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Design excellence helps Montgomery County thrive

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The physical design of our neighborhoods and centers within Montgomery County will help guide the quality and shared use of our communities for generations.  When done right, architecture and landscape define these places in a way that fosters their use, their beauty, and their overall prosperity. When incorrectly done, formless architecture that caters to the automobile and is self-referential can be socially isolating and environmentally and economically draining to the entire county.

One of the primary tenants of the new Thrive Montgomery 2050 General Plan is the importance of arts, culture, and design within Complete Communities that support all facets of our daily lives. It is through design that the best aspects of our society and the most positive … Continue reading

Designed for excellence

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Winning county projects set high standards for developers to follow

The dynamic image of the Purple Line speeding through the Silver Spring Library site convinced an independent jury to choose that building for the Montgomery County Planning Department’s 2016 Design Excellence Award. “The design makes a statement about the importance of public transportation. It’s a great gift to the community,” said jury chair Yolanda Cole during the awards ceremony on October 20.

This year’s Celebrate Design event, co-sponsored with the Potomac Valley AIA, was held at the Silver Spring Civic Building, just down the street from the new library with its ground-level space reserved for the future light rail station. The first part of the evening program showcased … Continue reading