Institute of Architects (AIA) has elevated Director of Sustainability Deborah Lucking, FAIA, to the prestigious 2021 College of Fellows, the AIA’s highest honor awarded to members who have made significant contributions to the architecture profession. With 102 member-architects elevated to the College of Fellows this year, Deborah was the only AIA Colorado member to receive this honor.

“Deborah has single-handedly elevated and advanced discourse around sustainable design, leading Fentress Architects to constantly reach beyond our past achievements to place our firm’s work at the forefront of green and resilient design for large, energy-demanding structures,” said Fentress Architects Principal in Charge of Design Curtis Fentress, FAIA, RIBA. “She is not only an important part of our firm, but to all the communities where she works.”

Since joining Fentress Architects in 1996, Deborah has successfully contributed to the design for award-winning projects including the LEED Platinum Green Square Complex in Raleigh, NC; the Denver Art Museum Martin Building Renovation and Sie Welcome Center in Denver, CO; the net-zero energy Contra Costa County Administration Building in Martinez, CA; the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, FL; the Colorado Convention Center Phase II Expansion in Denver, CO; and the Concourse D and Terminal Wings Expansion at Nashville International Airport.

Throughout her 40+-year career, Deborah has been an advocate for sustainable, high-performance buildings and spaces that enhance user experience, contribute to the larger community, and model exceptional design. Her leadership in practice has resulted in the over 24 million square feet of diverse building types—including airports, courthouses, convention centers, and museums—designed for sustainability and resiliency through a variety of programs. Deborah has helped Fentress project teams achieve over 40 LEED certifications, including 18 LEED Gold and 5 LEED Platinum.

“I am deeply honored to have been elevated to the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows,” said Deborah Lucking, FAIA. “Sustainable design is all about good design that improves the human experience; I am committed to delivering good design and creating a better tomorrow for future generations. I have been extraordinarily fortunate to have been able to work on projects that have significant impacts, both locally and nationally. Most of all, I have benefited from the inspiration and collaborations among my peers, clients, and the communities where I have worked, and for this I am both grateful and humbled.”

As a founding member of the AIA Colorado Knowledge Community on Resilience (now the Committee for the Environment) and a past Chair of a LEED for Airports Working Group, Deborah is actively sharing her insight within the practice to reach wider audiences.

Architizer Recognizes Fentress Architects as a Top Architecture Firm in North America in 2021

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Honored to be one of 13 firms named Best Firm in North America by Architizer’s inaugural A+ Firm Awards

Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX. Photo Credit: © Lawrence Anderson.

Fentress Architects was recognized with a Special Mention in “Best in North America” for the inaugural Architizer A+ Firm Awards. Dedicated to celebrating the world’s most innovative AEC firms, the prestigious awards program recognizes talented teams of all sizes, geographies, and specializations that conceptualize, design, and deliver the world’s best architecture.

“We are honored, humbled, and elated to have received this exceptional recognition by Architizer,” said Curtis Fentress, FAIA, RIBA, Principal in Charge of Design at Fentress Architects. “Our commitment to advancing the industry and passion for creating innovative and inspired spaces is deeply rooted in the Fentress culture. This accolade would not have been possible without our team members’ hard work and dedication, as well as the continued support of our clients and partners.”

Since the firm’s 1980 inception, Fentress has been dedicated to designing human-centric, timeless, and inspired public architecture. The firm’s projects have been recognized with over 550 distinctions for design excellence and innovation, including over 110 Design Awards from the American Institute of Architects. Founder Curtis Fentress was the eighth architect in private practice to receive the Thomas Jefferson Award for Public Architecture, which is considered one of the highest awards for public architecture.

Fentress’ diverse $43 billion portfolio ranges from expansive public environments such as airports, convention centers, government centers, and educational facilities, to more intimate spaces like chapels. The firm is internationally known for its designs for the Denver International Airport in Denver, CO; the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, FL; the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX in Los Angeles, CA; the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, VA; and the Clark County Government Center in Las Vegas, NV. The firm recently completed the new Johnson County Courthouse in Olathe, KS; the new Concourse D at Nashville International Airport in Nashville, TN; the Denver Art Museum North Building Renovation and Welcome Center in Denver, CO; and the Concourse E Extension at Portland International Airport in Portland, OR.

Fentress is currently designing over 5.7 million square feet of projects including the new South Terminal C at Orlando International Airport in Orlando, FL; the Fred D. Thompson Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Nashville, TN; the Mickey Leland International Terminal at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, TX; the Terminal Lobby and International Arrivals Facility at Nashville International Airport in Nashville, TN; and the Royal Norwegian Embassy Renovation in Washington, DC.

To learn more about the Architizer A+ Firm Awards and to view Fentress’ select portfolio, please visit: https://architizer.com/firms/fentress-architects/

Building Design+Construction Ranks Fentress Architects Among Nation’s Top Architecture Firms

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#5 Convention Centers + Conference Centers

#8 Airport Terminal

#10 Museums

Fentress Architects has ranked as one of the top architecture firms in Building Design + Construction Magazine’s 2020 Giants 400 Report. Internationally known for innovative, award-winning design of diverse building types—including airports, museums, convention centers, civic and government buildings, laboratories, and higher education facilities—Fentress ranked #36 on the Top 155 Architecture Firms list, progressing nine places from its 2019 ranking at #45.

In addition to the firm’s recognition as one of the Top Architecture Firms for 2020, Fentress, whose portfolio features over 40 convention center designs including the recently completed LEED Silver Miami Beach Convention Center, is ranked #5 in the Convention Centers / Conference Centers sector. With over $23.8 Billion and 115 Million square feet in aviation projects, the firm is ranked #8 in the Airport Terminal sector. Fentress also landed #22 in the overall Cultural Facilities sector, #10 in the Museums and Galleries category, #63 in the Office – Buildings / Core+Shell sector, and #98 in Office – All Building Work.

“We are proud that our firm was recognized for our continuous efforts to elevate design excellence in public architecture,” said Fentress Architects Principal in Charge of Design Curtis Fentress, FAIA, RIBA. “Our ability to drive growth throughout the industry reflects our team’s unwavering commitment to innovation, along with the collaborative efforts of our clients and project partners.”

Miami Beach Convention Center. Photo: ©Tom Clark

Over the past year, Fentress’ projects achieved major milestones including the completion of four world-class projects: the new Johnson County Courthouse in Olathe, KS; the new Concourse D and Terminal Wings at Nashville International Airport® in Nashville, TN, which also became one of only five airport facilities in the US to achieve LEED v4 Silver certification; the Terminal Balancing and Concourse E Extension at Portland International Airport in Portland, OR; the Denver Art Museum North Building Renovation and Anna and John J. Sie Welcome Center in Denver, CO; and the Miami Beach Convention Center Expansion and Renovation in Miami Beach, FL, which also achieved LEED Silver certification.

Denver International Airport Passenger Terminal Complex. Credit © Ellen Jaskol

As a testament to Fentress’ recognition, the firm garnered 16 awards for design excellence and innovation in 2020 alone, including the American Institute of Architecture (AIA) Colorado’s Twenty-Five Year Award for the Denver International Airport as well as the AIA Western Mountain Region’s Twenty-Five Year Award for the Clark County Government Center. The Miami Beach Convention Center landed a Silver Award in the Façade category of the 2020 World Architecture News (WAN) Awards and a 2020 BEST Award in the Serve category from the International Design Association’s (IIDA) Rocky Mountain Chapter.

Rendering of the Royal Norwegian Embassy Chancery Renovation. 

Positioned for a strong 2021, Fentress is anticipating the upcoming completion of the Fred D. Thompson Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Nashville, TN as well as the Royal Norwegian Embassy Chancery Renovation in Washington, DC. Additionally, the firm is working on the new South Terminal C at Orlando International Airport, the Terminal Lobby and International Arrivals Facility at Nashville International Airport, the new Mickey Leland International Terminal at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, the U.S. Courthouse Huntsville, Alabama, and the National Museum of Intelligence and Special Operations—just to name a few.

Sustainable Design Takes Flight at Nashville International Airport’s New Concourse D

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BNA’s Concourse D is One of Only Five LEED v4 Silver Airport Facilities in the United States

Fentress Architects is pleased to announce that the new Concourse D at Nashville International Airport (or BNA, as it is also known) has achieved LEED Silver certification, highlighting the project’s sustainable, wellness-oriented design and construction process. This distinction makes Concourse D one of only five newly constructed airport facilities in the United States, and one of nine airport facilities worldwide, to earn LEED Silver under the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) rigorous LEED v4 standards.

LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the most widely used green building rating system in the world and an international symbol of excellence. LEED v4’s flexible, performance-based approach and progressive sustainability benchmarks are designed to optimize building performance and support occupant health and wellbeing.

“Fentress Architects has been at the forefront of green building design for over four decades,” said Curtis Fentress, FAIA, RIBA, Principal in Charge of Design at Fentress Architects. “Energy conservation is a key element of not only our design approach, but our values as a firm. We are proud to have leveraged our expertise, along with the commitment of all partners involved in this significant project, to realize BNA’s forward-thinking sustainability standards.”

The Hensel Phelps | Fentress Architects Progressive Design-Build Team completed the $292 million, 115,000-square-foot expansion of Concourse D in July 2020, marking a major milestone for BNA® Vision—the dynamic expansion and renovation plan for Nashville International Airport. The project elevates the airport as a world-class facility with six domestic aircraft gates, public art, diverse traveler amenities, and improved ramp amenities and function space.

“LEED certification is a coveted mark of environmental distinction and innovation,” said BNA President and CEO Doug Kreulen. “We’re building not only a bigger airport, but also a better, ‘greener,’ more sustainable airport. I’m proud of our commitment to these principles and appreciative of all the hard work that went into obtaining this recognition.”

The project team’s integrative and passenger-centric approach incorporated several green design and construction components to optimize building performance and passenger comfort while minimizing environmental impacts, including:

  • Electrochromic glass that blocks out excessive sunlight and heat for passengers’ comfort while reducing glare and energy consumption for climate control;
  • Energy efficient and programmable lighting that dims when natural light is adequate for visibility;
  • Focus on human health and wellness with features including an abundance of daylighting, green cleaning practices, water bottle filling stations, public art installations, and more;
  • Light-colored building and paving materials that retain less heat, reducing energy use while mitigating heat-island effect;
  • Geothermal cooling reduces energy consumption and costs for climate control;
  • Water-conserving plumbing; and
  • Waste-reduction focus with recycling bins throughout the concourse and 80 percent of construction waste diverted from landfills.

Other key project partners include Corgan (master architect for BNA® Vision), I.C. Thomasson Associates Inc. (mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineer), Smith Seckman Reid Inc. (commissioning agent), and S&ME (civil engineer/landscape designer).

“At every stage of the project, from the design process to construction, the project team remained committed to aligning our approach with the airport’s sustainability targets,” said Deborah Lucking, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Director of Sustainability at Fentress Architects. “Fentress is committed to advancing sustainability and human wellness in the built environment and achieving LEED v4 Silver showcases the project team’s dedication to going far beyond the minimum LEED requirements to achieve certification.”

As a Top Green Design Firm in the U.S., Fentress’ portfolio includes several world-class, sustainable airport facilities such as Mineta San Jose International Airport’s Terminal B (LEED Silver); Los Angeles International Airport’s Tom Bradley International Terminal (LEED Gold); Sacramento International Airport’s Terminal B (LEED Silver); and San Francisco International Airport Replacement Airport Traffic Control Tower (LEED Gold). Fentress recently completed the new Concourse E Extension at Portland International Airport, which is expected to achieve LEED Gold certification. Additionally, the firm has several green airport projects underway, including Orlando International Airport’s new South Terminal C (on track to achieve LEED certification) and George Bush Intercontinental Airport’s Mickey Leland International Terminal (designed to LEED Silver).

Miami Beach Convention Center Wins Silver at WAN Awards 2020

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Another Significant Award for the Miami Beach Convention Center Renovation + Expansion

The Miami Beach Convention Center Renovation and Expansion was recently named the Silver Winner in the Façade category of the 2020 World Architecture News (WAN) Awards. As one of the largest architectural awards programs in the world, the WAN Awards showcases top projects from around to world to celebrate design excellence.

“The winning entries all clearly demonstrate the creative, outstanding work of the innovative and visionary architects worldwide,” said Alison Carter, Editor, World Architecture News.

Photo by ©Tom Clark

Innovative Façade Design

Located two blocks from the ocean in South Beach, the Miami Beach Convention Center’s undulating façade highlights features of the local environment and places an emphasis on rolling ocean waves. Over 500 unique aluminum fins are affixed to the exterior curtainwall. In traditional architecture, each fin would have been detailed by hand and laboriously redrawn with each modification. In this case, the utilization of parametric software has seamlessly interfaced with design and documentation models to provide accurate, real-time updates. In addition to saving manhours and ensuring accuracy, the parametric software facilitated the fabrication process, allowing coordinates to be directly imported into the manufacturer’s modeling software.

The resulting fins create an efficient curtainwall screen that responds to the solar orientation of each façade, generating dappled and diffused light from the intense tropical sun of Southern Florida. The result is daylit lobbies and prefunction spaces that provide a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor environments.

Learn more about the entry and the WAN Awards here.

Miami Beach Convention Center Wins IIDA’s “Best Serve Award”

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Fentress Architects is proud to announce that the Miami Beach Convention Center Expansion and Renovation has won the 2020 BESTaward in the Serve category from the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Rocky Mountain Chapter! As a leading interior design excellence awards program, the BESTawards recognizes projects that truly encompass “Brilliantly Executed Spaces and Thinking.”

Located in the heart of the city, the 1950s Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC) needed a transformation befitting its reputation as a world-class entertainment destination the venue has become known for through annual events such as Art Basel and eMERGE Americas. To create a design that is quintessentially South Florida, we explored the surrounding culture and context, allowing for the design to become a contextual representation of the city.

One of the greatest challenges was harmonizing the 1.4 million-square-foot, grand scale building with the intimacy of human scale to create flexible, intuitive and daylit spaces. Inspired by the undulating ocean waves, the exterior façades’ “fins” – angled aluminum linear forms – filter dappled light throughout the daylit lobbies and pre-function spaces to provide a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor environments. This contextual inspiration was brought inside with colors and patterns that emulate receding water, sea foam, and local coral reef patterns.

“The finish palette is extremely thoughtful in regards to the surrounding nature while not going too over the top.” — 2020 BESTawards Jury

The 60,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom. Photo Credit: © Craig Denis

To truly capture the essence of Miami Beach in the design, we carefully studied how light enters the surface of water, as well as how it appears underwater from a diver’s perspective. This experience is celebrated in the entries leading into the event spaces, where portals with beacons of light intuitively guide visitors into the room. We also translated satellite images of nearby ocean waves, coral and sandbars into custom patterns for the carpets throughout pre-function and public circulation areas. Lighting fixtures were selected to create an uplifting, yet serene atmosphere reminiscent of the ocean. 

Natural light, glistening white columns, and subdued lighting punctuate the pre-function lobbies.

Swooping curves, glistening white columns, and subdued lighting punctuate the pre-function lobbies and the 60,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom, drawing inspiration from Miami’s modernist architecture. The new Grand Ballroom features acoustic sound panels to heighten sound quality and LED lighting to produce both high-quality lighting and energy savings.

Surrounded by natural light and modern glass paneling, the Grand Ballroom’s 18,000-square-foot pre-function space overlooks contemporary artwork installed by Miami Beach’s Art in Public Places. Within this environment, MBCC visitors and staff experience digital displays incorporating event-specific branding, art and dynamic visual elements.

Watch the IIDA RMC 2020 BESTawards Virtual Event and learn more about this year’s winners here. 

Miami Beach Convention Center Brings LEED Silver Certification to the Heart of Miami Beach

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MBCC is One of the Most Technologically-Advanced Convention Centers in the United States

The MBCC’s context-driven design reflects the natural elements of Miami’s acclaimed beaches, including waves, manta rays and coral reefs. Photo credit: ©Robin Hill.

Fentress Architects, a global design firm specializing in the creation of memorable public architecture, is excited to announce that the redesigned Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC) recently achieved LEED Silver certification from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), marking a significant achievement in realizing the City of Miami Beach’s sustainability standards. Completed earlier this year, the 1.435 million-square-foot redesign included an expansion and renovation of the existing 1950s-era center to accommodate upgraded show needs while creating a sleek, modern and regionally inspired design befitting MBCC’s reputation as a world-class entertainment destination. The venue has become internationally known for hosting annual events such as Art Basel Miami Beach and eMERGE Americas.

“The Miami Beach Convention Center’s LEED Silver certification exemplifies the significant coordination, innovation and green building leadership that was demonstrated among the entire project team,” said Deborah Lucking, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Director of Sustainability at Fentress Architects. “This project stands as a testament of resilient, sustainable and forward-thinking design that will serve as a commitment to the community now and well into the future.”

Context-driven design

Located in the heart of Miami Beach, Florida, MBCC’s design realizes the City of Miami Beach’s vision to reposition the center as one of the most technologically advanced convention centers in the U.S. while enhancing the facility to comply with FEMA code as part of a resiliency plan to safeguard against future hurricanes and flooding. To create a design that reflects the city’s vibrant culture and natural environment, the design team immersed themselves in the landscape and lifestyle of Miami’s South Beach.

Fentress collaborated with Arquitectonica on the context-driven design to incorporate natural elements of ­the ocean, beach and underwater life such as waves, manta rays, and coral reefs. The exterior façade is designed with over 500 unique aluminum “fins” – angled aluminum linear forms – to create a curving undulation reflective of the nearby ocean waves. This contextual inspiration was brought inside with colors and patterns that emulate receding water, sea foam, and local coral reef patterns. The team also translated satellite images of nearby ocean waves, coral and sandbars into custom patterns for the carpets throughout pre-function and public circulation areas.

“This exciting milestone for the MBCC represents the culmination of a long journey, demonstrating the MBCC’s serious commitment to resiliency and sustainability,” said Freddie Peterson, General Manager at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

Site responsive architecture

The façades’ angled fins create a curtain wall that responds to the solar orientation of each façade, filtering dappled light throughout the daylit lobbies and pre-function spaces to provide a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor environments. Hurricane-resistant connections and projectile resistant glazing on the exterior façade establish a strong and stable building envelope. Additionally, the elevation of critical building systems to the second floor allows the building to remain operational during hurricanes while raised floor elevations respond to rising sea levels.

Creating a resilient community amenity

In collaboration with West8, Fentress Architects transformed the existing six-acre surface parking lot into a vibrant public park – a key element of the project’s resilient design that includes a tropical garden, game lawn, shaded areas, and veterans’ plaza. Additionally, Bent Pool, a public art installation by international artists Elmgreen & Dragset celebrates Miami Beach’s dynamic culture and natural environment. In total, the design team added twelve acres of greenspace, preserved more than 100 existing trees, and added over 1,300 new trees. As a result, the design increases the pervious acreage of the 25-acre campus by 245% and significantly reduces heat island effect. The project is designed to a 25-year, 3-day storm event as the maximum stage for site drainage retention.

Clark County Government Center Wins AIA Western Mountain Region’s 25-Year Award

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Prestigious Award Heralds the Government Center an “Architectural Gem”

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Western Mountain Region (WMR) chapter has honored the Clark County Government Center, designed by Fentress Architects, with its 2020 Twenty-five Year Award. This prestigious award recognizes a built structure that has significantly influenced design and lifestyle in the Western Mountain Region. The project’s Southern Nevada-inspired design was recognized during the AIA Western Mountain Region Design and Honor Awards virtual Gala on Thursday, October 1, 2020.  

“In a town where icons are normally casinos and themed campuses, this project is refreshing because it has brought a conversation of architecture to the public consistently. We are really pleased to see that the community has embraced the project wholeheartedly.” — 2020 AIA WMR Honor Awards Jury

Following a national design competition with submissions from 45 architects—including Antoine Predock and Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates—Fentress Architects was selected to design the Government Center. Fentress completed the project in June 1995 with a mission to provide the county with a much-needed seat of government that would also serve as the heart of this rapidly growing Nevada community for years to come. Today, more than 25 years later, the 375,000-square-foot, six-story Government Center continues to stand as one of Southern Nevada’s most memorable architectural landmarks, highlighted in nearly 20 awards and distinctions such as “Best of Las Vegas, Best Non-Hotel Architecture” for eight consecutive years (1999-2005) by readers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

“At Fentress, we believe architecture should serve a longstanding commitment to the community,” said Curtis Fentress, FAIA, RIBA, Principal in Charge of Design at Fentress Architects. “This award is not only a testament to our humanistic design approach, but to years of collaboration with Clark County officials and community members. The Clark County Government Center has created an enduring landmark for the region while showcasing a model of open, accessible and stable government.”

Design for People

Every detail of Fentress’ design—from the spatial organization and design of the commission chambers, to form and materiality—harmonizes to create an uplifting, human-centric experience. The firm’s approach embodies four main themes: realize a civic order through logical, functional and straightforward design; establish a sense of place; create a concept of open an accessible government; and conceive a stable, permanent, and valued image of county government.

The government center is organized around a multifunctional County Courtyard and shaded arcade, facilitating intuitive wayfinding while protecting visitors from the desert sun as they navigate the complex. Natural stone forms and trees complete the circular layout and define an outdoor amphitheater for special events, concerts, and ceremonies. Inside the Commission Chambers, the County Commissioners’ seats are recessed, placing the citizens of Clark County above the officials and symbolizing a government of the people.

Creating Meaning, Identity and Sense of Place

The design considers landscape an essential source for connecting architecture with community and the region’s history. Seeking to emulate Nevada’s native landscapes found at Red Rock Canyon and Valley of Fire, Fentress’ team visited the sites, borrowing inspiration from the dramatic surrounding desert environment including sandstone walls, unexpected openings and details, and geometric shapes.

These compelling references to Nevada’s history and natural landscape can be explored throughout the Government Center’s architecture. For example, the tree-lined pedestrian spine leading into the building represents the pathway to Mouse’s Tank at Valley of Fire, while petroglyphs chiseled in the shaded arcade illustrate actual sandstone carvings engraved by Native Americans throughout Southern Nevada. Inside the kiva-shaped County Room, the 80-foot diameter and 100-foot-high rotunda features a form and materiality inspired by the stream-worn basin of Mouse’s Tank. The pyramidal structure housing the 400-seat cafeteria and Community Room reflects the nearby Lone Mountain, and the triangular clerestories inside the Commission Chambers evoke the Prickly Pear cactus.

Connecting Architecture with Community

Clark County Government Center is not only an institution, but an amenity for the community. Each year, the amphitheater hosts diverse events ranging from cultural festivals and weddings, to regional traditions such as the annual Jazz in the Park series. A specially created docent program provides architectural tours to meet community demand to engage deeper with the building, the art events it hosts, and its many unique features. In fact, the building was a selected site tour at the AIA Conference on Architecture 2019. The Government Center showcases that the built environment can embrace, connect, and inspire its community—a true indication of the government center’s enduring significance in the Western Mountain Region.

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