An Exclusive Set of Visionary Work: The Urban Land Institute Announces Winners of the 2011 Global Awards for Excellence Competition

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Five outstanding developments have been selected as winners of the 2011 Urban Land Institute's (ULI) Global Awards for Excellence competition, widely recognized as the land use industry's most prestigious recognition program. The winners are: Ed Roberts Campus, Berkeley, Calif.; New World Center, Miami Beach, Fla.; The Pinnacle @ Duxton, Singapore; Wolverton Park, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom; and Westfield San Francisco Centre, San Francisco.

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The competition is part of the institute's Awards for Excellence program, established in 1979, which is based on ULI's guiding principle that the achievement of excellence in land use practice should be recognized and rewarded. ULI's Awards for Excellence recognize the full development process of a project, not just its architecture or design. The criteria for the awards include leadership, contribution to the community, innovation, public/private partnership, environmental protection and enhancement, response to societal needs, and financial success.

The winners were announced today during the ULI Fall Meeting and Urban Land Expo in Los Angeles.  "The 2011 ULI Awards for Excellence recognize an exclusive set of visionary work," said Joseph E. Brown, 2011 ULI Global Awards for Excellence jury chair, and chief innovation officer, AECOM.  "These projects adapt to existing urban environments and overcome economic challenges through creativity, demonstrating an elegant courage and grace that transcend preconceived notions and embrace the future, engage people and energize communities."

According to ULI Chief Executive Officer Patrick L. Phillips, the award winners illustrate that well-designed, well-built projects can thrive even in the most challenging of economic times. "These global winners showcase the best in creativity, innovation, and long-term thinking," Phillips said. "The ULI Awards for Excellence program is a timely reminder of the key difference responsible land use can make in terms of community longevity and sustainability."

The 2011 winners were selected from 17 worldwide finalists, all of whom were winners in their regions: The Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific. The global awards jury evaluated these projects with additional criteria, including: innovative concepts that can be emulated around the world; strong urban design; response to the surrounding environment; and design that contributes to a livable, sustainable development that demonstrates relevance to the needs of the community.

The 2011 Global Awards for Excellence winners (developers and architects in parentheses):

• Ed Roberts Campus, Berkeley, Calif. (Developers: Ed Roberts Campus/Equity Community Builders; Architect: Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects): Conceived by a consortium of partners committed to serving people with disabilities, Ed Roberts Campus is an international center for the Independent Living Movement in Berkeley, Calif. The 1.6-acre, 65,000 square-foot facility was constructed using universal design principles and provides mutually supportive office space, a childcare center, and direct access to a Bay Area Rapid Transit station.
• New World Center, Miami Beach, Fla. (Developer: New World Symphony; Architect: Gehry Partners):  The New World Center is an innovative facility for classical music education and performance in Miami Beach, Fla. that sits at the intersection of architecture, technology, education, and culture. An 80-foot-high glass-and-steel box contains the free-flowing theater space, while the front facade—which doubles as a 7,000-square-foot projection wall—displays concerts and video art to patrons in an adjacent 2.5-acre green space.
• The Pinnacle @ Duxton, Singapore (Developer: Housing and Development Board, Singapore; Architect: Arc Studio Architecture + Urbanism/RSP Architects Planners & Engineers):  The Pinnacle @ Duxton is a series of seven 50-story residential towers connected by two continuous and open skybridges. The sustainable residential project, with green roofs, sky gardens, and built using modular construction, is home to 7,400 residents—many of them young families—in 1,848 modern apartments, helping to redefine urban high-density living in Singapore.
• Wolverton Park, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom (Developer: Places for People; Architect: RPS Group): This historic former rail yard just outside Milton Keynes has been redeveloped to provide 300 mixed-tenure homes, alongside commercial space, community facilities, and a 2.5-acre park. Three Grade II listed structures complement two new buildings, providing a variety of housing solutions for the local community.
• Westfield San Francisco Centre, San Francisco, Calif. (Developers: Forest City Enterprises and the Westfield Group; Architects: RTKL/Kohn Pedersen Fox/ka):  After an eight-year development process, Westfield San Francisco Centre has restored the city's historic Emporium building, boasting 1.5-million-square-feet of commercial space and attracting an estimated 25 million visitors to this once-distressed area of San Francisco.

The 2011 Global Awards for Excellence winners were selected by a jury of renowned land use development and design experts. In addition to Jury Chairman Brown, other members were Andrew Gould, UK chief executive, Jones Lang LaSalle, London; Ross Holt, chief executive officer, LandCorp, Australia; Marty Jones, president, MassDevelopment, Boston; and Becky Zimmermann, president, Design Workshop, Denver. 

Over the years, the Awards for Excellence program has evolved from recognition of one development in North America to an international competition with multiple winners. The ULI Awards for Excellence: Europe was added in 2004, and in 2005, the ULI Awards for Excellence: Asia Pacific was added. Throughout the program's history all types of projects have been recognized, including office, residential, recreational, urban/mixed-use, industrial/office park, commercial/retail, new community, rehabilitation, and public projects and programs.

More information about ULI's Awards for Excellence program is at: http://www.uli.org/awardsandcompetitions

About the Urban Land Institute
The Urban Land Institute (www.uli.org) is a nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the Institute has nearly 30,000 members worldwide representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines.

SOURCE Urban Land Institute