BROOKLYN, October 25, 2023 – A jury of architects, educators, and planners from within and outside of Brooklyn have been chosen to select compelling entries to the Brooklyn Design Awards (BKDA) program, by reviewing the work independently, followed by a remote convening and deliberation. Entries will be commended for design excellence, technical skill, innovation, environmental responsiveness, and social impact.
See below for the 2023 BKDA Jury:
- Jing Liu, is a co-founder and principal at SO-IL. With over 20 years of practice, Jing has brought an intellectually open, globally aware, and locally embedded sensibility to her work spanning a wide range of mission-driven cultural projects. She is also an IDC Fellow and MS.Arch. Coordinator at Pratt Institute.
- Michael Oatman, an Artist who has exhibited nationally, has also taught at numerous colleges including Harvard, The Rhode Island School of Design, Vermont College of Fine Arts and The University of Vermont. Since 1999 he has been on the faculty at the School of Architecture at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he is also the advisor for RPI’s NOMAS chapter
- Andrea Mason RA, is the founder and principal of Andrea Mason / Architect, a multi-disciplinary design firm specializing in both high end retail and residential projects. Currently, Andrea Mason has been working on numerous high end retail projects with Steven Harris Architects / Rees Roberts & Partners.
- Johannes Knoops, is a Professor of Interior Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology/SUNY in his native New York City. Widely published and exhibited he has been honored with several fellowships including a Rome Prize from the American Academy.
- Janet Fink AIA LEED AP,(not pictured) is a partner at Fink & Platt Architects and Interim Executive Director at the Institute for Public Architecture (IPA). She teaches urban and building design studios in the M.Arch program at New York Institute of Technology.
Thanks also to the help of BKDA Technical Review Team:
- Leon Frazier AIA, CPHD – Associate and Technical Architect at CO Adaptive.
- Jane Sanders AIA, CPHD – Director of Sustainability at Henson Architecture.
- Ed May, CPHD – Partner at bldgtyp
- Jason Boutin, AIA, CPHD – Partner, The Brooklyn Studio and Board Member, AIA Brooklyn
The BKDA program has evolved in order to better respond to the complex issues that communities are facing all over the world. The call to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public has a new and broader meaning in the context of challenges such as increasing climate extremes and social inequity. As such, the AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence has been phased into the selection process, and submitted work will be judged not just on aesthetics, but also on measurable performance metrics.
Entries will be judged in light of the success with which the project has met its individual requirements, and each will be evaluated individually, not in competition with others. The BKDA program will highlight the borough of Brooklyn, with its design community serving as a creative hub for innovation, and its diverse neighborhoods as a dynamic network and unique urban fabric.
The 2023 winners will be honored in December by the chapter in a Brooklyn-based celebration, on December 5th at 501 Union.
BKDA 2023 is generously sponsored by Glenwood Mason Supply who are committed to achieving the highest level of sustainability on projects, while keeping a close eye on budgets. “We are committed to helping our clients design a beautiful, safe, sustainable world.”
The Brooklyn Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Brooklyn) is an organization founded in 1894. With over 950 members, the Chapter is the second largest chapter in New York State and has represented the professional interests of architects for over a century. AIA Brooklyn is dedicated to the advancement of the architectural profession through education, outreach, and mutual support.
