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Maria Ogrydziak
Maria Ogrydziak Architecture
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email: maria@oarch.com
Maria Ogrydziak Architecture Wins 2006 AIACV Design Award
Local architect’s home design for an avid kayaker and his family sited on the South Fork of the AmericanRiver wins prestigious AIA Central Valley Design Award, the only custom residence selected.
Sacramento, CA, November 13, 2006 -- Maria Ogrydziak Architecture received a 2006 AIACV Design Award for the custom residence entitled ‘Kayak House.’ The Design Awards -- the most prestigious architectural honors in the Central Valley -- are bestowed by the American Institute of Architects Central Valley Chapter (AIACV) every two years to celebrate the best in design by California Central Valley architects.
Wes Sander of Comstock Magazine writes of the 2006 award winners, “in the past two years, work by members of the American Institute of Architects Central Valley Chapter has spanned a wide spectrum – from institutional buildings of arresting grandeur to smaller structures whose expressive qualities reach beyond their dimensions. Among the recipients of this year’s awards... are cutting-edge commercial facilities, thoughtful government structures, and a striking residence [the ‘Kayak House’].”
The ‘Kayak House’, located on “river right” on the South Fork of the American River, is a 3,700 square-foot residence designed for an avid kayaker and his wife overlooking one of the best kayak runs in Northern California. The house is built as a dialogue between the spatial interior and the dynamism of the river and surrounding scenery. The soaring, 25-foot high, living room constructed of earth-hued, split face, masonry, faces the river, with a window wall framing an ever-changing tableau of kayaks and rafts floating past. The 35-foot high dining room clad in Douglas fir faces the owner’s private kayak launch.
The jury comments: ”as its central function, this California foothill residence … celebrates kayaking and its surrounding environment, which includes the American River’s south fork, a premium arena for the sport. Glass walls frame a popular rapid as well as the owner’s private launch. Concrete block walls and steel framing, along with a metal deck and roof, give the structure a permanence that was also among the project’s top criteria. The large windows and towering ceilings help bring the outdoors in, while the un-landscaped grounds and exposed building joints emphasize the setting’s unpolished beauty.”
The ‘Kayak House’ has also been recognized for its sustainable design features, winning a California Concrete Masonry Award and a National Metal Architecture Design Award for its combination of aesthetics and sustainability integrating masonry and metalwork. The project is featured in the upcoming book “Dream Homes of Northern California,” available in 2007.
About Maria Ogrydziak Architecture
Maria Ogrydziak Architecture is a Davis, CA based architecture firm specializing in custom, site-specific design in the USA and Europe. Founded over 25 years ago, with over 500 built projects, we create architecture which is expressive and meaningful, influential and innovative: architecture to improve the world we live in. For more information, visit www.oarch.com.
About the AIA Central Valley Chapter
The mission of AIA Central Valley is to improve the quality of the built environment by further raising the standards of architectural education, training and practice; fostering design excellence; and promoting the value of architectural services to the public. For more information, visit www.aiacv.org.
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