Its By Design

GRAND RAPIDS — West Michigan design will get its own night next month when the Grand Valley Chapter of the American Institute of Architects recognizes the best of the best with the 2006 Honor Awards.

This year’s event takes place on March 11 in

DeVos Place

and features awards in three categories: building, interior architecture and sustainable. Twenty-eight projects have been nominated for Honor Awards, with 19 in the building category, five in interior architecture and four in the sustainable grouping.

The Coloma Public Library, Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Wayland, Forest Hills Eastern High School and Middle School, the Old Lake Court Residence and DeVos Place are just a sample of the wide-ranging and uniquely designed structures nominated for an award in the building category.

Mercantile Bank, CedarSpringsMiddle School, the Herman Miller Hickory site in SpringLake, the WestMichiganCenter for Arts and Technology, and the JubileeChristianCenter in San Jose, Calif., are up for an Honor Award for interior architecture.

The award nominees in the sustainable category are Forest HillsEasternHigh School and Middle School, the BunkerInterpretiveCenter, Keystone Community Church of Ada, and the Sherwood Lodge at Girl Scouts Camp Anna Behrens in Greenville

Integrated Architecture and Progressive AE each designed four nominated projects, while Design Plus Inc. drew up three.

AMDG Architects Inc., BETA Design, Concept Design Group, Fishbeck, Thompson Carr & Huber, URS Corp., and Wolverine Construction Management each designed two nominated projects.

GMB Architecture & Engineering, Hooker/DeJong Architects & Engineers, Schemata Inc., Tower Pinkster Titus Associates, and Visbeen Associates each have one project up for an award.

The 2006 AIA Grand Valley Honor Awards Gala will begin with a reception at 6 p.m., with dinner and the awards program following at 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $75 per person.