Celebrating the outstanding design achievements of British Columbia’s professional interior design community, the IDIBC’s 2012 Awards of Excellence were announced at a gala presentation Sept. 28, at the Vancouver Convention Centre. This year, the association presented top honours to six projects (featured here).
Photo 1: Retail Award of Excellence – MJ Jewellers, Box Interior Design Inc. MJ Jewellers is the rebirth of a long-established private jewelry store in Vancouver to a modern luxury experience. It is a jewel box of a space that aligns the exquisite custom handmade pieces with their environment in a way that offers credibility and grace to the purchasing event. This project also earned Box Interior Design the coveted Best in Show.
Photo 2: Food & Beverage Award of Excellence – Black & Blue Restaurant, Box Interior Design Inc. This classic 10,000-square-foot Vancouver steakhouse references the forms and traditions of the past but is ultimately modern and relevant today.
Photo 3: Workplace Total Award of Excellence – Cobalt Office, Perkins + Will Canada Architects Co. Cobalt Engineering’s Vancouver office address three primary goals: evoke a creative image; foster dynamic staff collaboration; and showcase leadership in sustainability through mechanical and electrical design. Offices are strategically placed and transparent to maximize sight lines and daylight harvesting. Custom plywood lighting fixtures speak to the light and air of Cobalt’s core business.
Photo 4: Retail Award of Excellence – espace d., mcfarlane green biggar architecture + design inc. The Vancouver project is a small 1,400-square-foot retail shop designed for the display and sale of quality home wares and accessories. The design acts as a foil for a full spectrum of goods, including glass, ceramics, textiles and soft goods. A purposefully restrained palette of materials sets up a quiet and consistent backdrop to the ever-changing inventory of items on display.
Photo 5: Residential Award of Excellence – Mountain Penthouse, Mitchell Freedland Design. The redesign of this 4,000-square-foot mountain penthouse in Whistler, B.C., was to bestow a contemporary edge to a mountain vernacular, void of cliché references.
Photo 6: Residential Award of Excellence – Waterfront Hideaway, Sarah Gallop Design Inc. This 4,000-square-foot home, a modern hideaway gently nestled into the cliff of a relatively undeveloped island, boasts the amenities of city living in a serene environment. State-of-the-art technology and modern interior finishes complement the stunning architectural beauty of the Gambier Island, B.C., home with breathtaking views of the ocean bay. This project also earned Sarah Gallop Design a Sustainability Award of Merit.
