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Camino Nuevo Charter Academy 2003 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence - Gold Medal
Camino Nuevo Charter Academy is a community-based charter elementary school in a repurposed mini-mall in the MacArthur Park section of Los Angeles. It is one of four schools founded by a community developer, Pueblo Nuevo Development Corporation, and is one component of a community revitalization project for the MacArthur Park neighborhood. The school pairs increased parent involvement with assistance and social services to meet the needs of a highly diverse and impoverished inner-city community.
Built by a community development corporation working with the Los Angeles Unified School District, Camino Nuevo exemplifies reuse of a commonplace urban resource, transforming an abandoned mini-mall into a safe and supportive learning environment. A new model of public-private partnership, the project was recognized for its grassroots beginnings; its ambitious and complex agenda including education, job training, and other social services; and its outstanding architectural excellence. The school has enormous potential to provide opportunity and change lives and serves as a stabilizing and energizing force in the district.
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Bridgemarket 2003 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence - Silver Medal
Bridgemarket restored a section of a historic Manhattan landmark bridge to create a destination marketplace and plaza that reconnects neighborhoods. The mixed-use venue includes a 900-seat restaurant, a high-end housewares and furniture store, a 24-hour upscale supermarket, and a landscaped public plaza. It is an imaginative reuse of the “rediscovered” landmark space underneath the Queensboro Bridge, and the project itself bridges the former gap between the adjacent neighborhoods of Sutton Place and the Upper East Side with a public pathway.
The project makes the most of the architectural details of the bridge, highlighting the beauty of the vaulted ceilings and arches in the arcade. Residents enjoy shopping at “Manhattan’s most beautiful supermarket,” and what was once a dangerous, neglected space is now a destination. The market has boosted the local economy and promoted growth in the neighborhoods surrounding the bridge.
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Colorado Court 2003 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence - Silver Medal
Colorado Court is a cost-effective affordable housing project in downtown Santa Monica, California, featuring sustainable energy systems and high-quality design. The complex, built on an infill site in a densely populated section of downtown includes 44 well-appointed single-room occupancy (SRO) units. Its design incorporates state-of-the-art sustainable energy systems, including photovoltaic solar panels, a series of passive solar features from siting to ventilation systems, and a micro-turbine that supplements solar panel energy generation.
An unusual collaboration between architect, developer, and municipality, this joint effort is one of the few affordable housing projects in the country to effectively combine sustainable energy systems with affordable housing and quality architectural design. The project achieved LEED Gold certification and 100% energy independence without sacrificing resident amenities, which include a community room, outdoor courtyards, and covered parking.
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Red Hook Community Justice Center 2003 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence - Silver Medal
The Red Hook Community Justice Center in Brooklyn, New York, is a community court that addresses issues through rehabilitation and community restoration. This proactive approach—repeatedly shown to reduce recidivism rates—allows the center to use the court system as a means of intervention to improve the quality of life in a troubled low-income neighborhood. Housed in an abandoned parochial school building with historical significance and character, the center The building’s design reflects this agenda by honoring the historic features of the building, promoting accessibility, and creating a caring and comfortable atmosphere.
The Red Hook Community Justice Center is a replication of the Midtown Community Court model, and its community outreach programs include a safety corps, youth court, and school watches. It represents an innovative approach to community stabilization and revitalization by offering social service programs that engage residents in crime prevention, victim assistance, and community-building activities together with the community justice system.
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Providence River Relocation 2003 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence - Silver Medal
The Providence River Relocation project in Rhode Island’s capital city redirected rivers, overhauled transit infrastructure, and created a new riverfront downtown. Thirty years in the making, the relocation of the Woonasquatucket and Moshassuck rivers, construction of a new rail station, highway interchanges, and twelve bridges restored historical links among Providence’s Capital Center, College Hill, and downtown. The project improved traffic flow in and through downtown and added pedestrian-friendly spaces, including 1.5 miles of river walks, along with a new urban park including a restaurant, amphitheater, fountain, and boat landing.
Redirecting the rivers created new, marketable commercial land without demolishing existing buildings in the downtown national register, resulting in over $1 billion in development. The project re-knit adjacent neighborhoods and created public arts and cultural programming that attracts locals and tourists alike to the river’s edge. With an emphasis on small urban spaces within the large-scale redevelopment, the project uses high-quality materials, and the design of the lighting, landscaping, street furniture, tree grates, signage, and historical interpretation panels all welcome the public.
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Camino Nuevo Charter Academy case study
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Bridgemarket case study
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Colorado Court case study
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Providence River Relocation case study
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Red Hook Community Justice Center case study
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Camino Nuevo Charter Academy application
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Bridgemarket application
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Colorado Court application
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Red Hook Community Justice Center application
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Providence River Relocation application
