As we approach the end of a challenging 2020, we feel lucky to reflect on our productive – if unusual – year. Although people everywhere had to adapt to the new rhythms of remote work, we are grateful to have continued most of our projects, completed some, and started new ones. In August, we had a conversation with Paolo Campos, Associate Principal at Patriquin Architects, discussing the ways in which remote work has produced exciting changes to technology and collaboration.

Looking Back on a Challenging yet Rewarding Year

Let’s dive in! Here are the “official” Patriquin Architects favorite projects (and moments) of 2020:

Favorite International Travel
Max in Peru

Max started the year in his native Peru, where he visited family and toured some unique places such as the city of Arequipa. There he played architectural tourist, got some amazing shots of the beautiful historic architecture and landscapes, and wrote about it for our Traveling Architect series. 

Favorite Housing / Planning Project
Woodruff Housing

The design of this residential community is an opportunity to create affordable apartments in Guilford – close to transit, the town green, and the public beach, with a connection to nature, a community garden, bike paths, and walking paths. This energy-efficient housing will be built for longevity and resiliency. In a large Town Meeting in January, citizens in Guilford overwhelmingly approved to dedicate the town property to this use and to this development and design team.

Favorite Construction Project
Saint Mary Place

Under construction since mid-2019, the Saint Mary Place project is nearly complete, creating 20 affordable apartments and amenities in the historic Saint Mary Star of the Sea School building in New London. We hope to deliver the apartments to new tenants early in the new year. 

Favorite Socially-Distant Team Outing
Kayak Trip

In July, after four months apart, our team decided to have a fun – and socially-distanced – outdoor reunion. We took a kayak trip through the Thimble Islands in Branford, CT, from Stony Creek all the way to Outer Island, where we were able to catch up on everything that has been going on in our personal lives and current projects. The trip ended with a delicious lunch at Stony Creek Beach and a toast to celebrate good health!

Favorite Built Project
Trinity Baptist Church

This year the Trinity Baptist Church addition was successfully completed. This new building creates a new entry to the campus and connects 3 buildings, adding much-needed classroom and meeting spaces. The virtual dedication took place in November and the congregation will return as soon as possible.

Favorite Technical Challenge 
King’s Block / 20 Grand Avenue Passive House Retrofit 

As a firm that believes strongly in passive house principles and is certified in passive house design, we are in the process of retrofitting our own three-story masonry office building. Known as the “King’s Block,” it’s the oldest remaining Federalist commercial building in New Haven, and is located in a historic district with strict regulations on exterior improvements. As a result, we have been tangling with the technical puzzle of confining most of our updates to the building’s interior, including new heavily-insulated walls, continuous air barrier, interior triple-pane windows, and extremely efficient mechanical systems.

Favorite On-the-Boards
Slate Upper School

2020 saw the design kickoff of an exciting new project for our firm: a campus for Slate Upper School. Continuing on the success of Slate Lower School, this new facility will serve students in grades 7-12. Programming will be spread between a new Academic Building, the adaptive reuse of an existing church building into a Performing Arts center, and various outdoor working spaces. We are eager to continue developing this project, and others, in the new year!

Favorite Awards
Women in Architecture Award, Elizabeth Mills Brown Award, AIA CT Sustainability Award

We were fortunate to be honored with several exciting awards this year:

• • Karin Patriquin won the inaugural award from AIA CT Women in Architecture Committee. The Women in Architecture Award honors female architects who demonstrate design excellence, promote equitable practice, and are creating positive change in the profession.
  • Roìa Restaurant received the AIA CT 2020 Elizabeth Mills Brown Award of Excellence. The jury complimented the project by saying, “This preservation and restoration project brings back the feel of the original space, leaving traces of the renovations behind with clues in the flooring… It creates a wonderful feeling of being in an historic place where the passage of time is not only noted but celebrated.”
  • Slate School received the AIA CT Sustainable Architecture Award of Merit, which recognizes the efforts of licensed architects who have developed and demonstrated ways to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, reduce energy use and demand, and conserve water use in the built or unbuilt environment.

What’s in Store for the Year Ahead?

If you have building or renovation projects in mind for the year ahead and will be looking to collaborate with an experienced architecture firm, we’re happy to tell you about our services. Please contact us at your convenience. Happy New Year!