CQA Earns Spot in the Architect 50

The May issue of Architect Magazine has been released with the results of the Architect Top 50. Cunningham | Quill Architects is proud to announce that we are No. 43 this year, rising almost 30 places since last year when we appeared in the "Fast Rising Firms" list.

Architect Magazine determined the list by a weighted system focusing on three factors: design quality, sustainable ethos, and profitability. For more information on the methodology behind the rankings, visit Architect 50.

15 Projects in 15 Weeks: Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard (Week 11)

View of the Winemaking Facility and Restored Barn and Silo from the Northwest Elevation.

Located on the Agricultural Reserves in Montgomery County, Maryland, Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard  returns a Historic Bank Barn and Silo to agricultural use by producing superb, handcrafted wines within a new, state-of-the-art Winemaking Facility.

Metal and Glass Facade allows an element of Transparency into the Winemaking Process.

The new metal and glass facility is partially banked into the earth and faces onto a new forecourt, emitting a soft glow at night from within the glazed fermentation room as a beacon for the Vineyard, while the renovated barn includes public and private tasting areas as well as winery offices. The winery has been featured in the New York Times, and has received five American Institute of Architects Awards.

Mother & Child wins AIA DC Washingtonian Award

Cunningham | Quill Architects received an AIA DC Washingtonian Award for Mother & Child Wednesday night at the Mexican Cultural Institute during the annual Washington Chapter Garden Party.  The award honors Distinctive Residential Design Excellence through the Washington DC Metropolitan Region. Only six firms were recognized with this honor in 2011.

Sarah Shipp, AIA and Ralph Cunningham, FAIA accept the 2011 AIA DC Washingtonian Award
from Tom Luebke, FAIA and Yolanda Cole, AIA for Mother & Child.

This is the fifth American Institute of Architects award Mother & Child has received. For more information on Mother & Child, please visit Cunningham | Quill Architects.

15 Projects in 15 Weeks: Herndon Senior Center (Week 10)

View of Motor Court and Multipurpose Room.

This community center for senior citizens serves as an important resource for the Town of Herndon, Virginia and surrounding Fairfax County. The Herndon Senior Center is the link between an existing senior housing community and the Herndon downtown Fortnightly Neighborhood (master plan by Cunningham | Quill Architects and Oculus Landscape Architecture).

View to Second Floor Rooms and Activity Spaces.

Designed for the Fairfax County Redevelopment & Housing Authority, the 23,500 SF Center includes a commercial kitchen and dining facility, a library with computer workstations, a gym, arts & crafts activity space, billiards and other game rooms. To promote community interaction within the Town of Herndon, the large multipurpose room is ideal for civic functions.

Front Facade.

In 2006, the Herndon Senior Center was recognized with the Virginia Recreation and Park Society Award for Best New Recreation Facility in the state. It was also awarded two American Institute of Architects Awards, and a Fairfax County Award for Excellence in Design. The community center was also featured in Inform Magazine in 2007, highlighting the creation of an "urban and social junction" with the community.

15 Projects in 15 Weeks: Huntfield Mixed-Use Master Plan (Week 9)

In the early 2000s, Cunningham | Quill Architects led a master planning effort for the design of 996 acres in Charles Town, West Virginia.

Huntfield New Neighborhood Illustrative Plan

Within the county’s urban growth boundary and adjacent to several important George Washington family homes, the Huntfield Master Plan draws heavily from local character and history for the design of this plan. Proposed as a residential and mixed-use master plan, the site would be established as transit-oriented development, connecting Huntfield with downtown Washington, DC via commuter railway.

Aerial Rendering of Huntfield Master Plan showing Commuter Rail Station

The plan reflects principles of smart growth: compact design; directing development toward existing communities; a mix of land uses; pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods with parks, civic buildings and retail. In addition, a proposed open space system connects to downtown Charles Town to its future historic trail system.

First Neighborhood of Huntfield, Charles Town already Completed

Following months of interactive public meetings, Jefferson County voted to support the new plan and eight months later, Huntfield was annexed into the City of Charles Town. Portions of the project have already been completed, with other parcels still under construction.

15 Projects in 15 Weeks: The Mather Building (Week 8)

Setting a precedent as the first conversion of a downtown office building into multi-family residential housing, The Mather Building Studios is a unique landmark in the District of Columbia. Originally built as an office building in 1917, it was later converted to academic use in 1967 by the University of the District of Columbia, and then abandoned by 1989. In 2001, The Mather Building began its revival with the help of Cunningham | Quill Architects.

Full View of Building from G Street NW showing Rooftop Penthouse.

Detailed historic research helped restore the gothic revival terra cotta facade to its original condition. The building conversion into a mixed-income, multi-family residential space provides affordable housing for artists as well as market-rate condominiums.

Side by side view of Terra Cotta Brick Mapping and Restored Building.

The building also contains the Gallery at Flashpoint and the Coors Dance Studio on the ground level as well as a new rooftop penthouse that provides spectacular views of the National Mall.

The Gallery at Flashpoint contains a contemporary art gallery, a 75-seat theatre, a dance studio, and office space.

15 Projects in 15 Weeks: Quarry House (Week 7)

When a house looks just as beautiful nearly ten years after completed, you know two things. One, the house has a great home owner. And two, there must be a great architect behind the design. The Quarry House is a great example of this.

Driveway through the House on Steeply Sloped Site.

Located on a steeply sloping wooded lot, this house embodies a program that is as unique as its site. The house is tailored to both the work life and social life of the owner, a professional photographer, and has three major components: a bedroom wing, a photography studio with an office, and a spacious living area for entertaining. The composition of the house was driven not only by programmatic requirements, but also by specific site features. Because of both the topography and the wide setbacks on two sides, the lot defied traditional suburban development. The design approach was unconventional and required thoughtful placement of the three main volumes.

Photography Studio

The bedroom wing aligns with an old quarry road to the south, while the photography studio is at an angle parallel to the north property line and is partially nestled in the earth. The glass living room suspended between the two solid pieces commands a view of the street, the woods, and the entire surrounding neighborhood.

Living Room

The Quarry House has won four American Institute of Architect Awards, and has also been published numerous times. Most recently, it was published in Washington Life magazine. For the article and recent photos, see Picture Perfect.