AIA Virginia is pleased to announce the students recognized as honorees in 2022 AIA Virginia Prize competition. The competition — which took place over the weekend of Jan. 21–24 — challenged students to craft an architectural proposition in the form of a passenger rail station to serve Virginia’s New River Valley. Each school’s faculty reviewed the submissions and sent up to 10 finalists for final consideration by the jury.
AIA Virginia Prize
The top award and $2,000 prize goes to Virginia Tech student Rachel Julius for “Trails to Rails.”
The jury noted the thoughtful approach to the site and the clear effort to keep many of the trees on the site intact. The parking and building placement were very practical, and the solution related well to the adjacent site. The inclusion of tiered seating in the rain garden was a nice addition and helped create a space that “feels like a venue.” The building’s forms are easy to read with a clear relationship to the Huckleberry Trail.
The jury particularly appreciated that this solution also took sustainability into account through a mass timber structure, green roofs, and rain gardens.
Hampton University Best of School
Best of School Award for Hampton University and $300 goes to Trey Baker for “New River Valley Rail Station.”
The entry appealed to the jury because of the way that it incorporated the Huckleberry Trail. The ribbon-like solution was elegant, and the platform rendering did a great job conveying the experience under the canopy and pushing focus out into the site and its natural elements.
University of Virginia Best of School
The Best of School Award for University of Virginia and $300 goes to Fatin Hameed for “A New Path.”
The jury felt that the physical expression of the building hewed most closely to the Louis Kahn quote in the design brief about wonder. The expression of the train vibrations in the organic form of the building was evocative and powerful.
Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center Best of School
The Best of School Award for Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center and $300 goes to Prathamesh Rewandkar for “A Different Perspective.”
The jury appreciated level of detail in the rendering as well as the use of wood and natural materials, calling this entry “very intimate” and “of the landscape.” They particularly noted the point of arrival and the way the building reveals itself beyond the water feature.
The following were recognized with an Honorable Mention
Christian Galindo, from Hampton University, for “Huckleberry Station.”
The client representative on the jury particularly appreciated this solution. The organization of the plan was efficient, and the programmatic elements were laid out in a very realistic way.
Carson Sutphin, from Virginia Tech, for “Hearth.”
The rendering was very strong and conveyed a mature solution. The jury appreciated the attention paid to the details on the platform and the abstraction of the bracket elements that are traditional to train stations.
John Tan, from Virginia Tech, for their untitled entry.
This submission was one of the most thorough entries in the competition. The organization of the board was clear, the drawings were linear and legible, and the composition made it easy for the jury to understand the design concept.
About the AIA Virginia Prize
Conducted simultaneously at Hampton University, University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, and the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center, the competition is a design charrette that engages students at all of the accredited schools of architecture in Virginia. Students are given the competition program on a Friday afternoon at 5 p.m. They work over the weekend to create a design solution and submit it by 9 a.m. the following Monday.
Launched in 1980, the competition is intended to promote collaboration between the profession, students, and professors in Virginia.
Development of the competition brief rotates between the four schools annually — the 2022 Prize challenge was developed by Virginia Tech.
Carolyn Rickard-Brideau, AIA | Jury Chair
Carolyn Rickard-Brideau is Partner and Chief Executive Officer of Little Diversified Architectural Consulting, an international architecture and design firm.
Christopher Charles, AIA
Christopher Charles is an Associate Principal with Hanbury’s Norfolk office.
Wilson Rayfield, AIA
Wilson Rayfield is Executive Vice President, Aviation with Gresham Smith.
Ken Thacker, AIA
Ken Thacker is a principal with VMDO’s Charlottesville office.
Kevin Byrd, AICP
Kevin Byrd is Executive Director at New River Valley Regional Commission.
Ryan Ives, RLA
Ryan Ives is an Associate and landscape architect Senior Designer in Little’s Durham office.