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Santa Fe by Ryan Gobuty. Image courtesy AIALA.
The Los Angeles chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA|LA) has announced this year’s winners of the annual Architectural Photography Awards.
Fifteen individual artists and photographers working locally and around the world were recognized across three separate categories of Best Image, Rendering, and Instagram feed.
Individual winners like the UK’s Marcus Peel were commended for their “interplay of the monochromatic colors and the shadows that almost sets this abstract shape in perpetual motion.” A statement from AIA|LA said, “the 2022 suite of winning photographs also demonstrate how successfully photographers can reinterpret well-known work.”
The jury was composed of photographer Ashok Sinha, Montalba Architects founder David Montalba, FAIA, and Shimahara Visual CEO Elizabeth Parker. Winners were divided into Honor, Merit, and Citation, with Honor representing the highest level award.
BEST IMAGE — HONOR
Santa Fe by Ryan Gobuty, Assoc. AIA
(Architecture by Legoretta)
Jury comments: An exquisite portrayal of a harmonious and vivid color palette playing with shadows
and dappling light. The artistic quality and dynamic use of color and space is striking! The
dynamic quality of this image is incomparable in the way that the light and shadows, building
angles, and of course the careful placement of ‘actors’ in this scene all play together.
Colnaghi lV
by Marcus Peel
(Architecture by Crawford and Gray Architects)
Colnaghi lV by Marcus Peel. Image courtesy AIALA.
Jury comments: An outstanding capture highlighting tonal contrast and intersecting and curved
leading lines that create a compelling and mesmerizing photo. Absolutely stunning! The curves
of this staircase lend a sensual quality to this image, while the abstract nature of the framing of
this image forces us to get lost in its curves and shadows and the various geometric shapes that
emerge as you wander through the photograph. What truly sets this image apart is the interplay
of the monochromatic colors and the shadows that almost sets this abstract shape in perpetual
motion.
HONOR (TRIPTYCH)
Surface, Absence, The Return by Scott Lorenzen, Affiliate AIALA
(Architecture by Atelier David Tellerman)
Surface by Scott Lorenzen. Image courtesy AIALA.
Absence by Scott Lorenzen. Image courtesy AIALA.
The Return by Scott Lorenzen. Image courtesy AIALA.
Jury comments: These images transport us to a land of wonder and imagination–the geometric
patterns and the interplay of light and shadow accentuated by the architecture are nothing short
of magical, and the formality of the straight lines and hard shadows highlight the wonder of this
place. This collection of images was striking not only for its
immediacy of intent but its poetic silence. It brings the viewer in and opens up a new window
into a moment of time that was captured with clear intention, sublime composition, and the
orchestration of light that ultimately is unmatched in any of the other work we reviewed. | Both
architectural and aspirational, these photographs have a timeless sensibility and contrast that is
profound, soft yet hard, black and white yet colorful, quiet yet loud; they echo in our memory as
a reminder of how great photography can impact us all.
MERIT
Wrap the Triomphe
by Jonathan Ducrest
(Art Installation by Christo and Jeanne-Claude)
Wrap the Triomphe by Jonathan Ducrest. Image courtesy AIALA.
Jury comments: What makes this image special is the overall grey tonality of the image that
seamlessly ‘bleeds’ into the sky, along with a plaza almost devoid of people makes its presence
otherworldly. It is very difficult to make an image of a location that has been photographed a
million times, as in the case of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. In this case however, the
photographer chose to show this landmark wrapped in fabric created by artist duo Christo and
Jeanne-Claude, and shows us something unfamiliar about a very familiar subject.
C-Glass House
by Taiyo Watanabe
(Architecture by Deegan Day Design and Architecture)
C-Glass House by Taiyo Watanabe. Image courtesy AIALA.
Jury comments: The C-Glass House seems to float in its surrounding lush environment and the
all-glass structure adds to its sense of weightlessness and transparency. The photographer
has carefully chosen the perfect time of day to execute and plan this image. Our eyes are
immediately drawn to the interiors of this magical house, and long streaks of the stars in the
dusk sky adds an element of motion in quite an unexpected yet stunning manner.
Monolith by Darren Bradley
(Architecture by William Pereira)
Monolith by Darren Bradley. Image courtesy AIALA.
Jury comments: While this building has been a landmark for so long, its structure is very much
celebrated in this image, along with these contrasting relationships noted. A great photo of a
great work of architectural history in the San Diego area. The contrasts of this image are hard
to avoid, the scale of the structure itself relative to the two people preciously placed below in
conversation, or the hardness of the concrete while set in the foreground of the eucalyptus
grove, with the sky seemingly mediating each.
BEST RENDERING — HONOR
Hill House
Rendering by Robin Donaldson, AIA
Hill House Rendering by Robin Donaldson, AIA. Image courtesy AIALA.
Jury comments: The artist uses a creative and unique perspective for this imaginative medium. The
emphasis and balance of shape, texture, color (or lack thereof) is masterful. Whimsical yet
clearly calculated, its contrast and intentional departure from the traditional rendering styles we
all see so much of really set this apart. Dreamy yet clearly expressing the intentions of the
project; it’s a great reminder to run your own race. A captivating work of art!
MERIT
Dolford residential master plan by Brooks Murray Architects
Dolford residential master plan by Brooks Murray Architects. Image courtesy AIALA.
Jury comments: The visual storytelling and painterly feel give this image a unique and whimsical
approach to rendering. The composition immediately draws you into the narrative that is
beautifully enhanced by atmosphere and drama.
BEST INSTAGRAM FEED — FIRM
Arturo+Lauren (Instagram handle: @arturo.and.lauren)
Image courtesy AIALA.
Jury comments: Beautiful use of content and cadence to the posting strategy. The content feels
consistent with their brand. Love how they experiment with film, behind the scenes and
imagery while feeling designed and intentional. Dynamic visual balance! Arturo and Lauren
strike the right balance of showcasing their professionalism and individual personalities. The
feed features an array of high quality beautiful client work, with thoughtful snippets of videos and
behind the scene footage that paints a picture of not only their brand but also the people
behind it.
BEST INSTAGRAM FEED — INDIVIDUAL
Paul Marquez (Instagram handle: @360photo)
Image courtesy AIALA.
Jury comments: The quality of the work is striking and the format and photography felt consistent
with the brand. There is a synergy between the posts that is felt throughout the entire grid. Paul Marquez / 360photo has an impressive body of work beautifully displayed in a unique
non-traditional grid on his Instagram feed. The visual language underlying the posts is
consistent and of high quality, including the choice of one-word captions that makes his
Instagram feed a delight to scroll!
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