NEW ORLEANS – Gould Evans, a local design and planning firm, is pleased to announce that the CrescentCare Community Health Center and Dear Rampart have both received 2019 ‘Honorable Mention’ Design Awards from the New Orleans chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The award program’s overall mission is to increase awareness of outstanding architecture and to honor the architects, clients, contractors, and consultants who work together to improve the built environment. Details were shared in a press release.
“We’re honored to receive two Design Awards from AIA New Orleans this year,” said Robert Riccardi, principal of Gould Evans. “Both projects challenged our team to craft meaningful solutions while working thoughtfully within the constraints of tight urban sites and unique building programs. These projects embody the kind of endeavors we love working on…great client partners, the need for creative problem solving and the potential for positive social impact."
The CrescentCare Community Health Center is a premier health and wellness facility offering a full spectrum of accessible care, with particular focus on marginalized and at-risk populations of New Orleans. Reinforcing the CrescentCare’s mission of “equitable healthcare for all,” this new facility was designed to bring the client’s entire offering of wellness care under one roof to create a “medical home” for all. The multi-level building supports a unique story within, where a clinic and a community center combine to offer resources not only for treatment, but also health education, preventative services and empowerment methods.
Dear Rampart will act as the home base and event space for Dear World, an organization committed to creating unforgettable experiences every time for every person using its process of bringing honest stories to light. Located on Rampart Street in the Central Business District, this new facility will create a flexible environment to house Dear World sessions, amplify its message and be a catalyst in building trust in people to tell their stories. Three historic buildings will be combined, respecting Historic District and Landmark Commission regulations on the exterior, but with a new modern ‘insert’ on the interior to house the various functions.
This year’s Design Jury, made up of members from AIA Baltimore, took particular interest in CrescentCare’s contextual response, introduction of daylight into the spaces, focus on patients, and its strong social justice story. With Dear Rampart, the jury noted the sensitivity applied to the reimagining of three properties, respecting the buildings’ perimeters while also offering a new program that transcends them and creates a soaring event space.
Gould Evans has received AIA New Orleans Design Awards in past years for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Tulane University’s Yulman Football Stadium and Hertz Basketball & Volleyball Practice Center. The studio also recently received a World Architecture and Design Award (WADA) for the Cheick Hamala Diabaté Institute for the Performing Arts.
