1Promoting community decisions that respect land & people Award 2006 image


NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release March 13, 2006 Media Contact: Wendy Erica Werden  (520) 290-0828 or (520) 907-2939 wendyerica@sonoran.org Project Manager: Jason Meininger (520) 290-0828 or (520) 904-3168 jason@sonoran.org
Building from the Best
Sonoran Institute Honors Seven with Building from the Best Awards

TUCSON, ARIZONA —Seven projects were showcased as best development practices across Southern Arizona at the Sonoran Institute’s Building from the Best Awards on Saturday, March 11, 2006 in downtown Tucson. Winning projects ranged from a parking garage to co-housing, and lofts to an aquatic center. Complete winner information is available at www.sonoran.org.
“Everyone who was a finalist deserves recognition for their outstanding efforts,” said Andy Laurenzi Program Director for the Sonoran Institute and a judge for the event. “It is impressive to see the quality of design, development, and building that is taking place across Southern Arizona.”
Tucson and other regional towns and cities are recognizing that smart design and land-use contribute significantly to the community’s prosperity, vitality and sense of place. The Institute is expanding Building from the Best, and will present Building from the Best of the Northern Rockies awards this fall in Bozeman, Montana.
Rio Development Company profiled the Monier Brickyard Building—the first commercial building in the Mercado District of Menlo Park section of the Rio Nuevo project. The ground level of the building will present 27,000 square feet of retail space and be designed to accommodate local, neighborhood based retail and professional services. The upper levels will be comprised of 57 residential condominium lofts. 
2006 Building from the Best Winners
Natural Open Space Integration in a Development
Criteria:

  1. Integration of natural and built environments
  2. Preservation of natural, continuous, undisturbed open space within project
  3. Integrated accessibility to natural open space

Winner: Milagro
Committee for Ecological Living Morton and Mackey Architecture
Ollanik Construction Company, Inc.
Milagro
Urban Infill Development (small scale): (Two winners) Criteria:

  1. Development of vacant land within a built environment
  2. Project must be within an urban core
  3. Appropriate design for exisiting neighborhood and provides a sense of place

Winner: Barrio Metalico
Fremont Partners One, LLC Warren Michaels, Phil Lipman, Randi Dorman Rob Paulus Architect, Ltd. Caliber West, LLC
Barrio Metalico
Winner: Franklin Court
Michael Keith, Contemporary West Development - Developer and Contractor  Bob Lanning - Architect    Leo Katz - Architect
Franklin Court
Urban Infill Development (large scale): Criteria:

  1. Development of vacant land within a built environment
  2. Project must be within an urban core
  3. Appropriate design for exisiting neighborhood and provides a sense of place

Winner: Glenn Court
KB Home Tucson Landmark Engineering O'Leary Construction
Glenn Court
Creative Redevelopment & Rehabilitation (public and private):
Criteria:

  1. A new use in developed area.
  2. Maintaining historical character or original structure of the building

• Winner: Ice House Lofts
Deep Freeze Development, LLC
Rob Paulus Architect, Ltd.
Caliber West, LLC

Ice House Lofts
Mixed-use Development:
Criteria:
1. Two or more uses in a compact development pattern 
Winner: Pennington Street Garage
City of Tucson ParkWise
Dick & Fritsche Design Group
D.L. Withers Construction
Pennington Street Garage
Green Building (public and private):
Criteria:
1. Structures that utilize natural resources at a high level of efficiency
Winner: Edith Ball Aquatics Center
City of Tucson Burns Wald-Hopkins Architects Triumph Builders SW
Edith Ball Aquatics Center
Livable Community Award:
Criteria:
1. This award is given solely at the Judges discretion for a project that incorporates all elements of Building from the Best: respect for land and people, conservation, collaboration, optimism, practical solutions and big-picture thinking.
Winner: Sonora Cohousing
Sonora Cohousing Homeowners Wonderland Hill Development Corp.
McCamant and Durrett, Martin Floerchinger
Sonora Cohousing
The Building from the Best award ceremony is celebrated every other year as a signature event for the Sonoran Institute. 
The Sonoran Institute promotes community decisions that respect the land and people of the West. A non-profit organization established in 1990, the Institute provides people with the resources to create practical solutions about how to use land and water, and how those decisions shape our future.
The Sonoran Institute
7650 E. Broadway Blvd. Suite 203  Tucson, AZ 85710   Phone: (520) 290-0828 
Fax: (520) 290-0969
www.sonoran.org