On October 21 the Boston Preservation Alliance presented its inaugural President's Award for Excellence to Howard Elkus FAIA, RIBA, LEED AP and David Manfredi FAIA, LEED AP, founders of Elkus Manfredi Architects. The award honors them for their numerous contributions to the architectural quality and vibrancy of Boston, including major contributions to the revitalization of Boston's downtown Theatre District and the rebirth of the Seaport District. The region's leading architects, developers, preservationists, and craftsmen came together at historic Faneuil Hall to celebrate the accomplishments of this year's winners, which, going forward, will be bestowed annually to recognize outstanding achievements in historic preservation and compatible new construction in Boston.
Past projects of Elkus Manfredi that have won the Alliance's prestigious annual Preservation Achievement Award include Emerson College's Paramount Center and Cutler Majestic Theatre, as well as the MBTA's Charles/MGH Red Line Station, the American Brewery Lofts, and Liberty Wharf in the Seaport District. Other Elkus Manfredi projects that have had a major impact on the city include the new headquarters of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the Seaport, the Eli and Edythe Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, the InterContinental Hotel on Fort Point Channel, and the current the revitalization of Faneuil Hall Marketplace.
In accepting the award, Elkus noted the responsibility inherent in building in Boston today. "We recognize the wealth of treasures that we have inherited from those generations who have looked after the city before us. Just as we are the temporary caretakers who will hand them over to the generations to come by weaving them into the fabric of the new city."
Manfredi said, "The historic buildings of everyday life - the warehouse and storage buildings, the department stores and row houses and churches - buildings and businesses that fall out of favor but have now proven to be suitable, even ideal, for the next generation of innovative workplaces and innovative housing. The BPA effectively and insistently advocates for protecting and rebuilding these sustainable urban places."
The Alliance also named ten Boston projects as 2014 Preservation Achievement Awardwinners, and recognized Toni Pollak with the Codman Award for Lifetime Achievement for her dedication to Boston's built and natural environments and the many positions she has held throughout her career.
The Great Hall at Faneuil Hall, where numerous U.S. Presidents have spoken, was filled with attendees for the awards ceremony. Guests then walked the red carpet to the adjacent Greenhouse for a festive "pop-up" reception where replica cut-outs of the award-winning buildings were on display and available for photo ops.