The American Institute of Architects Detroit Chapter has awarded two projects by M1DTW as part of its annual architectural honor awards program. Bloomscape HQ and Water Street Cofee Drive-thru were peer-reviewed by an AIA San Diego jury and recognized relative to the AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence, representing the defining principles of good design in the 21st century. These projects, along with other 2021 Building Award Winners, will be acknowledged at the 2021 AIA Detroit Celebration of Architecture on September 8, 2021. 

Bloomscape HQ was awarded a 2021 AIA Detroit Design Honor Award in the Interior category. The 12,000 SF building located in Detroit’s Core City neighborhood provides Bloomscape, an online houseplant retailer, a workspace that complements the company’s values and provides employees with a range of spaces and environments that foster productivity, engagement, and well-being. 

The jury stated about Bloomscape HQ: "With its light, airy spaces and a straight-forward, minimalist design approach, the building does a lot with a little and reflects the company’s ethos."

The Water Street Coffee Drive-Thru was awarded a 2021 AIA Detroit Design Honor Award in the Small Project category. A compact 720 SF drive-thru café located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, a primary goal for the project was to discover a design solution that was compact, materially efficient, and appropriately scaled while maintaining a strong presence for the building as a piece of roadside architecture. This compact building benefits from the solidity and durability masonry provides, while also being the medium through which this building expresses the values of its client: The importance of things made well and with care.

The jury stated about Water Street: "Attention to detail is big on this small project; the clever use of varying brickwork, compelling textures, and curvature heightens the drive-thru experience, elevating an otherwise mundane pitstop to an enjoyable and engaging customer experience."

Water Street Coffee Drive-Thru was previously recognized by AIA Michigan and the Masonry Institute of Michigan.

A third M1DTW project, Oakridge Dental Center, was recognized this year with an AIA Michigan Design Honor Award and will be presented at AIA Michigan’s 32nd Annual Design Retreat this fall.

Based in Detroit, M1DTW Architects is a design-driven multidisciplinary architecture studio that produces thoughtful environments for people to do their best work. See more at M1DTW.com

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