EYRC’s project team for the Leimert Park Community Fridge has received multiple awards over the past few months. Their considerate design was triple recognized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), beginning with a National AIA Design Award - Small Projects win earlier this year.
“The project is a thoughtfully designed modular system for the sharing, display, and distribution of surplus grocery items, but perhaps its greatest strength is that it provides the perfect participatory ‘blank canvas’ or framework for the community to engage, adapt and customize.”
— 2022 AIA Small Project Awards Jury
The team continued to rack up honors on both regional and local levels with a recent Special Commendation in Design for Equitable Communities from the AIA California and a powerful Honor Award from the AIA Los Angeles.
"An incredibly thoughtful project that serves the needs of the community in an equitable way."
— 2022 AIA CA Design Awards Jury
“This is a smart, community driven design in its most distilled form. The project exhibited an inclusive process that yielded highly adaptable, practical and beautiful outcomes.”
— 2022 AIA LA Design Awards Jury
Along with the AIA accolades, Leimert Park Community Fridge also count among the projects recognized in this year's Southern California Development Forum (SCDF) Design Awards.
We are deeply honored by the positive response and all esteemed recognition this project is receiving. The project team – led by our internal Design Justice Committee (DJC) – will continue their work in hope to serve as “an example to the larger architectural community, by encouraging the unraveling of our unconscious biases as designers, expanding our positive impact on local communities, and actively encouraging a more equitable and diverse architectural profession.” — Extract from DJC’s Mission Statement