Siebel Center Wins Architecture Award

5/1/2009

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Thomas M. Siebel Center for Computer Science
Thomas M. Siebel Center for Computer Science

The Thomas M. Siebel Center for Computer Science at Illinois has been recognized with a 2008 Design Award from the Pittsburgh chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The Siebel Center recieved one of five Honor Awards, granted for overall excellence for projects in the Architecture, Regional & Urban Design, and Interior Architecture categories.

The Architecture Honor Award recognized the building's architects, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson/LZT/Larson Design Group (which has offices in Pittsburgh). Turner Construction Company was the contractor for the project.

According to the judges' comments: "The architect very successfully breaks down the scale of this large building. There is a sense of finesse to the detailing. The interior spaces successfully juxtapose different materials like steel and copper. There is a skillful use of daylight to bring the space to light. The building has a very modern side and a very traditional side that are brilliantly juxtaposed. This project was the most accomplished large scale building the jury saw in all of the submissions."

Opened in April 2004, the Siebel Center is home to one of the nation's leading computer science programs, serving as a laboratory for exploring and evaluating 21st century computing environments. Within its walls, everyday devices have embedded intelligence and are able to adapt to context and use, sharing information and user preferences by means of ubiquitous communication networks.

The Siebel Center was made possible by a $32 million gift to the university from alumnus Tom Siebel and additional funding from the State of Illinois and the university. The center encompasses more than 225,000 square feet of classrooms, laboratories, and offices.

The building features embedded computers outside doors, offices and laboratories, streaming multimedia, and tracking--all connected by wireless and high-speed wired networks for distributed collaboration and adaptation. Interacting components in the building continuously negotiate with one another, adapting to changing inputs and context. All classrooms are fully automated and equipped with digital audio/video capture, wireless networking, and high-definition television displays.

The purpose of the AIA Design Awards is to recognize and promote excellence in the craft of architecture, as created by the members of the AIA. From 93 design award submissions juried, 16 awards were presented in six different categories. 


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This story was published May 1, 2009.