BIA opens entries for Brick in Architecture Awards

Words: Tricia MauerEntries are open for the Brick Industry Association's (BIA) Brick in Architecture Awards. Celebrating its silver anniversary, BIA's annual honors spotlight outstanding, innovative and sustainable architecture that incorporates clay brick products as the predominant exterior building or paving material. Entries are conducted entirely online, and are due by April 30, 2014. To enter and for details, go to: www.gobrick.com/architectureawards

"Now in its 25th year, the Brick in Architecture Awards continue to be the premier industry honors, and the most prestigious juried competition of its kind," says Ray Leonhard, BIA president and CEO. "Made from abundant natural resources, fired clay brick offers aesthetic flexibility to match the architect’s imagination and desires, and is a perfect strategy in sustainable design.”

Architectural and design firms from around the country can enter their best material to be judged by a jury of their peers. Any work of architecture completed since Jan. 1, 2009, in which clay brick products comprise the predominant exterior building or paving material (over 50 percent), is eligible.

These include face or hollow brick, building brick, thin brick, paving brick, glazed brick, structural glazed facing tile, clay brick products in special shapes and/or a combination of any of these aforementioned units. An entrant may submit more than one project for consideration, and previously submitted projects can be entered once again as long as they were completed since 2009.

Entries must be submitted online in one or more of the below categories:
  • Commercial (Under $10 Million)
  • Commercial (Over $10 Million)
  • Education — K-12
  • Education — Colleges & Universities (Higher Education)*
  • Health Care Facilities
  • Municipal/Government
  • Houses of Worship
  • Residential — Single Family
  • Residential — Multi-Family
  • Renovation (Additions)**/Restoration (Restoring)
  • Paving & Landscape Projects
* Includes residence halls & academic/administrative buildings
** Additions must use at least 50 percent new clay brick products on the building. Restoration construction must include at least 50 percent clay brick products, which can either be new or salvaged.

Judged by a jury of peers, the 2013 Brick in Architecture Awardsspanned almost half the country in 21 states, including green building practices that have earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)ratings.

For more information contact Tricia Mauer at tmauer@bia.org.
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