If, as painter Hans Hoffman said, design is the intermediary between information and understanding, the Branch Museum of Architecture and Design’s VAxDesign Awards are the intermediary between recognizing visionary thinking and one of Richmond’s best Monument Avenue parties.
The VAxDesign Awards ceremony will be held on Oct. 18 at the Branch, Richmond’s home of design, and followed by a cocktail reception with music and a photo booth. Launched in 2018, the juried annual awards program turns the spotlight on Virginia’s visionary thinking and patronage in the design field, and this year will honor seven recipients.
Among them will be architect Burt Pinnock, lead architect for the Shockoe Project, who will be given the Vision in Design award for his 30-plus year career creating impactful works for neighborhoods and cultural institutions. Blacksburg’s Andrew Gipe-Lazarou will receive the Sally Brown Excellence in Education award for his Blind Design Workshop, the world’s only architecture career exploration experience for those with visual impairment. Calder Loth, the retired Senior Architectural Historian for the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, will receive the Branch Medallion, which acknowledges extraordinary patronage and support for architecture and/or design.
This year’s honorees reflect a diverse group of designers addressing some the of the most urgent matters in Virginia. “Our jury, led by Robert Easter, FAIA, NOMAC, had the challenging task of selecting winners from an incredible pool of applicants,” says the Branch’s Executive Director Heather Ernst. “The resulting collection of winners characterizes the visionary thinking and distinguishable efforts of Virginia designers we feel are truly worthy of celebrating.”
The 1919 Branch House has hosted many parties in its time. Fans of architecture and design are invited to put on their cocktail attire and join the Branch’s party honoring the people and institutions that have utilized design to make Virginia a more equitable, beautiful and productive space for all Virginians.
The VAxDesign Awards will be held on Oct. 18 from 6:30-9 p.m. at The Branch Museum of Architecture and Design, 2501 Monument Ave. Get tickets here
