Flying Pigs on Parade, Chicago’s Union Station, a Coney Island restaurant and a Fermilab research facility were among the projects winning top honors at the Association of Licensed Architects (ALA) 19th Annual Design Awards, which recognized projects for design and construction achievement.

A total of 41 Presidential, Gold, Silver and Merit Awards were presented in commercial, institutional, residential, religious, interior and unbuilt categories.

The highest honor, the Don Erickson Presidential Award, went to the Hilton Residence in Fort Walton County, Fla.  Designed by Arthur Dyson of Arthur Dyson Architects, the project was praised by judges as a 'tour de force’ that featured a lot of hurricane force resistant glass making it attentive to the natural forces in the gulf area. “It’s amazing, powerful, unique and organic architecture with a phenomenal view,” the judges noted. The project also received a silver award in the Residential 1 category.

“This year’s winning projects showed exceptional use of materials, attention to detail and design simplicity,” said Joanne Sullivan, ALA Executive Director.

Gold Award winners included: Black Hawk College Health Sciences Center, Moline, Ill, Demonica Kemper Architects, Calhoun Pavilions, Minneapolis, Minn., Peterssen/Keller Architecture, Case Queretaro, Chicago, Ill., Design Bridge, Fermilab SBN Near and Far Detectors, Batavia, Ill., Holabird & Root, Flexhouse, Chicago, Ill., Sullivan Goulette Wilson, Flying Pigs on Parade: A Chicago River Folly, Chicago, Ill., New World Design, Kitchen 21, Brooklyn, N.Y., EwingCole, NIACC Student Housing, Mason City, Iowa, INVISION Architecture, Second Federal-Historic Bank Renovation, Chicago, Ill., Design Bridge and The Craftsman by Two Brothers, Naperville, Ill., Elements Architects. Architects, contractors, owners/developers and guests attended the recent award presentation.

ALA 2017 Design Awards entries were evaluated by a panel of judges, including Leroy Herbst, FALA, of L. B. Herbst & Assoc., who chaired the judging with Matthew Kramer, ALA of Matthew Kramer Architects and Abigail Breckner as assistant chairpersons.

Design Awards judges included Robert Barr, AIA, Co-founder and Principal at Continuum Architects, John Myefski, ALA, President and Principal of Myefski Architects, Ken Schroeder, ALA, FAIA, Founder and Senior Principal of SMNG A, Edward Torrez, AIA, LEED AP, President of Bauer Latoza Studio and Mary Ann Van Hook, AIA, LEED AP, Managing Principal and Co-founder at Lothan Van Hook De Stefano.

Howard Hirsch, ALA, AIA, LEED AP, President, Hirsch Associates, chaired the Design Awards Committee; Design Awards ceremony emcee was Anthony Costello, FAIA, Irving Distinguished Professor Emeritus Ball State University.

The Presidential Award is named for the founder and first president of ALA, Don Erickson (1929 – 2006), who formed the association in 1998, and was a student and protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright.