International Parking Institute Awards of Excellence Parking Design Competition Winners Announced
(PHOENIX, Ariz. – June 11, 2012) The International Parking Institute (IPI) has recognized seven of the industry’s most outstanding parking facilities and operations with its 2012 Awards of Excellence, citing innovation, efficiency, sustainability and user-friendliness as key factors in the selection.
Announced during the 2012 IPI Conference & Expo in Phoenix, Ariz., honorees in the 30th annual competition ranged from an intermodal transit facility that encourages residents of Hillsboro, Ore., to use alternative modes of transportation, to the LEED Gold-certified Canopy Airport Parking facility at Denver International Airport, which serves as a teaching model of sustainable building and management practices.
“The 2012 winners exemplify the fact that our industry is no longer just about parking cars; it’s about being part of transportation solutions, relieving traffic congestion, taking a leadership role in reducing our carbon footprint and so much more,” said IPI Executive Director Shawn Conrad, CAE. “We have a responsibility to encourage and support the use of alternative forms of transportation, from bicycles and light rail to electric vehicles, and each of our winners demonstrates that commitment. They all combine sustainability, aesthetics, and efficient technology and support the concept that ‘getting from here to there’ should be a good experience.”
Award categories included architectural achievement; best design of parking facilities with fewer than and more than 800 spaces; best rehabilitation/restoration; innovation in parking operation or programs; and sustainable parking/transportation program or operations. This year, two new categories were added: best design/implementation of a surface parking lot, and sustainable parking and transportation design excellence. Winners were selected by a panel of judges representing architects, parking corporations, and city, airport, and university officials.
The projects receiving top honors are as follows:
Award for Architectural Achievement
Award of Excellence: GEICO Garage, Orlando, Fl. (at Amway Center, home of Orlando Magic)
Project Team:
• C.T. Hsu + Associates, P.A., Architect
• PCL Construction Services, Inc., Design-Builder
• Walker Parking Consultants, Parking Consultant & Engineer
• Orlando Magic
Visually appealing, user-friendly, and energy-efficient, the 1,876-space GEICO Garage at Amway Center, home of the Orlando Magic) is a stunning example of form and function. Perforated aluminum panels on the exterior mimic the nearby Events Center, and a façade of shifting textures, color, and scale creates framed vistas of the city. Users navigate rapidly to spaces on eight levels via a system that accepts multiple forms of payment and messaging that directs them to available parking. Clear pedestrian pathways, well-defined entry/exits with international and variable messages, high-efficiency lighting, and a climate-controlled pedestrian bridge make wayfinding simple, fast, and secure. After a large event, the facility can be emptied in just 30 minutes. The garage was completed within budget and has earned LEED Gold certification.
Best Design of a Parking Facility with Fewer than 800 Spaces
Award of Excellence: Intermodal Transit Facility, City of Hillsboro, Ore.
Project Team:
• LRS Architects, Inc., Architect
• WHPacific, Inc., Civil Engineering & Landscape Architecture
• Skanska USA Building, Design Build Contractor
• Catena Consulting Engineers, Structural Engineer
• Tuality Healthcare, Partner
• Pacific University, Partner
A joint project of the city, hospital, and university, the Intermodal Transit Facility (ITF) in Hillsboro, OR, features a 260,000-square-foot design that meets the diverse needs of hospital and university staff, patients, daily commuters, and short-term parkers. With convenient access to the adjacent light-rail commuter line and bus routes, an innovative ground-floor bike station, free parking on five levels, and 14 level II electric vehicle charging stations, the ITF encourages residents to use alternative modes of transportation. Sustainable features include a 60kW rooftop solar array that powers the facility (including efficient LED light fixtures) on sunny days, a system that diverts rainwater into elegantly landscaped storm-detention areas in the public plaza, and a block-long pervious concrete alley that conserves groundwater.
Best Design of a Parking Facility with More than 800 Spaces
Award of Excellence: Duke University Research Drive Parking Garage, Durham, N.C. Duke University
Project Team:
• RATIO Architects, Design Architect & Landscaping
• Walker Parking Consultants, Architect-of-Record, Parking Consultant & Structural Engineer
• Lend Lease, Inc., Construction Manager & General Contractor
• Stewart Engineering, Design Consultant
The 1,900-space, seven-story Research Drive Garage is the first stand-alone parking structure to be certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. Serving Duke students, faculty, visitors, and patients, the facility’s intuitive, functional design includes an exterior express ramp, flat floor plates with great flow capacity, unobstructed internal views, and enhanced security. Green growing walls designate entry/exit locations with automatic vehicle identification (AVI) technology for regular users, while visitors access the second level via a separate entry/exit and use a pay-on-foot system. Space availability displays navigate parkers to open spaces. The garage’s dual-purpose architecture blends with surrounding buildings and incorporates green walls/roof canopies, terra cotta and stone panels, and landscaped rain gardens.
Best Design/Implementation of a Surface Parking Lot
(New category for 2012.)
Award of Excellence: 573 Gerrard Street East with Zhong Hua Men Archway, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Toronto Parking Authority
Project Team:
• Louis K.C. Cheung Architect Inc., Architect
• Dale Cheung, Chief Designer, Chairman, Archway Organizing Committee
• City of Toronto, Economic Development & Culture
• Chinese Chamber of Commerce
• Councillor Paula Fletcher, Ward 30 Toronto Danforth
• The late Honourable Jack Layton, NDP Leader, MP Toronto Danforth
Toronto’s only traditional Chinese archway, the 43-space Toronto Parking Authority (TPA) surface parking facility (known as Carpark #146 when it opened in 1984), was redeveloped to include the Zhong Hua Men Archway. This gateway to Toronto’s East Chinatown was constructed to symbolize Chinese contributions to Canada, and includes a tribute to the 17,000 workers who built the transnational railway. Far from being a run-of-the-mill parking facility, it functions as a catalyst to raise cultural and economic awareness, and encourage the area’s development.
Innovation in a Parking Operation or Program and Sustainable Parking/Transportation Program or Operation
Award of Excellence: University of Minnesota’s Bike Center and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Program, Minneapolis, Minn.
Project Team:
• Carlsen & Frank Architects, Architect
• Transit for Livable Communities
• The Hub Bicycle
Co-op
The University of Minnesota converted a few parking spaces and an unused parking ramp transit lobby into a robust, new Bike Center that serves 3,000 residence hall students and thousands of Academic Health Center employees. The innovative center offers secure, card-accessed, 24-hour bike parking; restrooms, showers, and clothing lockers; professional and DIY repair services; a retail store; and an electronic trip-planning kiosk. A combination of transportation option enhancements, healthcare discounts, and other incentives has increased bicycle use by university staff by nearly 14 percent. Commuter trips are tracked at a radio frequency identification (RFID) benefits center, verifying bicycle use via tags affixed to registered users’ bicycles and receivers installed at strategic locations. The Bike Center renovation has helped the university meet its sustainability goals and reduces its physical footprint.
Best Parking Facility Rehabilitation or Restoration
Award of Excellence: Corcoran Parking Garage Restoration, Durham, N.C.
Project Team:
• Walter P Moore, Engineer & Parking Consultant
• Roughton Nickelson De Luca Architects, Architect
• Balfour Beatty Construction, Construction Manager
• EDI
• Baker Roofing Company/Baker Restoration
Transforming the dilapidated, 1960s Corcoran Garage in the performing arts district of Durham, N.C. into a modern, durable parking facility without interrupting service was no easy feat. Significant concrete deterioration, inadequate and confusing signage, water infiltration damage, lighting deficiencies, and non-ADA compliance were among the eyesore’s numerous issues. Project engineers used a 3D model to determine the optimal sequencing of level closures, worked during off-hours, and employed containment measures to minimize dust and abate hazardous materials. Structural restoration work included widespread concrete and brick masonry façade repairs, a comprehensive waterproofing system, uniform signage, accessibility upgrades for travel routes and stairwells, and LED light fixtures to improve public safety and appearance. Color coding of individual levels allow easy identification, and exterior fabric banners at the top level advertise seasonal downtown art events.
Sustainable Parking and Transportation (Design)
(New category for 2012.)
Award of Excellence: Canopy Airport Parking, Denver, Colo.
Project Team:
• dcb construction co. inc., Architect & General Contractor
• Propark America, Parking Management Consultant
Denver International Airport’s Canopy Airport Parking is a model of the energy-saving and environmentally responsible technologies that can be implemented in parking facilities. With 500 spaces of indoor valet parking, more than 1,000 spaces of covered self-park, and 2,700 spaces of open-air parking, the facility is LEED® Certified Gold. Canopy was constructed using sustainable materials, processes, and technologies chosen for their low carbon footprint and energy efficiency. Demonstrating a commitment to “People – Planet – Profit,” Canopy and the Alliance for a Sustainable Colorado have created a unique “Building that Teaches” program, hosting field trips and teaching seminars that illustrate sustainable building and management practices.
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Media Contact:
Helen Sullivan
International Parking Institute
703.606.7622
sullivan@parking.org
High Resolution Photos Available Upon Request