UB architecture faculty projects shortlisted for Architizer A+ awards

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Two separate projects designed by University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning faculty members are in the running for recognition from a global architecture and design competition.

Both projects are nominated in the Popular Choice category in the Architizer A+ Awards competition. Western New Yorkers are encouraged to cast their votes through April 1.

The Architizer A+ Awards competition features more than 100 categories, including juried and people’s choice contests.

The full list of categories is available at http://awards.architizer.com/public/voting/?cid=1.

Winners will be announced April 12 and will be recognized as part of a gala May 12 in New York City.

Architizer bills itself as the world’s largest online community of architects. The Architizer A+ Awards competition is the largest awards program focused on promoting and celebrating the year’s best architecture and products.

The UB projects are:

• “He, She & It,” a unique new artist space in Buffalo’s Parkside neighborhood designed by the Buffalo-based firm of Davidson Rafailidis, whose principals — Stephanie Davidson and Georg Rafailidis — teach in UB’s School of Architecture and Planning. It’s nominated in the Concepts-Architecture-Workspace category. A direct link to the voting page is available at http://awards.architizer.com/public/voting/?cid=57.

• “High Living,” a multi-unit housing concept designed for Dharavi Slum, one of the largest slums in the world, in Mumbai, India. The concept was created by Dioinno Architecture, whose founding principal, Jin Young Song, is an assistant professor of architecture at UB. It is nominated in Typology Categories-Residential-Unbuilt Residential. The direct link to this category voting page is http://awards.architizer.com/public/voting/?cid=95.

He, She & It is a collection of three distinct buildings for three spatial needs, collaged into one structure. The 1,400-square-foot building houses workspaces for a painter (“he”), a ceramist/silversmith (“she”) and a greenhouse (the “it” are the seedlings and plants).

Each space features a distinctive atmosphere for its respective user. Architecture student interns assisted Davidson and Rafailidis in all phases of the project, from design to permitting and construction drawing to presentation modeling.

Davidson is a clinical assistant professor and Rafailidis an assistant professor of architecture at UB.

High Living features a set of prefabricated connecting towers made out of repurposed shipping containers.

It is designed as a “radical but realistic cure” to issues of public health, safety and well-being in Dharavi Slum. Dioinno Architecture has offices in Buffalo and Seoul. Song is an assistant professor of architecture at UB.