Civic

Surat Municipal Corporation High Rise Office Campus: Redefining Urban Governance: Surat city is one of the fastest-growing cities globally. With its burgeoning textile and diamond industries, it is considered the economic capital of Gujarat state. The present Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) headquarters is located in a very dense urban area in the old city, with other departmental offices of SMC scattered throughout the city. INI Design Studio The Surat Municipal Corporation is developing a new administrative head office building aimed at consolidating its various departments functioning from different premises spread across the city into a single, cohesive entity. This initiative seeks to provide citizens with a more accessible an... More

The Pima County Northwest Service Center (PCNWSC) transforms a long-neglected site along West Miracle Mile near I-10 into a vital civic anchor for one of Tucson’s most underserved communities. Conceived as both a workplace and a community destination, the project consolidates essential County services into a single, accessible, and dignified environment that strengthens public life and restores long-standing trust between residents and government. In recognition of its impact, the project recently received the 2025 AIA Southern Arizona Distinguished Award, affirming its contribution to design excellence, community engagement, and environmental stewardship. BradleyWheelerphoto.com The project’s inspiration emerged from the... More

Architecture here becomes a cosmic instrument. Conceived as a spatial embodiment of the solar system, the Astronomy and Space Science Gallery transforms abstract astronomical phenomena into an immersive, navigable experience. A luminous central void acts as the sun, anchoring a constellation of orbiting galleries that choreograph the visitor’s journey from the familiar to the infinite. At its core, a spherical planetarium appears to levitate above an amphitheatre, collapsing structure, spectacle, and learning into a single architectural moment—where science is not merely observed, but physically inhabited. Vinay Panjwani, India Vinay Panjwani, India Vinay Panjwani, India As India’s largest facility dedicat... More

As part of a pilot project for the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, 1100 designed a restroom station for Luis Lopez Park in Staten Island using modular construction. The initiative marked the first time NYC Parks pursued a project of this kind, and our commission extended beyond the pilot to include creating a replicable delivery system for future modular facilities. With New York offering only 12 public restrooms per 100,000 residents—far fewer than other major American cities—new solutions are urgently needed to address the city’s limited and deteriorating stock. Ty Cole Ty Cole Our modular system provides a viable path forward to expand this supply quickly and affordably. The resulting stru... More

Town halls or community halls are pivotal spaces within a community, serving as the heart of social and cultural activities, and bring people together for a myriad of events. As architectural symbols of community identity, town halls often embody the values and aspirations of the residents they serve, fostering a sense of belonging and connection among community members, enriching the social fabric and promoting civic engagement. Aakash Patel Aakash Patel Aakash Patel Dahegam Town Hall, conceived by the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA), with an aim to serving the outlying areas of the city, is designed to host a spectrum of communal activities – from social gatherings, performances, and training sessions to... More

Located in Marion, Iowa, Marion Fire Station No. 1 is a two-level, 21,200-square-foot facility designed by OPN Architects to improve emergency response times while addressing the physical and mental demands of firefighting. The project combines an all-electric energy system, geothermal heating and cooling, a high-performance envelope, and biophilic design strategies with spaces that support firefighter health. Its sustainability approach extends from reduced energy and water use to material selection, daylight access, biodiversity, and on-site stormwater management. The project was developed using the AIA Framework for Design Excellence and received a 2026 AIA COTE Top Ten Award.  Caption   Design strategies The focus on... More

This new city hall, which combines municipal office functions with community spaces inside and out, seeks to create a civic core and community destination in the tradition of the rural Iowa town square for a city seeking to create an identity.    Both the building and the site support community growth and expansion with flexibility to accommodate evolving needs.  Spaces such as the large “front porch” of the city hall can host various types and sizes of events and is surrounded by site amenities such as a splash pad, a skating rink, a bicycle pump track, and large open green spaces.  The building becomes a backdrop for a site that acts as a front yard for the community, serving as a forum, plaza, amphitheater... More

The Longgang International Art Centre in Shenzhen is a design proposal that aims to create a new art and performance venue that blends within the civic and cultural quarter in the heart of the city. The building was designed to promote international cultural exchange, positioning Shenzhen into a global reference for art and culture. The 120,000sqm development considers large-scale venue spaces such as a 1600-seat theatre, a 600-seat auditorium and a smaller 300-seat theatre to accommodate theatrical, dance and music performances. Additional amenities comprise of exhibition areas and multi-purpose halls for educational purposes and artistic activities. Caption The scheme is proposed to create an iconic landmark within the urban contex... More

BBB’s design for the National Museum of American Diplomacy, located at the State Department Headquarters in Washington DC, features interactive technologies that support real-time connections with embassies and exhibits throughout the world. Visitors will be welcomed into a grand 15,400 SF entry lobby that opens into an exhibition pavilion and gallery spaces. The design also includes a theater, classrooms, gift shops, museum support spaces, security screening, and climate control systems for the collections. The next phase of the project, which totals approximately 20,000 SF, will include additional museum spaces and will restore much of the historic lobby of the Marshall Building. MediaGeez - Garland Gray   More

Through creativity, quality and attention to detail, Glenroy Station offers an elevated experience of station design. Redefining the suburb’s heart with a central public plaza, the Glenroy Station project strengthens pedestrian connections between the retail centre and new development areas through the creation of a public forecourt spanning the rail trench and above the platforms. Delivered by the North Western Program Alliance, as a part of the Victorian Government’s Level Crossing Removal Project, the project sees the removal of the level crossing at Glenroy Road, through which 19,000 vehicles pass daily. Transforming the centre of Glenroy, the station precinct provides new green public spaces, linking the east and west si... More

Standing atop a hill overlooking the park entry, focused on the panorama of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains beyond, the Sunset Pavilion marks the intersection of multiple paths along a regional trail system. In concert with 8 additional pavilions throughout the park, the Sunset structure speaks to the simplicity of construction and the honesty of natural materials. The dramatic steel structure cantilevers from grade, sheltering visitors from the harsh Colorado sun. Acting as a lens, the pavilion’s details are designed to emphasize the phenomenal qualities of the sun’s path throughout the day. A carefully diagrammed set of perforations along the overhead plane tracks the sun’s movement during the autumnal and vernal e... More

This project marks the beginning of a new chapter in Ottawa's cultural history - Mayor Jim WatsonThe Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG) Expansion and Arts Court Redevelopment project is part of a long-standing vision for the revitalization of Ottawa’s downtown. It will raise the profile of Arts Court as the City of Ottawa’s downtown arts centre, located on Daly Avenue in the heart of the retail, arts and theatre district, surrounded by the University of Ottawa, the Rideau Centre, the Convention Centre, and steps away from the Rideau Canal, National Arts Centre, Byward Market and new LRT stations.This unique city-building project expands the OAG and Arts Court by utilizing vacant City-owned land and integrating it with complementary private sector inv... More

Reconnecting a historic city precinct to the riverHoused within the former Canadian War Museum on Sussex Drive in Ottawa, the Global Centre for Pluralism is an international institution dedicated to advancing respect for diversity worldwide – through research, education and dialogue. The Centre is a joint partnership between His Highness the Aga Khan and the Government of Canada. The Centre draws inspiration from the Canadian experience of pluralism and diversity. It is prominently located on Ottawa’s ceremonial Confederation Boulevard, or Sussex Drive.The institution occupies a designated Classified Federal Heritage Building that was originally constructed from 1904-1906 to house the Dominion Archives. The heritage exterior was rehabilitat... More

Building on the Pastoral PlanThe St. Michael’s Cathedral Block Master Plan builds on the work of the earlier two phases of Sub-Committees that set the direction for the redevelopment of the urban precinct of the Cathedral in alignment with the Pastoral Plan of the Archdiocese of Toronto. With St. Michael’s Cathedral as both the spiritual centre and the architectural focal point of the block, the Master Plan advances the vision as a place of gathering, worship and outreach to serve as an icon of the Catholic Church’s presence within the community.The Master Plan sets a framework for phased development of the block currently owned by the Archdiocese. The Plan has evolved to reflect the opportunities of the site including; the reuse and renova... More