The International Parking Institute Announces 2013 Awards of Excellence Parking Design Competition Winners

Among the winners: A dramatic, new, energy-efficient parking facility at the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL); a progressive university tailgate lot; a repurposed European market; and four new and restored parking facilities that support economic development and are re-energizing downtown areas

(FREDERICKSBURG, VA – May 21, 2013) – The seven outstanding parking facilities and operations recognized by the International Parking Institute’s (IPI) 2013 Awards of Excellence were designed to serve a variety of different needs, but they all share common achievement: positive effects on their neighborhoods and communities.

Announced during the 2013 IPI Conference & Expo, May 19-22, in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., honorees in the 31st annual competition ranged from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) prototypical “net-zero energy use” employee parking structure, to the University of South Carolina’s tailgate facility, which models sustainability while providing a social hub. Varying widely in their scope, purpose, and appearance, the winning facilities collectively reflect a revolution that is taking place in parking, noted IPI Executive Director Shawn Conrad, CAE.

“These facilities are not simply efficient and sustainable, but are literally transforming neighborhoods, workplaces, and entire communities,” Conrad said. “They prove that parking is much more than just car storage. Parking can be the nucleus for dining, shopping, socializing, and mass transit, creating more walkable, livable cities.”

Award categories included Architectural Achievement; Best Design of Parking Facilities with Fewer than and More than 800 Spaces, Best Design/Implementation of a Surface Parking Lot, Innovation in a Parking Operation or Program, Excellence in Sustainability Relating to Existing Facilities, Excellence in New Sustainable Parking and Transportation Facilities, and Best Parking Facility Rehabilitation or Restoration. Winners were selected by a panel of judges representing architects, parking corporations, and city, airport, and university officials.

The projects receiving top honors are:

Sustainable Parking and Transportation Facilities
Award of Excellence: NREL Parking Structure
U.S. Department of Energy NREL, Golden, Colo.

Project Team:
• RNL, Architect-of-Record, Desgin & Landscaping
• Haselden Construction, Design Builder
• DESMAN Associates, Inc., Structural Engineer-of-Record, and Parking Consultant

Designed for maximum sustainability, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)’s new, five-level, 1,800-space parking facility is 90 percent more efficient than a typical garage. Its concrete frame supports tensioned, recyclable-aluminum panel cladding that maximizes daylight and limits snow, wind, and headlight glare; its steel roof canopy is built for longevity and houses a photovoltaic (PV) array. Open sides encourage natural ventilation and ample sunlight, and interior and exterior light wells ensure 99 percent of the structure is day-lit. A pedestrian stair bisecting the facility fosters social interaction and reduces reliance on elevators; glass-enclosed stairs give pedestrians additional access to floors at the east and west ends. Bird-friendly glazing on the glass deters fatal collisions for birds on a migratory path. With 180 preferred spaces for carpools/vanpools and low-emitting vehicles, 36 spaces with electric charging stations, and a future capacity of 360 charging stations, the facility is prototypical of NREL’s philosophy of reduced energy dependency and healthy lifestyles for its employees.

Award for Architectural Achievement
Award of Excellence: Franklin Street Parking Deck
Fayetteville, N.C., City of Fayetteville, N.C., Owner

Project Team:
• Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., Design Consultant
• SfL+a Architects, Architect
• SGE Solutions, PC, MEPFP Design Consultant

Following 40 years of controversy (lack of funding, concern about historic preservation, and negative public perception) that blocked its construction, Fayetteville’s new municipal parking deck has become a celebrated and distinctive feature of this historic North Carolina city’s downtown. The five-level, 294-space facility was designed to minimize maintenance costs, maximize service and safety, accommodate future mixed-use development, and attract downtown visitors. Video surveillance, columns, LED lighting and intercom systems offer security; two-way, 90-degree parking simplifies vehicular travel paths. Features such as post-tensioned concrete, corrosion inhibitors, low-maintenance landscaping, and an anti-graffiti coating promise a 75-year life of service for its monthly tenants and daily visitors. The Franklin Street Parking Deck provides lasting proof that success can be achieved through open dialogue between the community and parking professionals.

Best Design of a Parking Facility with Fewer than 800 Spaces; Award of Excellence: Multi-Functional Parking Facility in Historical Downtown
EMEL- Lisbon Mobility & Parking Company, Lisbon, Portugal, Owner

Project Team:
• EMEL Lisbon Mobility & Parking Company
• CML – Municipality of Lisbon, Partner

In downtown Lisbon, Portugal, an abandoned market has been transformed into a modern, multi-functional, sustainable, 196-space facility that fully integrates with its old neighborhood and the local landscape. The Mercado Chão do Loureiro’s core was demolished, leaving a facade that offers six floors of parking, a rent-producing supermarket and restaurant, charging stations for 32 electric vehicles (EVs), a panoramic overlook, and a solar power plant. Two panoramic lifts access every floor as well as Saint Jorge Castle, Portugal’s most-visited monument. Efficiency is maximized with an Equinsa parking system that features bar code tickets, optical readers, and pay-on-foot machines; a CCTV security system and safe house on the first floor help guard against theft and vandalism. Aluminum grids allow natural ventilation, and a skylight reduces the need for artificial lighting. Urban artists’ works are showcased on every floor, and users enjoy a variety of amenities, ranging from music and fragrance to flat tire kits, car assistance, and bicycles. The facility demonstrates that old and new can co-exist harmoniously while serving the demands of a changing society.

Best Design of a Parking Facility with More than 800 Spaces
Award of Excellence: Central Riverfront Garage – Phase II
Cincinnati, Ohio, County of Hamilton, Ohio, Owner

Project Team:
• THP Limited Inc., Architect-of-Record, Parking Consultant, and Structural Engineer
• Messer Construction, Construction Manager
• GBBN Architects, Design Consultant
• DNK Architects, Design Consultant

The two-level Central Riverfront Garage forms the base for Cincinnati’s new $600 million, mixed-use, “The Banks” central business district. Strategically located adjacent to baseball and football stadiums and several public transportation lines, the cast-in-place concrete garage efficiently and sustainably addresses a wide range of parking needs. Upon completion of its third phase, it will support eight five- to 24-story buildings, several city streets, and an elevated park; its 5,500 parking spaces will make it one of the nation’s largest underground facilities. A police substation, passive security system, ample lighting, glass-enclosed stairways, and dedicated pedestrian walkways ensure maximum safety. Sustainability and durability provisions include recycled demolished materials, HOV spaces, variable-speed fans, and electronic payment incentives. Designed for durability, longevity, low maintenance, high peak capacity, user-friendliness, and future expansion, the garage plays a vital role in this vibrant new downtown development on the banks of the Ohio River.

Best Design/Implementation of a Surface Parking Lot
Award of Excellence: University of South Carolina
Tailgate Facility, University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C.

Project Team:
• Cox and Dinkins, Inc., Project Manager and Civil Engineers-of-Record
• Wood+Partners, Inc., Master Planner and Landscape Architecture
• Watson Tate Savory Architecture
• DWG, Inc. Consulting Engineers, Engineer (Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing)
• Collins Consultants, Inc., Structural Engineers
• Sustainable Design Consultants, Inc.,Water Quality and Sustainability Consultants
• Civil Engineering Consulting Services, Inc., Traffic Engineers

The University of South Carolina’s 50-acre tailgating facility serving Williams-Brice Stadium has become a catalyst for neighborhood transformation. The former farmers’ market site provides game-day parking and tailgating for more than 3,000 vehicles, and supports a variety of other special events, from food and art festivals to concerts. Patrons enjoy safe, grassy, tree-lined walkways; dedicated tent zones; cable television hookups; electrical outlets; and four restroom buildings. Periodic mowing and yearly aerating are the mostly unpaved facility’s only maintenance, and sustainability is at the core of its design. Wells supply irrigation, infiltration trenches and bio-retention cells nearly eliminate stormwater runoff, energy-efficient lights with reflector shields reduce light pollution, and more than 900 tree species reduce the urban heat island effect. In addition, the site’s pre-existing materials were recycled: concrete was crushed and sold for use elsewhere; asphalt was milled and mixed back into the soil for support. Built to recall the campus’s historic traditions, the facility has given birth to a new Gamecock football tradition–the procession of the USC Band and football team down the beautiful center greenway of the site.

Innovation in a Parking Operation or Program and Sustainable Parking/Transportation Program or Operation, Award of Excellence: Charlotte Center City Curb Lane Management Program, Charlotte, N.C.

Project Team:
• Charlotte Department of Transportation, Owner
• Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., Parking Consultant
• DAWA, Inc., Sign Consultant

By rebranding, restructuring, and reallocating its curb lanes, the city of Charlotte has vastly improved the efficiency, enforcement, and day-to-day operations of its city-center parking. The Uptown Charlotte Curb Lane Management Program began on busy Tryon Street (a hub of pedestrian, business, and community activity) and moved throughout uptown Charlotte. Among the program’s many goals was to improve signage–accomplished with easy-to-understand symbols and messages–and organize curb spaces to make parking more user-friendly. Streets were prioritized (signature, primary/secondary, and residential) and designated for various purposes, from transit operations to residential parking and loading, leading to more effective curb lane management. After one year, the program identified 35 new parking spaces, cut citations by 75 percent, and increased meter revenue. Residents, business owners, shoppers, and others can now enjoy the Uptown experience free from the hassle of parking chaos.

Best Parking Facility Rehabilitation or Restoration
Awardof Excellence:90 Central Avenue Parking Deck
Georgia Building Authority, Atlanta, Ga.

Project Team:
• AMEC Environment & Infrastructure, Inc., Engineer-of-Record
• Albion Scaccia Enterprises, LLC, Construction Manager, Structural Steel & Re-Roof
• Stethen-Smith Construction Manager – Concrete
• Merik Inc., Roofing Consultant
• E. Sam Jones, Lighting Consultant
• Spencer Bristol Lighting Engineering, Lighting Engineer
• Facility Lighting, Retro Fit Lighting Consultant
• Georgia Finance & Investment Commission, Presenting Owner

The seven-level, 700-space 90 Central Avenue Parking Deck was built in 1967 to serve downtown’s Five Points business district, Georgia State University, the historic Atlanta train depot (serving both railroad and MARTA rails), and Underground Atlanta. Its convenient access to dining, shopping, residential developments, local attractions, and state government buildings placed heavy demands on the facility, but 46 years of use had taken a toll. General deterioration, significant water intrusion, concrete rail cracks, worn surfaces on an abandoned helipad, and other issues needed to be addressed. The owners chose restoration rather than replacement–a process that included waterproofing walls; repairing spalling concrete and exposed steel tendons; replacing steel doors, expansion joints, and guardrails; removing the helipad; installing deck coating; redoing striping and wayfinding; and upgrading lighting. By restricting construction to evenings and nights and one level at a time, the facility remained operational throughout the one-year project. The 90 Central Avenue Parking Deck is now equipped to handle its second half-century of meeting the diverse needs of busy downtown Atlanta, including monthly parking for state government employees.

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Contact:
Helen Sullivan
(703) 606-7622
sullivan@parking.org