DiscoverDesign.org
An innovative website launched in 2012 by the Chicago Architecture Foundation, DiscoverDesign.org, spearheaded by project manager Jen Masengarb, has helped more than 1,700 high school students around the country learn about architecture. Students can connect with working designers and get feedback on design-related projects. “This revolutionary program has filled a critical need within the architecture profession to provide students with the opportunity to participate in a vast, robust online community of like-minded teens around the country,” the jury said.
DC Preservation League
The league, chaired by executive director Rebecca Miller, has advanced the tenets of preservation in the nation’s capital, and has recently highlighted the city’s rich legacy of midcentury design. “Architectural history is a major part of the ethos of Washington, and the DC Preservation League (DCPL) has been a staunch and devoted steward of that history,” said the jury. “The city’s appearance today owes a great deal to DCPL’s efforts in promoting solid preservation, architectural, and urban design principles.”
Palm Springs Modern Committee
The committee, founded 14 years ago, and now led by president Chris Menrad, has become an important advocate for the preservation and appreciation of the modernist architectural legacy of Palm Springs, Calif. “This organization is a superb example for the rest of the country of how a small group of passionate people can make a big difference. Their work has cultivated a serious appreciation for design and preservation and provides a singular model for a younger generation of students,” the jury said.
Jury
Steven Spurlock, FAIA (chair) Wnuck Spurlock Architecture, Washington, D.C.; James Binkley, FAIA Reston, Va.; Brian F. Cavanaugh, AIA Architecture Building Culture, Portland, Ore.; Aisha Densmore-Bey, Assoc. AIA Aisha Densmore-Bey, Designer, Boston; Lonnie Hoogeboom, AIA Houston Downtown Management District, Houston
