The AIA Huron Valley Chapter in Ann Arbor, MI, recognized Quinn Evans projects with two honor awards at their 2024 awards ceremony. The jury selected the 20^th Century African American Civil Rights Sites project for the Aspirational Award, and the Heritage Hall project at the Michigan State Capitol for the Large Building Award.

The AIA Huron Valley Awards celebrate excellence in design, highlights projects that promote sustainable practices and put an emphasis on community engagement, encourages professional development, and inspires future generations.

We absolutely love the idea of preservation of significant historical constructs, especially as it relates to the Black community of Detroit. It definitely reflects the aspirations of diversity, equity and inclusion, and Community benefit.

-JUROR’S REMARKS, 20^th Century African American Civil rights sites

The 20^th Century African American Civil Rights Sites project is one of the fewer than 10% of sites in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) that reflects the histories of women and/or African American, Latino, Asian-Pacific, Native American, and LGBTQIA+ people. Quinn Evans and Centric Design Studio, a Black-led, woman-owned firm that is now part of Quinn Evans, led a collaborative project to develop a historic context and evaluate over 100 sites dating from the early 1900s to the mid-1970s for eligibility for the NRHP, representing the unique fabric of the city’s 20th century civil rights legacy.

The Quinn Evans team’s historic preservation expertise and deep roots within the City of Detroit added a necessary layer to the delicate nature of the effort. In collaboration with the project Advisory Board, 30 sites were selected for an intense level survey and five sites were formally nominated and listed in the NRHP: The Birwood Wall; New Bethel Baptist Church; the Shrine of the Black Madonna of the Pan African Orthodox Church; WGPR TV; and the Rosa and Raymond Parks Flat. A GIS-based bike tour highlights over 20 civil rights sites related to the theme of resistance.

You really get a sense for what were some of the main drivers, how did the form come to be, the graphic quality is lovely, the photography is great, from a storytelling perspective you more fully understand this project in its entirety.

-JUROR’S REMARKS, Heritage Hall

The underground expansion at the Michigan State Capitol introduces exciting and educational opportunities for visitors within the historic facility's context. Heritage Hall provides a gracious entry experience that welcomes people of all abilities. All spaces inside the hall are designed to be fully accessible, including both levels of the auditorium. Using daylight modeling tools and on-site daylight measurements, we fine-tuned their design to minimize glare and heat gain while creating authentic connections to the Capitol.

The Heritage Hall project team included Beckett &Raeder, Silman, Loring Consulting, GHD, Schuler Shook, Gary Steffy Lighting Design, Wiss Janney Elstner Associates, and Strategic Energy Solutions.

Quinn Evans is a leading design firm with a focus on historic preservation and cutting-edge adaptive use design strategies. With a deep commitment to sustainability and the renewal of the built environment, Quinn Evans is a charter signatory of the AIA 2030 Commitment and a member of the Center for the Built Environment.