One of the winningest firms of the night was honored for its design work on Astro Apartments in Queen Anne, Odin Apartments in Ballard as well as Block 11 and Block 47 in South Lake Union
SEATTLE – July 5, 2016 – Runberg Architecture Group, a Seattle-based firm specializing in urban mixed-use, housing and adaptive reuse projects, recently took home five awards – three Grand Awards and two Merit Awards – at the 2016 Pacific Coast Builders Conference Gold Nugget Awards ceremony.
The three Grand Award category honors include:
- Astro Apartments: Best Multifamily Housing Community – 30-60 dwelling units per acre
- Odin Apartments: Best Multifamily Housing Community – Over 250 dwelling units per acre
- Block 11: Best on the Boards Multifamily Community – 50 dwelling units per acre or more
Now in its 53rd year, the Gold Nugget Awards is the largest and most prestigious competition of its kind in the nation. The Gold Nugget Awards recognize architectural design and planning excellence in community and home design, green-built housing, site planning, commercial, retail, mixed-use development and specialty housing categories.
Winners this year were chosen from 665 entries from around the world.
“We’re honored to receive this prestigious industry award on behalf of each of these distinctive projects,” said the firm’s founding principal and partner, Brian Runberg, AIA. “We’re particularly proud of the fact that these three projects were designed for three different clients in three unique neighborhoods.”
Located adjacent to Seattle Center, site of the 1962 World’s Fair and inspired by this Googie architecture, Astro Apartments’ design embraces the space-age futurism aesthetic. Mid-century concepts guided design decisions at every scale, including the overall building form, cantilevering cornices, butterfly roof at the penthouse, façade modulation, signage and furnishings.
“Runberg Architecture Group took remarkable care to gather neighborhood input during the design process,” said James Rivard, managing principal – real estate, with SRM Development, LLC. “The firm’s collaborative approach not only enhanced the overall design of Astro but also resulted in a building that is extremely sensitive to the surrounding neighborhood.”
The 303-unit Odin Apartments is located in Seattle’s resurgent Ballard neighborhood, a waterside working community influenced by Nordic settlers and the timber and maritime industries. To respond to this historic and cultural context, the building mass floats on a traditional Scandinavian white brick base in contrast with the courtyard’s translucent green hues. Named for the chief god and All-father of Norse mythology, Odin’s Nordic sensibility translates throughout the building.
Impressed with the thoughtfulness of the design team, the judge’s statements praised Odin’s “careful treatment of outdoor spaces [that] gives residents ample opportunity to enjoy beautiful Northwest days” and “well-conceived common spaces [that] are a playful delight.”
Block 11 is a 7-story, 384-unit mixed-use project in Seattle’s burgeoning South Lake Union neighborhood. Northwest Regionalism and the landscapes of the nearby San Juan Islands inspire the project’s regional identity. Three angled “cabin-like” buildings create a concave backdrop to the adjacent historic Cascade Park. The large green roof, urban agriculture, and a dense tree-filled courtyard – accessible to both residents and the community – support the concept of environmental retreat. Block 11 eliminates the typical mid-rise podium, which allows individual structures to touch the ground and provide pedestrian courtyard access.
In addition to the three Grand Award victories, the judges recognized Runberg with two Merit Awards as well:
- Block 11: Best on the Board Mixed Use Project
- Block 47: Best on the Boards Multifamily Community – up to 50 dwelling units per acre
Block 47 is a quarter-block project in South Lake Union, opposite Olmstead’s Denny Park. The park is the primary design reference point for the building, influencing both the street level spaces as well as the materiality of the exterior design, which features a wood-clad vertical design element. Large curb bulbs at the corner are heavily landscaped and provide a significant outdoor seating area with great solar exposure to encourage pedestrians to linger at the site, while a planted canopy provides overhead weather protection and extends the greenery of the park across the street to the more urban experience along 9th Avenue North.
With this year’s five accolades, Runberg Architecture Group has received 17 Grand Awards and 16 Merit Awards for a total of 33 Gold Nugget Awards.
About Runberg Architecture Group
Since its founding in 1998, Runberg Architecture Group has earned a name for thoughtful architectural design that balances the unique social, economic and environmental interests of each project. Runberg designs sustainable mixed-use urban environments where people want to be – vibrant, engaging places that create high and enduring value for its clients and communities. The firm understands that quality of life is highest in places where social, economic and environmental interests are in harmony. Runberg’s mission is to design places that achieve this harmony for its clients and communities by honoring the distinct needs and opportunities of each project.
