Architectural Awards

2015 Walla Walla 2020 Community Awards

The Grand Prize in Walla Walla 2020’s “Community Awards for a Decade” ceremony on April 27 went to the GESA Power House Theatre, “in honor of an outstanding contribution to the Walla Walla community through the adaptive reuse of an historic building as a vibrant center for civic and arts events.”

In addition to other architectural projects, special awards went to:

• The Sherwood Trust and its retiring CEO, Jock Edwards, for “significantly increasing the social capital and quality of life of the Walla Walla area for more than two decades.”
• The community rooftop solar project WW-FREE and its CEO Fred Liebrand “in honor of outstanding contributions to Walla Walla’s sustainability in pioneering an innovative community solar farm on public buildings.”
• Joe Drazan and his Bygone Walla Walla project, for “outstanding service to the community in preserving and publicizing our heritage through the collection and publishing of historic photographs of the Walla Walla area.”

The architectural projects honored in chronological order during the ceremony were:

• Walla Walla University Administration Building, Salmon Bay Design Group, Leone & Keeble, contractors, compatible new construction replacing an historic building
• Walla Walla County Legislative Building, Buffalo Design, Opp & Seibold, contractor, Rob Robison, project manager, reuse and renovation of historic building
• Marcy’s & Schwarz Troyer Automotive, Doug Schwarz & the late Norman Adams, owners, Dean Schwarz, contractor, renovation & reuse of two historic buildings
• Windows on the Past, Heritage Park, City of Walla Walla, owner, Blue Mountain Arts Alliance, contractor, Jeanne McMenemy, coordinator, outstanding public art
• O’Rourke Buildings, 329-345 S. 2nd, WRO Enterprises, owner, Stantec, architect, Allen Kettleson, contractor, exterior and interior renovation of historic buildings
• 366 S. Palouse, Jim Herbert & Gayle Seely, owners & contractor, Mark McNeilly present owner, restoration & renovation of historic home
• Charles Smith Wines, 35 S. Spokane, K Brands, owner, Olson Kundig, architect, Schuchart Construction, contractor, renovation & reuse of historic building
• WWCC Water & Environmental Center, ALSC, architects, Opp & Seibold and Corp Inc Construction, contractors, energy efficiency & collaborative use
• Whiteside Building, 51 E. Main, Ron & Dana Dunning, Raffaele Exiana, Ron Williams, Dennis Gisi, contributing owners, Raffaele Exiana & USKH, contributing architects, Terry Brown Construction, contractor, exterior restoration & multiuse interior renovation
• 527 E. Sumach, Justin Gillen & Elizabeth Sweeney, owners & contractor, Glenn & Kristine Hill, present owners and landscapers, restoration of historic home
• Goodwill Industries, Alder & Spokane, Olson Kundig, architects, Jeff Moeller Construction, contractor, attractive repurposing of historic building
• Mordo McDonald Building, 126 W. Poplar, Mari Danihel, 129 Alder, LLC, owner, Jeff Moeller Construction, contractor, exterior restoration & interior renovation
• Baker Boyer National Bank, Longwell & Trapp, architects, Opp & Seibold, contractors, compatible exterior & interior renovation in Walla Walla’s historic downtown
• Pantorium Building, 2nd & Rose, Jim & Brenda Harold, owners, Walt & Mark Porter, contractors, exterior restoration & interior renovation of historic building
• Lariat Gardens, Sumach & Spokane, WW Housing Authority, owner, Carlton Hart Architecture, architects, Opp & Seibold contractor, energy efficiency and substantial upgrading of a major low-income housing project.
• Founders and contributing owners of the GESA Power House Theatre are Harry Hosey and Judith Schulman, Dennis and Donna Ledford, and Mark and Patty Anderson. Harry Hosey envisioned and designed the project, Stantec was the architect, and Allen Kettleson was the contractor.