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Tickets for Celebrate Design Event on October 19 Now on Sale

celebrate design

Public and professionals are invited to attend reception and awards program co-sponsored by the Montgomery County Planning Department and Potomac Valley AIA

SILVER SPRING, MDThe Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, is inviting everyone with an interest in excellent architecture, landscape architecture and urban design to attend Celebrate Design on Thursday, October 19, 2017 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Silver Spring Civic Building (1 Veterans Plaza, Silver Spring, MD). Tickets are $35 each and can be purchased online.

The winners of the Planning Department’s third annual Design Excellence Award competition will be announced during the celebration, which will also include the annual awards ceremony of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Potomac Valley Chapter. This year, there will be two Design Excellence Awards – one for buildings and sites, and another for open spaces and landscapes.

Planning Director Gwen Wright will also announce the Director’s Legacy Award to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the M-NCPPC. This award, chosen by Wright, will recognize an exceptional, enduring and transformative building in the county that is more than 10 years old and has had a positive influence on the public and community.

One of the highlights of the evening will be a presentation given by Jeffrey Abramson, a partner in The Tower Companies, an award-winning real estate development company based in Rockville, MD. Abramson, an authority on green building technology and community building, will give a talk titled “Building Community: Reimagining The Blairs,” focusing on his current project in Silver Spring.

About the 2017 Design Excellence Award

The Planning Department’s annual Design Excellence Award seeks to recognize exceptional work in architecture, landscape architecture and urban design that has been completed in Montgomery County over the past decade. More than 25 entries to the competition have been submitted by architects, developers and property owners. The goal of the awards program is to promote top-notch design and improve the quality of the built environment throughout the County.

The winners and citations were selected in September 2017 by an outside jury of accomplished professionals in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture and urban design. The 2017 jurors were:

-Developer Andrew Altman, Managing Principal of FiveSquares Development in Washington, DC.

-Landscape architect Jeff Lee, President and Founding Principal of Lee and Associates in Washington, DC.

-Architect Suzane Reatig, Principal and Founder of Suzane Reatig Architecture in Washington, DC.

-Architect John Torti, President of Torti Gallas and Partners, Silver Spring, MD.

Review the bios of the 2017 jury members.

Celebrate Design Awards Ceremony
Thursday, October 19, 2017
6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Silver Spring Civic Building (1 Veterans Plaza, Silver Spring, MD)
Ticket price: $35
Purchase tickets.

Schedule of Events

6:30 to 7:30 p.m. –  Opening cocktail reception and networking.

7:30 to 9 p.m. – Keynote speaker Jeffrey S. Abramson, Tower Companies.

Presentation of the Montgomery County Planning Department’s Design Excellence Awards and Director’s Legacy Award.

Presentation of the AIA Potomac Valley Chapter Kea Medal and Excellence in Design Awards.

9 to 9:30 p.m. – Dessert reception.

Purpose of the Design Excellence Award

In 2015, the Planning Department launched its first Design Excellence Award program to achieve the following goals:

-To recognize the best examples of architecture, landscape architecture and urban design in Montgomery County, and increase public awareness of this world-class design excellence.

-To promote built work that contributes to the creation of pedestrian-oriented, walkable neighborhoods that enrich and contribute to the greater community.

-To show how physical design can lead to greater health, economic opportunity and environmental sustainability.

Learn more about the Montgomery County Planning Department’s Design Excellence initiative.