The International Parking Institute (IPI) has announced the winners of their 2010 International Parking Institute’s Awards of Excellence Competition. Each year, the competition recognizes world-class examples of parking design and program innovation.
This year’s winners reflect a parking industry trend toward sustainability with many of the projects incorporating LEED certification, energy efficient lighting, use of solar panels, advanced technologies and innovative approaches that reduce the need for more parking spaces.
To see all the winners, click here. The three awards of excellence after the break.
Towson Town Center Garage Expansion
A key part of the transformation of Towson Town Center from a simple indoor shopping mall to a premier shopping destination was the expansion of an existing parking facility to accommodate the mall’s growth. In addition to featuring an inviting walkway with ornate ceilings and vibrant lighting which connects the garage to the mall, the expansion includes a significant amount of mixed-used space for additional retail and dining, giving Towson Town Center a welcoming, pedestrian-friendly “main street” feel.
Car Park One at Chesapeake, Oklahoma City
The positive experience for visitors of Car Park One begins on entry, where displays reading “Welcome Back” or “Have a Great Day” greet them. Bright white walls and long sight lines provide a sense of security, while bold graphics and primary colors provide an easy way to for visitors to navigate. An interior atrium flooded with natural light sustains the positive mood. Car Park One does all this while appearing unrecognizable as a garage from the outside thanks to a “transparent” mesh wall which conceals vehicles from view and turns alternately gold, purple, yellow and blue in the sunlight.
Sony Electronics Headquarters Parking Structure
The new parking garage at Sony Electronics’ San Diego headquarters was designed both with Sony’s employees and the environment in mind. Built to match the new office building it neighbors, the garage is connected to the building by more than just their matching stone and glass facades. A glass-railed bridge provides employees with direct access not only to the parking structure, but to the fitness center, activity deck and basketball court atop it. In addition, the garage was built to LEED Silver certification specifications by incorporating solar panels, preferred parking for carpools and energy efficient vehicles, covered bicycle parking, natural storm water filtration and native, drought tolerant landscaping.
