Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness.—Frank Gehry

Like art, architecture is constantly evolving as it relates to—and is affected by—our ever-changing environment. Orbis House, the winner in our commercial division, incorporates the important elements of a traditional Front Street façade while utilizing impressive glass walls to maximize its magnificent views of Hamilton Harbour on one side and Par-La-Ville park on the other.

While big commercial projects shift toward a global view, residential ones become even more personal—like the winner in our residential category, Ilios, which pays homage to its owner’s heritage while still drawing on traditional Bermudian architecture.

In this, our 17th Annual Bermuda Building Design Awards, our judges also honoured Magnolia House, a relatively small but well-considered, mixed-use building on Parliament Street, with a runner-up award. Honourable mentions went to Greenview Villas for their off-the-grid (electrically speaking) affordable development off Kyber Pass and New Venture House, dubbed by one judge as the “coolest industrial building in Bermuda.”

We are proud, once again, to be the voice of all that is best in Bermuda, and we’re grateful to our judges for giving us their time, dedication and informed opinions to help us celebrate local architectural design. We’d also like to thank our new sponsor, PureNERGY Renewables Ltd., a leader in renewable-energy solutions, for joining our celebration this year.

The Judges:

Peter Terceira, architect/owner, Terceira Quarterly Associates and TQ Limited

Elizabeth Caulfield, architect/partner, The Caulfield Partnership

Jill Henneberger, senior interior designer/partner, By Design Limited

Albert Moura, president, Moura & Associates

Written by Gilian Outerbridge