Taubman College Associate Professors of Architecture Craig Borum and Karl Daubmann, both principals of PLY Architecture, received an American Institute of Architects Michigan Design Award for their restaurant project, “Akaya Sushi,” at AIA’s annual Celebration of Architecture at Royal Park Hotel in Rochester on Friday, May 6, 2011.
Of the 65 projects entered in the competition, 11 buildings – including PLY’s Akaya Sushi – won awards and recognition for design excellence.
The projects were judged by a jury from St. Louis, Missouri, chaired by Eugene J. Mackey, III, FAIA. The jury commented that PLY had a “simple plan” and “poetic patterns,” calling it “unique, appropriate and intimate solution.”
Akaya Sushi, 1205 South University Avenue in Ann Arbor, experiments with the interior as it emerges from a series of questions about the relationship between the craft of making and new technologies of digital fabrication. These new methods are employed in the fabrication of complex forms which often result in inordinately large quantities of wasted material as the complexity of form precludes the efficient use of standard, flat 4′ x 8′ sheet products.
Awards and recognition went to other University of Michigan architecture program alumni: Gold Medal to Timothy A Casai, FAIA, B.S.’73, M.Arch’75; the Hastings Award to Robert L. Ziegelman, FAIA, B.Arch.’58; the President’s Award to Ronald R. Campbell, AIA, B.S.’73, M.Arch.’75; a Young Architect of the Year Award to Darin Daguanno, AIA, B.S.’93, B.S.E.’99, M.Arch’99; and the Firm of the Year was awarded to inFORM Studio, which has offices in Northville, Myrtle Beach, SC and New York. inFORM was co-founded by Michael L. Guthrie, AIA, M.Arch.’98.
Detroit-based AIA Michigan established its awards program to bring to public attention the value and importance of architectural excellence and to recognize those whose notable achievements encourage all to make excellence in architecture the standard.
For the official press release click here
For a complete list of recognitions and design awards, including photos, click here.