2021 was a great year for PAYETTE, including many accomplishments from project completions to industry recognitions. When approaching the design for this year’s sketchbook cover, I hoped to grasp onto that excitement and joy for our work as we enter into the new year.
We are fortunate that in 2021, two of our projects were recognized with 3 national American Institute of Architects Honor awards, the highest award the AIA can bestow upon a project. The Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex (ISEC) at Northeastern University received the AIA Architecture Award and AIA Regional and Urban Design Award, while our pro-bono project Beyond Walls received the AIA Regional and Urban Design Award.
In addition, the newly completed Rockwell Integrated Sciences Center at Lafayette College received 3 other national awards: AIA COTE® Top Ten Award, AIA Education Facility Design Award, and SCUP/AIA-CAE Excellence in Architecture Honor Award.
Receiving such recognition was very exciting news! With a clean and striking cover, our holiday card sketchbook implores to share these commemorations with our friends and partners.
The horizontal and vertical patterns constitute part of the number 6, the full design only revealed on the interior flysheet. The 6 itself stands for the 6 awards. The number is a conceptual motif vague enough for users to query and explore but simple enough to connect back to the reason for commemoration. Though the manufacturer faced a stock shortage during the process, I managed to select a beautiful, vibrant foil similar to PAYETTE’s magenta to color the front. The 6 lines of hot foil stamped magenta contrast with the subtle speckled blue background, the white and azure reminiscent of confetti, clear skies, and the glass of the buildings we design and build.
Aligned with PAYETTE’s sustainability ideals, the sketchbooks are meant to have a fruitful life before, during, and after use. This year, the books were delivered in 100% plastic free flat mailers. Our sketchbooks are designed to be durable enough to last through both the shipping process and everyday usage. When the book is completed, the bio-degradable seed paper cover can also be returned to the ground to bloom into wildflowers, herbs or vegetables.
All around the office, I spot the architects utilizing the sketchbooks to jot down meeting notes and ideas for ongoing and new projects. While moving forward is necessary, it remains valuable to take a moment to recognize the hard work and achievements of our colleagues and collaborators. It is a testament to how our profession continues to elevate itself as well as the AIA’s commitment to design excellence.
Thank you for celebrating with us!
Related CONTENT
2021 Sketchbook: When Design Empowers Community-Led Initiatives
The 2025 OpenLAB Boston studio work will be exhibited at Virginia Tech Monday, March 2nd through Wednesday, March 4th.
Please join us for the following events on Monday, March 2nd:
11:00am - Lecture with Parke MacDowell
1:00pm Lobby talk with Kevin Sullivan
This year’s studio identifies seven sites along the frayed edges of Boston’s Greenway. The Greenway is a one-mile-long linear park running through the heart of the city, reconnecting downtown Boston with its waterfront. Many of the parcels along its edges remain undeveloped and present mute, blank facades to the public realm. Addressing and repairing these edges through acts of infilling, layering, grafting, framing, and placemaking is the core focus of the studio—SUTURE.