RODE Win At Emerging Professionals Design Competition

The New Hampshire Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIANH) announced the winners of its Emerging Professionals Design Competition at their 32nd Annual Awards Banquet over the weekend. The competition was created in 2003 by the Emerging Professionals Network, an AIANH committee focused on issues pertaining to young professionals. The competition provides an opportunity for emerging professionals in architecture to strengthen their design skills, gain recognition, and assist a community with their design challenges.

This year’s competition was for an Intermodal Transportation facility in Manchester, NH. While there were a variety of project requirements, the program was open for interpretation of what the building would need to be successful. The intention of this project was not only to encourage emerging professionals to use a full array of architectural creativity, but also to highlight the possibility of having such a structure north of Boston and the positive impact it would have on a growing city.

In the end, strength in the secondary program, clarity of design, and attention to the larger city block scale, is what made these winning boards stand out. The winner of the competition was a team effort by Katie Cressall, Ernesto Rementilla, Nick Ruggeri and Ben Wan of RODE Architects. Jurors noted that, this “Manchester Hub Transit proposal met all the required program elements in a fascinating way, but it was the suggested secondary program that set the design apart. The education component, along with the open offices, café, and bookstore gave strength to the overall program. Architecturally, the buildings proposed are quite stunning, while the larger scale planning was completely thought through. A building like this would change the face of Manchester from the interstate across the river, and definitely for the better. Not only was the architecture and program well received, but the graphics, diagrams, and overall presentation created the most compelling and thorough project.”

Full article and results are also on the AIANH website.