SANTA ANA, Calif., Sept. 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — On Thursday, September 19, 2019, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Orange County Chapter honored Executive Architect SVA Architects and Design Architect Fernau + Hartman Architects with a 2019 Design Award for UC Riverside’s The Barn. The AIA OC Design Awards program commends extraordinary design from member architects, particularly for projects which include a sense of place, purpose, and environmental sustainability. A jury of industry thought leaders selected The Barn as one of 18 top projects from 75 submissions. The Barn’s Citation Award in the Unbuilt Commercial Category recognizes SVA Architects and Fernau + Hartman Architects as firms which envision, design, and shape exceptional community spaces.
Receiving a $20 million renovation and expansion, The Barn is among the oldest structures on the UC Riverside campus and a cherished element of the collective campus memory. The Barn was originally a horse stable built in 1916 as part of several farm maintenance buildings at the Citrus Experiment Station. Shortly after the UC Riverside campus opened in 1954, the original horse barn served as the first student cafeteria, and later as a venue for campus events and student groups. After a fire in 1970, it was rebuilt as a campus bar and entertainment venue. By the mid-1980s, The Barn’s reputation as a concert venue was at an all-time high, eventually hosting musical acts such as Radiohead, Incubus, Van Morrison, No Doubt, and the Allman Brothers Band. The Barn last underwent renovations in the mid-1990s.
Reimagined as a central gathering space to create a sense of community, the new Barn will bring together dinning, events, and entertainment. The redesign of The Barn includes a renovation to the restaurant, a new theater, an outdoor patio with a permanent stage, and a faculty/staff dining area with a bar. When complete, The Barn complex will be able to accommodate up to 400 people.
Robert Simons, AIA, President of SVA Architects, states, “It’s very rewarding to have our design recognized by such a prestigious organization. We’d like to thank the AIA for honoring The Barn, and for joining us in celebrating its role in the campus’ past and its reinvigorated future.”
About SVA Architects, Inc.
Founded in 2003, SVA Architects has become one of the Country’s most innovative and respected design and planning organizations. The award-winning firm specializes in urban planning, architecture, and interior design of public, private, and mixed-use projects. Among the firm’s portfolio are civic, educational, residential, commercial and mixed-use developments. SVA Architects values institutional and public environments as the foundation of a community and the backdrop against which we live, learn, work, worship, and play. The company is headquartered in Santa Ana with offices in Oakland, San Diego, and Honolulu. For more information, visit www.sva-architects.com.
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SOURCE SVA Architects, Inc.
