RWA Architects has received the 1st Runner Up Unlimited Residential Award from ICF Builder Magazine. This national award, presented at the World of Concrete Expo in Las Vegas on February 3, 2016, recognizes innovative use of insulating concrete forms (ICF’s) in both residential and commercial construction throughout North America. ICF’s are a structural wall system consisting of two layers of foam insulation which serve as the formwork for poured in place reinforced concrete. The insulating forms remain in place creating thick, durable exterior walls with exceptional thermal performance and sound reduction properties.
Out of 58 submissions from across the nation in 7 categories, RWA was recognized for a new, custom, single-family residence located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The jurors were drawn to the beauty and sophistication of the design along with the creative use of ICF’s for not only the exterior walls, but the home theater enclosure, steam shower, and wine cellar. The homeowners expressed a desire for an heirloom home with “good bones” that would last for generations. The durability and energy savings potential of ICF construction proved to be an excellent choice to satisfy that desire. Additional sustainable measures include a sealed attic with spray foam insulation, LED lighting, and geothermal heating and cooling system.
Inside the home, the attributes that only an ICF construction can provide include thick walls, accented paneled jambs or deep plaster window returns, and an unusually quiet interior environment enhance the sense of timeless quality. The home features outdoor rooms and roof terraces of stone paving on structural ICF slabs that overlook and access the swimming pool and recreational areas of the estate. Situated in a community of luxury estate homes, this ICF residence makes a statement that stick framing is not the only way to build a home of this magnitude.
Member City of Cincinnati Energy Conservation Grant Committee 2010 -2012
Member of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) Cincinnati Regional Chapter
Co-Chair of the Cincinnati AIA Congress of Residential Architecture Committee (CORA), 2005-2007
AIA CRAN AG Chairman 2013, AIA CRAN AG Incoming Chairman, 2012
Founding Member of CRAN KC Advisory Group, 2006 – 2011
Member of the National AIA Custom Residential Architects Network (CRAN) advisory committee 2005 – Present
Member of Cincinnati AIA Cincinnati Design Awards (CDA) Committee, 2005-Present
Recipient of AIA Cincinnati Chapter Presidents Award, 2005
American Ground Water Trust Workshop, LEED Platinum Design: A Path to Net Zero Energy Building Considerations in the going the Distance to Net Zero, 2013
Co-presenter of presentation entitled “Are Your Residential Architects Providing (or Finding) Membership Value,” AIA Grassroots, Washington, D.C. 2012
Co-presenter of presentation entitled “Adding Value to Your Members and Dollars to Your Budget through Knowledge Community Connections,” AIA CACE/KLA, Philadelphia. 2011
Served on the Steering Committee for the AIA Custom Residential Architects Network (CRAN) 2013 National Symposium, “Elevating the Art of Residential Design & Practice” Santa Fe, NM
Served on the Steering Committee for the AIA Custom Residential Architects Network (CRAN) 2012 National Symposium, “Elevating the Art of Residential Design & Practice” Newport, RI
Served on the Steering Committee for the AIA Custom Residential Architects Network (CRAN) 2011 National Symposium, “Elevating the Art of Residential Design & Practice” New Orleans
Served on the Steering Committee for the AIA Custom Residential Architects Network (CRAN) 2010 National Symposium, “Looking back to Move Forward” Austin, TX
Served on the Steering Committee for the AIA Custom Residential Architects Network (CRAN) 2008 Leadership Conference in Minneapolis, “Learning from the Lakers” Minneapolis, MN
Served on the Steering Committee for the AIA Custom Residential Architects Network (CRAN) 2007 National Symposium, “Full Spectrum Practice” Chicago, IL
Co-presenter of presentation entitled “Trends and Tools for Custom Residential Architects” at the 2006 AIA National Convention for Custom Residential Architects Network (CRAN)
Co-presenter of presentation entitled “What to Look for in Best Practices for Residential Contractors” Congress of Residential Architects (CORA), Reinvention 2005, Coral Gables, FL December 2005
Member of Contemporary Art Center – Present
Member of Cincinnati Art Museum – Present
Docent, Cincinnati Art Museum, 2008 – Present
Member of the Hyde Park Business Association
Member of the Board of Directors for Mercy Neighborhood Ministries, 2007-Present
President of the Board of Directors for Healing Connections Associates, Inc., 2005-2007
Past Member of the Board of Directors for Healing Connections Associates, Inc., 1998-2005
Past Member of the Board of Directors for Chatfield College, 1999- 2005
Past Member of the Mariemont Planning Commission, 1999-2002
Past President and Board Member of Historic Southwest Ohio (HSO), 1990-1996
Participated in a charrette for the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood on January 19, 2008, sponsored by the Architectural Foundation of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Preservation Association, and AIA Cincinnati. The charrette highlighted design opportunities for in-fill projects within the historic neighborhood. Approximately 120 people attended.
One of six jurors who reviewed spring semester graduate thesis presentations at Miami University Department of Architecture and Interior Design 2015
Juror for the Master’s degree program, SEC Studio, Advanced Building Design, University of Cincinnati SAID, Summer Semester 2017
