The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce today announced the 17 winners of the 8th annual Building Brooklyn Awards™. The Building Brooklyn Awards recognize recently completed construction and renovation projects that enrich Brooklyn’s neighborhoods and economy.

“This year’s judging committee selected 17 projects that represent some of the best that Brooklyn has to offer in design, architecture, creativity and sustainability,” said Brooklyn Chamber President & CEO Carl Hum.

An independent, nine-member panel of Brooklyn-based architects, planners, economic development experts and city officials selected the winning projects.  Projects were judged on a list of criteria, including overall aesthetic and design, positive economic impact, improving the quality of life, providing critical neighborhood services and amenities, demonstrating a commitment to quality design and pre-existing architectural character, and demonstrating an aesthetic sensitivity to the surrounding community.

The Brooklyn Chamber is proud to announce the 17 winning projects that will be honored on July 17 at Stage 6 at Steiner Studios in the Brooklyn Navy Yard: 

1. Center for the Urban Environment (CUE) Headquarters in the Adaptive Re-Use category: This 16,000 square-foot renovation adapted two floors of a 20th century industrial warehouse building into a cutting edge LEED certified headquarters.  (Gowanus) 

2. Glenmore Gardens in the Affordable Housing category: These 10, semi-detached, 2,200 square-foot two-family homes were designed to encourage developers to create affordable housing as part of Mayor Bloomberg’s plan to create 165,000 units of affordable housing over 10 years. (East New York)

3. Crescendo in the Arts & Culture category: The brilliant green and blue colors are used to accentuate the geometry and directional quality of the structure and emphasize the 105th Street subway station's structural elements. (Canarsie) 

4. Floating Pool Lady in the Brooklyn Innovator category: Inspired by early 20th century floating bathhouses, the 260-foot long steel barge was purchased in Louisiana and transformed into a floating pool complex, hosting over 50,000 swimmers in the summer of 2007. (Brooklyn Heights) 

5. Brooklyn Central Library Entry Plaza & Auditorium in the Community Facility category:
The existing space beneath this newly restored Plaza became the Library’s new Auditorium and Cultural Center, which includes a lobby gathering space, galleries and a 184-seat Auditorium. (Prospect Park East)

6. PS1/Bergen School Library in the Education – Interiors category: This project includes worktables and seating for 32 second to fifth graders and a reading aloud space for 25 to 30 younger children. (Sunset Park) 

7. Poly Prep Lower School in the Education – New Construction category: Poly’s new addition adds 18,000 square feet on four levels to the mansion’s existing 22,000 square feet, providing eight additional classrooms, a dance studio and a multi-purpose room. The newly expanded building is the first school in New York City to achieve LEED Green Building Certification. (Park Slope) 

8. 135 Joralemon Street in the Historic Preservation category: 135 Joralemon is a wood-frame, Federal-style townhouse built prior to 1833 that has survived neglect, fire and nearly two years of abandonment to be transformed into one of the finest examples of Federal residential architecture in the city. (Brooklyn Heights) 

9. Public Plaza at the Marriott in the Landscape/Open Space category: The Plaza was designed as a series of pedestrian nodes that were established as either open gathering spaces with perimeter seating or seating courtyards that are substantially landscaped. (Downtown Brooklyn) 

10. State Renaissance Court in the Large Scale Affordable Housing category: The project is a new construction consisting of 158 units, with over 16,000 square feet of retail space and a 72-car parking garage. Thirty percent of the units are targeted to very low and low-income families, 20% are targeted to middle income families and 50% are market rate units. (Downtown Brooklyn) 

11. J Condominium in the Large Scale Residential category: J Condominium is a 33-story, new construction, mixed-use development offering 267 luxury condominium apartments, five retail spaces and two parking garages for over 400 cars. (DUMBO) 

12. Greenbelt in the Mixed-Use category: Greenbelt is a mixed-use green building re-using 50% of an existing one-story structure in a 4,000 square-foot ground floor community facility dedicated to the arts while adding 10,000 square feet of entirely new construction for eight residential condominium units on four floors above.  (Williamsburg) 

13. 164 Atlantic in the Multi-Family Rehabilitation category: The project was a gut rehabilitation of an approximately 25,000 square-foot warehouse and conversion into eighteen one- and two-bedroom apartments with a ground floor retail space. (Boerum Hill) 

14. 14 Townhouses in the Neighborhood Scale Development category: These 14 Townhouses are the first phase of development for a two-acre urban renewal site. Individually, the 14 townhouses are a modern interpretation of the classic townhouse type. (Boerum Hill) 

15. Aviator Sports & Recreation in the Recreation category: The Aviator Team, in partnership with the National Parks Service, pioneered the restoration of four of the landmark airplane hangars to create a state-of-the-art multi-use recreational and athletic facility. (Marine Park) 

16. 377 Pacific Street in the Residential – 1-2 Dwellings category: A renovated 1930’s brick garage provides the base for a modern two-family, four-story townhouse project. (Boerum Hill) 

17. Dig in the Retail category: This garden store transformed an 800 square-foot vacant storefront into an oasis of perennials and annuals. (Boerum Hill) 

In addition to recognizing these 17 projects, the Chamber will also honor Mike Baker, store manager of IKEA Brooklyn, and Mary Brennan, senior vice president at The Community Preservation Corporation. 

For more information about the winning projects and the Building Brooklyn Awards event, please visit http://www.buildingbrooklynawards.com/ or call Cheryl Gladstone at (718) 875-1000 ext. 140.