Each year, the Community Design Center presents a special luncheon event to honor the winners of the annual Reshaping Rochester Awards. The awards recognize exemplary regional initiatives and projects that positively impact people, neighborhoods, and the community. The Award for Design and the Award for Activism winners are nominated by YOU, the public!

 

2023 Urban Observations speaker:

Abigail McHugh-Grifa, Ph.D.

Congratulations to this year's Finalists!

 

2023 Award for Design

This award recognizes projects that demonstrate design excellence and contribute to enriching the public realm.  Nomination submitted by the public.

Small / Medium Project Category Nominee’s
(Budget between $1M and $5M)

The Town of Brighton Auburn Trail Improvements: for converting an unmaintained pathway into a mixed-use, paved pedestrian and bicycle trail that promotes a sustainable and safe multimodal transportation network.

 

 

 

 

The 208 Mill Street Lofts: for thoughtfully transforming an existing historic structure into commercial and residential space in the heart of the High Fall Historic District.
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The RIT Cary Graphics Arts Collection:  home to one of the world’s premier rare book libraries, for advancing public understanding and appreciation for graphic communication history through its dynamic exhibits and interactive experiences.

 

 

 

The Centennial Sculpture Park at the MAG: for transforming its grounds into a community treasure that connects people with art and encourages visitors to interact with the MAG gardens and sculptures, creating an oasis in the heart of Rochester’s Neighborhood of the Arts (NOTA).
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Small / Medium Project Honorable Mention Awarded to – Auburn Trail Improvements. Recipients honored are the Town of Brighton, the Daniele Family Companies and Passero Associates.

Small / Medium Design Winner Awarded to – The Centennial Sculpture Park at the MAG. Recipients honored are the Memorial Art Gallery and Bayer Landscape Architecture.

 

 

Large Project Category
(Budget over $5M)

Zion Hill: for transforms Rochester’s Mayor’s Heights neighborhood through its vibrant new housing solutions to provide safe, affordable, and accessible housing for the community. (Photo credit Gene Avallone)
                                   

 

 

DePaul La Rosa Villa Apartments: for reutilizing the site’s manufacturing heritage in the Village of LeRoy to design apartments with on-site supportive services, which promote stability, health and independent living for those in need. (Photo credit Gene Avallone)

 

 

Miller Building: at West Main Street and Cascade Drive in Downtown Rochester for converting an industrial building into an affordable housing complex with on-site supportive services allows Open Door Mission in its aim to restore hope and change lives.

 

 

 

Large Project Honorable Mention Awarded to – Zion Hill. Recipients honored are Rochester Management and SWBR.

Large Project Design Winner Awarded to – The Miller Building Recipients honored are the Open Door Mission and Passero Associates.

 

 

Urban Scale Project Category
(Budget over $5 million):

Neighborhood of Play for transforming a 550 car parking lot and 5 acres of city parcels into a cultural hub and pedestrian-centric neighborhood that sets an example for neighborhood planning and design.  (Photo credit Kim Smith)

 

                                   

 

North Star Commons: for restoring flood protection to
Rochester’s Corn Hill neighborhood while transforming an underutilized parcel into a stunning new riverfront park, reconnecting the neighborhood to its waterfront.

 

 

Urban Scale Project Honorable Mention Awarded to – The North Star Commons. Recipients honored are the City of Rochester + NYS Canal Corporation and Bergmann Associates (now Colliers Engineering & Design). 

Urban Scale Project Design Winner Awarded to – The Neighborhood of Play. Recipients honored are The Strong + Konar Properties + Indus and CJS Architects.

 

The Directors’ Award
This award recognizes efforts that have enhanced the public realm and contributed to its vibrancy. The CDCR’s Board of Directors considers a demonstrated high quality level of community design, planning, policy and expertise, visible success of an endeavor over an extended period of time, and communication of a vision.

 

Winner – Roger Brown, AIA Founding Director of the Community Design Center of Rochester.
 

 

2023 Award Categories:

Award for Design
Established to honor the late architect Robert Macon, nominations for this award recognize projects that demonstrate design excellence and contribute to enriching the public realm.

Award for Activism
This award, named in honor of Rochester activist Betty Strasenburgh, underscores the importance of civic spirit, persistence, and determination that translates visions into reality.  It recognizes individuals who or organizations that are going beyond conventional boundaries to achieve a transformative idea or process that positively impacts a community in our greater Rochester region.

Directors' Award (selected by the CDCR)
This award recognizes efforts that have enhanced the public realm and contributed to its vibrancy.