Residents in Northwest Florida and the world-wide public at large voted online for their favorite buildings in the fifth annual People’s Choice Competition, launched on June 20 by the Florida Association of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Florida) and the Florida Foundation for Architecture. The buildings on this year’s ballot were completed in the previous five years. With more than one million votes cast from 14 countries and 21 states, this year’s winner is the Levin Center for IHMC Research designed by Quina Grundhoefer Architects.
Carter Quina, AIA, who was the lead architect on the project, was thrilled by the news that his design had won the Florida People’s Choice Award.
“As architects, we of course like it when our peers evaluate our work and recognize us. But to have your design receive recognition from everyday people is even more special. If people love what we’ve designed, then we’ve done our job,†said Quina. “This is really a great honor for us.â€
The building faced stiff competition for the award.
“The competition was quite fierce,†said Vicki Long, CAE, Hon. AIA, AIA Florida executive vice president. “Three top contenders were in a continuous back and forth race for first place, but the Institute for Human Machine Cognition held its late lead and captured the race! It was exciting to see the votes coming in fast and furious.â€
A total of 39 buildings were nominated in this year’s People’s Choice Competition. Submissions from across the state included other top vote-getters the Tampa Riverwalk, Care Point Health and Wellness Center in Tallahassee and the Kate Tiedemann College of Business located in St. Petersburg. The buildings nominated shape Florida’s topography and create a distinct architectural style for which Florida is known.
The winners were announced at AIA Florida’s Annual Convention at the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. on July 21 where Carter Quina, AIA, accepted the award.