2012 People’s Choice Awards for Architecture

Last year's People's Choice Awards display

Each year, the American Institute of Architects, Southwestern Oregon Chapter (AIA-SWO) in collaboration with the American Society of Landscape Architects, Willamette Valley Section of the Oregon Chapter (ASLA) produces the People’s Choice Awards for Architecture. The intent of these awards is to educate and inspire by showcasing architecture, interiors, and landscape architecture projects created by AIA-SWO and ASLA members. The public will vote for its favorite designs in several categories during the Eugene Celebration occurring August 24–26, 2012. The votes will be counted and winners recognized at the September AIA-SWO Chapter Meeting.

Thanks to the hospitality of Kaz Oveissi, the People’s Choice Awards had enjoyed for many years an absolutely central location in his showroom at 1 East Broadway. Having moved his rug store, Kaz regrettably will no longer be able to host the display at the northeast corner of Kesey Square. This year, the lobby of the Broadway Commerce Center will serve as PCA's new home. Not much of a move, but a big one at the same time!

As has been the case in recent years, the PCA program will pull extra duty as the Colleagues' Choice Awards and Mayor's Choice Awards programs.

The PCA Organizing Committee is pulling out all the stops to ensure the 2012 Awards programs and displays are the most successful ever. The committee has:

• Set a target of receiving over 1,000 completed ballots by the end of the Celebration
• Collaborated with Architects Building Community and the City of Eugene to augment the PCA display with an exhibition highlighting the part design excellence can play in the future of our communities
• Decided to welcome submissions for un-built projects designed by students 
• Solicited sponsorships and reward certificates (to tempt visitors with the promise of prizes for randomly chosen completed ballots)
• Joined forces with City Club of Eugene to be the features of its September 7 program
• Embarked on plans to take the boards "on tour" so AIA-SWO members outside Eugene can see them

The organizers deem everything new and improved in the ways listed above and more. They hope AIA-SWO and ASLA members will take the time to enter their best work. There will be plenty of public exposure, from the aforementioned City Club participation and touring exhibit to the posting of pictures and written descriptions of all the winners on the AIA-SWO website (not to mention here on the SW Oregon Architect blog!).

The committee has tentatively established the following award categories:

• Single-Family Residential
• Multi-Family Housing
• Commercial
• Public/Institutional
• Interiors
• Residential Landscape
• Multi-Family Landscape
• Commercial Landscape
• Public/Institutional Landscape
• Un-built Projects

The entry form for the 2012 People’s Choice Awards for Architecture program is available for downloading at the AIA-Southwestern Oregon website (AIA-SWO and ASLA members should already have received an email with the entry form as an attachment). Entry forms and payment are due on Wednesday, August 15, 2012. The final presentation boards are due on the following Wednesday, August 22, 2012.

For more details about the awards program(s) and submission requirements, contact People's Choice Awards committee chair Dave Guadagni at (541) 342-8077 or dguadagni@robertsonsherwood.com.