Three projects by New Haven, Connecticut-based Pickard Chilton each received a 2018 Americas Property Award for Commercial High-Rise Architecture. The three office towers, all developed by Hines, include River Point in Chicago, Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons in Milwaukee and 609 Main at Texas in Houston. Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons and 609 Main were also recognized with Five Star awards.
The Americas Property Awards are one of several regional competitions hosted by the International Property Awards, which, for the past 25 years, has celebrated the highest levels of achievement by companies operating in all sectors of the commercial and residential property and real estate industry. Projects are judged by an independent panel of 80 industry experts on elements such as design, quality, service, innovation, originality and commitment to sustainability. Pickard Chilton and other honorees were recognized at the Americas Property Awards Gala Awards Presentation at the Toronto Marriott Downtown Eaton Center Hotel on September 20, 2018.
“Since the founding of our firm, we have partnered with superior architects who produce quality-designed buildings. We are proud to have worked with Pickard Chilton on these projects, and each winner is an outstanding example of design, functionality, efficiency, ingenuity and collaboration,” said Jerry Lea, executive vice president, conceptual construction at Hines, the developer of 609 Main, River Point and Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons.
River Point, a 52-story corporate tower surrounded by a 1.5-acre, terraced public park is located in Chicago’s bustling downtown, overlooking the confluence of the main, north and south branches of the Chicago River. The LEED CS Gold-certified project also includes sustainable design features such as low-flow water fixtures, a 50 percent green roof and native landscaping.
In addition to this recognition, the project has also been recognized by the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois, the Connecticut Green Building Council and the Chicago Building Congress. It received an American Architecture Award in 2018 and was a finalist for the Urban Land Institute’s 2017 Global Awards for Excellence.
The Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons create a high-performance urban campus that engages employees and the city of Milwaukee, while embodying Northwestern Mutual’s longstanding values. Implementing best practices in workplace design, the elegant thirty-two story glass office tower’s gently curved form at the eastern edge of the campus embraces the gardens and maximizes panoramic views.
As the heart of the project, the Commons creates a cohesive, clearly organized campus that provides training facilities, meeting spaces, dining and terraces overlooking their enhanced gardens. Nestled in the historic 1914 headquarters, a skylit atrium knits together the old with the new. The three-acre gardens and pedestrian-oriented streetscapes have reinvigorated the lakefront district’s urban vitality. The project was previously recognized with the City of Milwaukee Mayor’s Design award.