January 14, 2009

Looking back at 2008’s Projects of the Month

As we enter a year of widespread belt-tightening, it is more important than ever to consider each new design and construction project in terms of value — not just to the owner, but to the community as a whole.

This kind of value is what the Project of the Month feature is built around. Some projects have been lavished with recognition and some have not. Some had extremely tight budgets and others much more leeway. Most are designed by well-known local architects, but not all. Most of the 11 projects featured in 2008 are examples of the best we can do, not just as designers but as builders of a city and a region.

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Previous columns:

• AIA Project of the Month: Mambo Palazzo works a little magic on Queen Anne, 12-10-2008
• AIA Project of the Month: 100 years later, a civic dream comes true in South Park, 11-19-2008
• AIA Project of the Month: Tacoma's Stadium High is old, yet brand new, 10-08-2008
• AIA Project of the Month: UW's new Conibear Shellhouse is ‘so Seattle', 09-10-2008
• AIA Project of the Month: North Cascades center lives up to its promises, 08-13-2008
• AIA Project of the Month: Virtual surgery center offers real training for doctors, 07-09-2008
• AIA Project of the Month: Live Aboves: A wise, modest project meets its lofty goals, 05-14-2008
• AIA Project of the Month: Flexibility, durability and a place kids call their own, 04-09-2008