Pickard Chilton's three projects have been honored with the 2018 AIA Connecticut Design Awards. The studio's conceptual design for the UBER Sky Tower received the Unbuilt Excellence Award, while a Wellness Center in Spring, TX and the Devon Energy Center in Oklahoma City, OK each were awarded with a Built - Commercial, Institutional, Educational or Multi-family Merit Award.
Pickard Chilton, in collaboration with Arup, created a conceptual Sky Tower for uberAIR Skyports, a design which was revealed at Uber's 2nd Elevate Summit in May 2018. Pickard Chilton/Arup's design was one of six selected from dozens of submissions for its high degree of realism and technical feasibility. The conceptual designs mark the first steps from industrial leaders to create infrastructure for high-volume operations of uberAIR networks in and around cities. The jury noted that the uberAIR Skyport "stood out among the unbuilt projects. It is very forward thinking and incredibly well illustrated." Pickard Chilton and Arup's design is driven by function, creating a form that would support, augment and 'elevate' the Uber brand.
The Wellness Center is an award-winning 130,000-square-foot project in Spring, Texas that forms a health, medical and fitness hub on a corporate campus. A three-story glass atrium features an open, day-lit cascading staircase, which encourages employees to use the stairs as their primary route to the exercise rooms. Programs include yoga, cardio, spinning, Pilates, strength training, a basketball court and personal training. A healthy food space features a juice bar, large café, and demonstration kitchen. The jury noted the project's "open, light-filled spaces whose finishes and high ceilings elevate the facility far beyond the 'gym'."
The Devon Energy Center, the company's headquarters, is a "large, complex project that is handled with incredible deftness," says the AIA Connecticut jury. The three-million-square-foot complex features a 50-story office tower and a six-story entrance rotunda with interior balconies that serves as the connecting hub for the entire complex. The five-story podium houses the conference and training centers and amenities. An indoor galleria includes dining areas overlooking the new park and landscaped plazas. The tower's height and unique three-sided footprint make it a landmark throughout greater Oklahoma City. At the tower's top, each face is chamfered to create a triangular form to reflect the sky and offer a subtly changing presence on the skyline.
Image: Courtesy of Pickard Chilton & Arup