Web Sites

Feature

Gold Medal
Boxwood

Honor Award
CUH2A

Honor Award
The Smith Group

Honor Award
D. W. Arthur Associates

Honor Award
Mithun

Merit Award
DeStefano + Partners

Merit Award
Hnedak Bobo Group

Merit Award
The Ohio State University, Knowlton School of Architecture

Merit Award
Envision Design

Most Innovative Site
Wanzer Munizza Design Studio

Best Interactive Site
DOMA

Best Visual Design
Rau + Partners

Student Gold Medal
Neeraj Bhatia

Student Honor Award
The Mobile Studio

Student Merit Award
Danda

Ecoplan

Frederick Phillips and Associates

Masters Gentry Architects

PSRBB Architects

David Baker + Partners

Skidmore Owings & Merrill

Lee Timchula Architects

Wilson Darnell Mann Architects

RKI, Ltd.

Tod Williams Billie Tsien

Glaserworks

Graham Gund Architects

Sheppard Robson

Mary McKenna & Associates

CAD - Companhia de Arquitectura e Design

Christoff : Finio

PLACE Architects

Kohn Pederson Fox Associates

Kostow Greenwood

S A A S Architecten

Gonzalez Hasbrouck

J. Randolph Parry

Entablature.com Unveils the Best
Architecture Web Sites of 2002

by KP

With 125 entries representing architecture web sites from around the world, Entablature.com announced the winners of the 2002 Architecture Web Site Awards. The awards were determined by Elizabeth Geary-Archer [EGA], David Munson [DM] and Ross Pullar [RP], respectively representing the marketing, design and business aspects of web sites. Each web site was reviewed and assigned scores for Visual Design, Content, Organization and Interactivity.

"This year's winners will set the standard for the online presence of architecture firms," said Kriss Pettersen, the organizer of the Architecture Web Site Awards. "I am proud to be in a position to honor the web sites that show both the creativity and reflection of the work of architects."

In this, the first annual program to recognize excellence in architecture web sites, the Gold Medal was awarded to Boxwood (www.eboxwood.com). Boxwood's site was considered to be a "fun, informative site that sets the firm way apart from their competitors - kudos for original thinking!" [EGA] The web site's "graphic language works to synthesize the design firm with the concept of sustainability, with an appropriate level of interactivity." [DM]

Four Honor Awards were given, the first to CUH2A (www.cuh2a.com). Their web site is a "well-designed, attractive site with excellent navigation." [EGA] It was also found to "read as a unified statement." [DM] The Smith Group (www.smithgroup.com) also received an Honor Award as it was praised for its search facility and an "interface that breathes of professionalism." [DM] The "'What would you like to see' feature is so intuitive . . . amazingly shows a desired result." [EGA] D. W. Arthur Associates (www.dwarthur.com) recieved an Honor Award for their site which includes a unique feature - The Matrix, a visual search facility which allows the user to easily pare down the information on the site. The web site "also has the option for a printable version of the information." [RP] The fourth Honor Award was given to Mithun (www.mithun.com), a "nice and simple" [DM] site of "good design and very informative - not an information overload, and all information relevant to the user." [RP]

Four Merit Awards were also given, the first to DeStefano + Partners (www.destefanoandpartners.com) for an "extremely elegant and sophisticated design." [EGA] This site was also rewarded for having "2 effective sites, both html and Flash." [RP] HBG, Inc. was awarded a Merit Award for their "fun site," [EGA] with an intro that "gave the feel of a funky, creative company" [RP] and "lots of interesting ways to get at the information." [DM] The Ohio State University Knowlton School of Architecture's web site received a Merit Award for a "really cool site" [EGA] that als received credit for providing "the option for a text-only site." [RP] The fourth Merit Award was given to Envision (www.envisionsite.com) for its simple graphics layout and ease of navigation.

The Most Innovative Site Award was given to Wanzer Munizza Design Studio (www.wanzza.com) for a site that "is the future." [EGA] "The idea is clever - so much so you have to take a second look at it to appreciate just how clever it is. The design is simple and there is a quick navigation map once you enter and this allows you to view any part at any time." [RP] "These designers have embraced the web as a tool and have grasped the possibilities." [EGA]

The Best Interactive Site award was given to DOMA (www.domaarch.com) with informative content and a site that is "enjoyable to view." [DM] The "graphics and wayfinding are intuitive and easy to interpret." [EGA]

The Best Visual Design Award was given to Rau + Partners for a web site that makes "interesting use of animation and sound." [RP] "The 'art for art's sake' play tools remind us that since the 'journey is the destination' the journey might as well be fun." [EGA] The "work of the firm is sophisticated and mature, which allows for a whimsical, playful site creating a balance." [EGA]

Awards were also given to web sites entered in the Student category. The Student Gold Medal was awarded to Neeraj Bhatia (www.neerajbhatia.cjb.net), the Student Honor Award went to The Mobile Studio (www.themobilestudio.org), and the Student Merit Award was given to Dande (www.danda.be).

Overall, the jurors found the standard and the quality of the entries to be quite high, with wide-ranging styles and content. Ross Pullar thought that "most entrants provided a wealth of information on their sites in many different formats, making the judging of all to be a difficult process. The question of a firm's online presence, and how successfully it represented their work was a considerable factor." David Munson added, "The top sites demonstrate that inherent in web media is a certain level of interaction which is needed not only to enhance the users experience, but to better communicate a design firm's inner-being. Those sites which do not appreciate that and are created through a process looking more towards traditional media, suffer in comparison." And, Elizabth Geary-Archer believed that "although there is a basic list of things an architecture web site should have, be it a firm, school, or student site, that list should just be the beginning. The internet is still a new medium, and designers seem reluctant to relinquish themselves to the freedom of the digital environment. Some of the sites submitted are truly liberating to behold in that their use of the web environment includes 'space', with an unusual pallet and animation that takes you to useful information, without forgoing that core list of key information." Also noticeable, however, was a trend found on many of the sites that were entered - an index page that was similar in style and format to many other sites. Elizabeth Geary-Archer summarized by saying, "Many firms are using the same basic format for their sites. Because the web is not bound by the same limitations as paper and glue, the hope is that architects will not be confined to this trend . . . that they will build their sites the way they build their buildings."

Links to juror's sites:

Out of the Box Marketing Strategies, Inc. Elizabeth Geary Archer

The Stubbins Associates, Inc. David Munson

design4design.com Ross Pullar

Contact | About | Terms

Copyright 2004 Entablature.com