EXP recently accepted two awards for innovation and design excellence from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for two transformative public transit projects.
Mies van der Rohe Award
Washington/Wabash CTA Station has established a presence in Chicago. The elegant architecture of canopies, deeply rooted in historic Jeweler’s Row, represent a new perception of public transit throughout the city. This purposely designed juxtaposition between history, elegance and motion establishes a new path for Chicago’s transit – one on track for continued success. The station was recognized again on October 24, when EXP received the Mies van der Rohe award for innovation in design and concept. To celebrate, Jefrey Jakalski (pictured to the right) and Thomas Hoepf welcomed colleagues, AIA Illinois and Chicago Department of Transportation leadership, including the first deputy commissioner, Tom Carney to EXP’s Chicago office to celebrate a project that impacts the lives of commuters, citizens and visitors to Chicago every day.
Distinguished Building Award
The following evening, team members dressed to impress, some in Beaux-Arts hats (Mindy Viamontes pictured in the middle), attended AIA Chicago’s Designight and 150th Anniversary. The event welcomed over a thousand industry professionals. Attending for EXP was Jefrey Jakalski, Tom Hoepf, Shankar Nair, Kristen Armstrong, Mindy Viamontes, Steve Citko and Alzira Maldonado Protsishin. Surrounded by good company, the team cheered when 95th/Dan Ryan CTA Terminal Station received the Distinguished Building Award, a project they deemed excellent from the start for its vital role in connecting South Side communities to downtown Chicago. The design emphasizes the customer experience and represents a significant investment in Chicago’s South Side. For the team, it was not just about designing a station but a cultural gateway to pass through and remember.
Our biggest award – our people
Before rising with excitement to accept the award for 95th/Dan Ryan CTA Terminal Station, team members cheered on one of our own as architectural designer Sara Fetterolf stepped towards the podium to welcome the crowd to Designight. With a breath of bravery, she delivered a speech tailored to the importance of design excellence and participation in AIA’s LGBTQI+ Alliance as their co-chair. We could not be more proud of how she stood before so many and left a lasting impression.
The tone of the night was set and the team enjoyed their continued commitment to delivering reliable public transit which is the result of the collaboration between stakeholders, communities and team members who love their city and what they do.
Congratulations, team.
See the awards
AIA 2019 Design Excellence Awards – 95th/Dan Ryan CTA Terminal Station