Two NAHB awards received for US projects
The Carlyle in Downtown Minneapolis and Century Plaza in Midtown Phoenix have earned Pillars of the Industry awards for Dallas-based Humphreys & Partners Architects L.P. from the National Association of Home Builders.
The Carlyle, a new landmark for the city's historic district, was named Best Condominium High-Rise in the U.S. in the NAHB's 2009 showcase of designs and trends for the multifamily market. Century Plaza was honoured as the nation's Best Adaptive Re-Use design, with a luxury condominium tower emerging from a 36-year-old office building in an urban, transit-oriented, mixed-use setting.
Developed by Opus Northwest Construction and the Carlyle Condos, LLC (Apex Asset Management Corp.), The Carlyle at 100 Third Ave. South has panoramic views of the Stone Arch Bridge, Mississippi River, St. Anthony Falls and Downtown. The Carlyle started with a one-acre empty canvas. "We were doing something that would be there 100 years from now. It is an important duty to do a timeless design and that is what we believe we've done," said Mark Humphreys, CEO of Humphreys & Partners Architects, L.P., "and, the views are absolutely stunning." In addition to Humphreys & Partners, the Carlyle’s design team included Opus A&E.
In Midtown Phoenix, Humphreys reworked the design of a 15-story office building into 148 lofts and sophisticated urban homes, ranging from 734 sq ft to 2,846 sq ft. Equus Development Corp. is responsible for Century Plaza's redevelopment.
The 36-year-old Century Plaza, sitting on a 2.5-acre tract at 3225 N. Central Ave., underwent a re-skinning with aqua-color glass and an aluminum curtain wall frame to provide more natural lighting for unit interiors. A surface parking lot was converted into an amenity area with cabanas, spa, swimming pool and putting green. An adjoining parking garage was outfitted with a second-level pedestrian bridge to create a private access for residents and the first floor reserved for public parking to support the mixed-use project's retail space.
"The transformation looks like a new building," Humphreys said. "The challenge was taking the core and redeveloping its layout for individual residents’ homes. This project could not have been built from the ground up because the cost would have been prohibitive to replace the structural system."
"The office building had lost its practical use. Reusing the building's structure and putting it back in service, there is nothing better than that," Humphreys said, citing the pro-environment advantages of adaptive reuse.
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