Two LPA projects were honored at the recent American Institute of Architects Silicon Valley Chapter’s annual design awards. Piedmont Hills High School’s Science and Classroom Building and Santa Clara County’s new Library Administration Annex were recognized for their “elegant” and exceptional designs.
“The awards from AIA Silicon Valley reflect the work of our talented team that does more with less,” said LPA Design Director Helen Pierce. “We continue to push the limits on what we can do to design sustainable buildings that are better for our environment.”
Piedmont Hills High School’s Science and Classroom Building received the Honor Award in the Architecture category. The design created a modern, energy-efficient science facility taking advantage of the pitched, one-acre site to create varied indoor and outdoor learning environments.
“The jury loved the clarity and simplicity of this project,” according to the jury. “It’s really hard to do these projects well, with tight budgets and lots of constraints, but any difficulty this team experienced is absolutely invisible in the final result. The idea of treating young people as sophisticated consumers of design is part of the success of this project.”
The Science and Classroom Building also met the AIA 2030 Commitment of reducing energy use by more than 70 percent by prioritizing such sustainable strategies as solar orientation and shading.
