The winning projects were selected from the many public buildings, parks, open spaces, infrastructure projects and vision plans that were reviewed by the Seattle Design Commission between 2011 and 2013.
While there were no local Design Excellence Award winners among the four, two projects received honorable mentions. The local honorees include:
•Fire Station 6 — As the replacement for the historic fire station at 23rd Avenue South and East Yesler Way, Fire Station 6 anchors a corner at Martin Luther King Jr. Way South and South Jackson Street.
•Madison Valley Stormwater (Phase 2) — This second part of a multi-phase drainage improvement effort addresses major sewer backups and surface water flooding that has affected homes over a number of years in Madison Valley.
Phase II included a new stormwater pipeline between East John Street and Washington Park, a partially below-ground stormwater storage tank with an art wall and an above-ground stormwater holding area in Washington Park.
Adam Kuby’s artwork “Hydro-Bio-Geo” animates the exposed façade of the 14-foottall holding tank with cavity-nesting bird houses and downspouts and weep holes that send water down the wall to a rain garden below.
Winners were recognized at an awards ceremony on Thursday, June 26.