As part of the selection process for the 2011 Curbed Atlanta Awards, we reached out to professionals and experts in the worlds of real estate development & investment, architecture, community development and preservation to solicit their well-informed opinions on projects and programs from 2011 that are worthy of a Curbed Award. Here now is one such award bestowed in collaboration with Friend of Curbed Peter Drey, the veteran architect and urban designer and a co-partner in the new multi-disciplinary green design firm d+e = design + environment launching in early 2012.
One of Atlanta's pre-eminent architecture and design firms got the chance to give itself a commission when Perkins + Will decided to purchase the old Invesco building at 1315 Peachtree and renovate it for themselves. The result is a building that is both a showcase for cutting-edge environmentally-friendly technology (like a rainwater harvesting system and solar shades that manage the penetration of the sun to reduce interior heat) and lovely to behold inside and out. By continuing to host the Peachtree branch of the Atlanta Fulton County Library as well as allocating the ground-level retail space for the Museum of Design Atlanta, the building makes an enhanced contribution to the critical mass of culture occurring at the location (sitting across from the High Museum as it does). Is there anything more fitting than the architects and designers of The Atlanta BeltLine repairing to the porch to draw inspiration from gazing at Richard Meier and Renzo Piano's work across the street? Perkins + Will's contribution to both Atlanta's green building portfolio and the city's general aesthetics make it a worthy recipient of a Curbed Award.
· Portfolio of New Atlanta Office [Perkins + Will official site]