Trahan Architects is Ranked #1 in Design by ARCHITECT 50, awarded by ARCHITECT Magazine, the official publication of the American Institute of Architects (AIA)

NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Trahan Architects (www.trahanarchitects.com) a global architecture firm based in New Orleans with design studios in New York City and Chicago, founded by philanthropist Victor F. "Trey" Trahan III, FAIA, was named as the #1 Design firm in the U.S. for 2019,  by ARCHITECT 50, a national ranking of architecture firms published by ARCHITECT magazine. The ARCHITECT 50 tries to answer one simple question: "Who had the best year?" Quoting "Transforming complex conceptual ideas into realized physical spaces is no simple task, but Trahan Architects excels at this alchemy." When asked about the accolade and his perception of architecture Trahan said "It's beyond buildings, right? It's about arriving at a place where you believe that architecture can create or result in an attitude of kindness…. architecture has a voice in that."

Since its inception, Trahan Architects has built a portfolio with a wide range of building types and scales, including academic, cultural, performing arts, ecclesiastic, residential, athletic, commercial, mixed-use and urban projects throughout the US and overseas. Notable projects include The Coca-Cola Stage at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, The Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana and an important conservation and preservation undertaking at Corcovado National Park in Patagonia, Chile.

The firm is pleased to share the following projects submitted:

The Coca-Cola Stage at the Alliance Theatre
The Woodruff Arts Center, Atlanta Georgia
The Alliance Theatre, founded in 1968, is a Tony award-winning regional theatre located within the celebrated Woodruff Arts Center campus. The 650-seat theatre incorporates over 70,000 sq. feet of performance and support spaces – transforming the Alliance's capabilities for the next generation of artists in Atlanta. Comprised of solid oak sourced from fallen trees, the final material system is a marriage of contemporary digital technology and time-tested hand craft. Trahan Architects assembled a world class team to implement handcrafted steam bending techniques and artistry on an architectural scale. From concept to construction the project demonstrates innovation through collaboration between the Trahan team, artist Matthias Pliessnig, and fabricator CW Keller. The design of the Performative Millwork at the Alliance Theatre has been awarded the 2019 AIA Innovation Award and the R + D Award for its innovative use of material and digital fabrication techniques.

The Moody Pavilions at The Betty and Edward Marcus Sculpture Park at Laguna Gloria
The Contemporary Austin, Austin, Texas https://www.thecontemporaryaustin.org/lagunagloria/  The new welcome pavilions enhance the museum entrance experience into the sculpture garden beyond, where visitors discover works of art framed by the vibrant natural landscape. As the first phase of a much broader Master Plan devised by landscape architects Reed Hilderbrand, the new Arrival Garden with its Moody Pavilions establishes a new public face for the institution and clarifies a dedicated pedestrian entry from West 35^th Street just south of the historic gate. Here, architecture and landscape are conceived as an integrated and unified experience. A series of vertical steel plate and glass pavilions draw visitors into the park through a sequence of shaded outdoor spaces. Concrete site walls, stone dust paving, and lush plantings further enclose two outdoor courts for patrons to gather and linger while taking in views of the property's mature live-oak canopy, 100-year old Italianate villa, and compelling works of art. 

Conservation Foundation Headquarters
New Orleans, Louisiana
The design of the building is centered on creating a place of quiet contemplation and repose in a city filled with excess and revelry. Located within the Picayune Place historic neighborhood of New Orleans' Central Business District, the Foundation Headquarters is a contemporary intervention situated on a vacant site in the heart of the city. The structure itself is a simple cast-in-place concrete box which is spaced back from a monumental weathering steel sculpture wall. This project was also awarded the 2019 International Architecture Award by the Chicago Athenaeum and the Architecture MasterPrize for residential Architecture.

111 North
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
111 North is a slender twenty-six story residential tower proposed along the Mississippi River in the heart of Downtown Baton Rouge. With a lot size of only 2,265 sq. feet, the project utilizes an efficient core and innovative structural design to provide twenty-three dwelling units (one unit per floor). The units include custom walnut cabinetry, beautiful marble counters and accents, architectural cast-in-place concrete and floor-to-ceiling glass which offers stunning views of the surrounding downtown area.

Ochsner Center for Innovation
New Orleans, LA
The new Ochsner Center for Innovation will serve as the headquarters for innovationOchsner (iO), an innovation group Ochsner Health Systems formed in 2015. The 32,000 SF Center will be a state-of-the-art collaboration space for Ochsner and its partners to develop, test, and implement innovative healthcare solutions with a focus on digital health, precision medicine and advanced analytics to shape the future of healthcare. In addition to iO staff workspaces, key components of the Center include: a makerspace, where new technologies can be created; a prototype virtual and augmented reality lab, where new technologies can be tested; flexible office space for visiting partners and digital health technology companies; a full kitchen to promote organic tenant interactions; and a conference center to host national and local conferences and community events, including job trainings, business assistance programs, and educational seminars.

SOURCE Trahan Architects