Press Releases

January 19, 2010 — Washington, DC — Wallace Roberts & Todd (WRT) has been selected as the recipient of two 2010 Institute Honor Awards from The American Institute of Architects for Regional and Urban Design, for the U.S. House Office Buildings Facilities Plan and Preliminary South Capitol Area Plan and for A Civic Vision for the Central Delaware River. Cited for distinguished achievement in contributing to the quality of the urban environment and the expanding role of the architect in urban design, city planning, and community development, the bestowal of two Regional and Urban Design Honor Awards in the same year has happened just four times in AIA's long awards history.

The jury cited both plans for their innovative, contextual, solution-driven approaches. "Involving some of the nation's most security-conscious and historically sensitive areas, the 20-year House Office Buildings plan addresses beautifully many complex programmatic needs. It pays a great deal of respect to the original L'Enfant plan, shifts space use to maximize adjacency priorities, and pays considerable attention to facility restoration and the incorporation of sustainable design elements," the jury commented. "A Civic Vision for the Delaware River," they continued, "is a very appropriate set of solutions to longstanding problems...a sustainable approach to the reinvigoration of existing facilities. Most striking is how separate districts along the waterfront will tie into the existing I-95 corridor, blending the hard and soft qualities of the city, and making critical connections from the city to the river."

U.S. House Office Buildings Facilities Plan and Preliminary South Capitol Area Plan
WRT's plan for the U.S. House Office Buildings and South Capitol Plan defines a vision for fulfilling the current and future space and functional needs of the House, serves as the basis for organizing, budgeting, and funding its long-range capital improvements, and establishes an interface with the future re-development of the South Capitol District from the U.S. Capitol Complex to the Anacostia River. The project area comprises the 177-acre South Capitol District, and focuses on land containing nearly 3,000,000 SF. The goals, as outlined by Congress, included accommodating growth, improving security, improving transit links, preserving historic assets, upgrading open spaces, complementing new urban development south of the Complex, and developing an overall sustainability framework for the district. The project was first honored last summer with a Charter Award from the Congress of the New Urbanism.

"Working for Congress and the Architect of the Capitol to articulate a vision for the future of the U.S. House of Representatives and the South Capitol Complex was truly an honor. The recognition bestowed by the Institute's award highlights that honor, underscoring the significance of the task that we were entrusted with," said WRT Principal Antonio Fiol-Silva, FAIA.

A Civic Vision for the Central Delaware River
Focusing on seven miles of Philadelphia's former industrial waterfront, A Civic Vision for the Central Delaware was recognized for advancing the state-of-the-art in urban design, ecological planning, and development policy. The project has been recognized by the local chapters of AIA and APA and has been lauded by the project's funder and program director for the William Penn Foundation, Shawn McCaney, as "the finest planning done in Philadelphia in at least a generation." Authorized by a 2006 mayoral executive order and funded by the Environment and Communities Program of the William Penn Foundation, the Civic Vision was unveiled in November 2007 and accompanied by the Action Plan for the Central Delaware: 2008-2018 in June of 2008. The client and consultant team developed a planning process which cut through decades of incremental planning, corrupt property deals, and ill-considered infrastructure; and involved over 5,000 citizens in a year-long engagement of public discussion, with a series of riverfront walks and community forums to elicit community values.

"The Civic Vision's integration of best practices of green infrastructure, transit, and a flexible urban design is a reflection of Philadelphia's rich heritage in valuing both urbanism and environmentalism, and we were honored to give form to these values," notes WRT Principal Nando Micale, FAIA. The 2010 AIA Honor Award is the Civic Vision's seventh professional honor, which includes three other national awards from the Waterfront Center, the Congress for the New Urbanism, and the American Society of Landscape Architects.

The 2010 Institute Honor Awards will be bestowed at a ceremony during The American Institute of Architects National Convention and Design Expo in Miami, June 10-12, 2010.