by Jan Buchholz

Sustainable design was celebrated Saturday night at the 2009 Celebrate Architecture Awards Gala, sponsored by the Arizona Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

Weddle Gilmore Architects was given the prestigious Firm of the Year Award. The small Scottsdale-based firm won out over four firms, some much larger, for the top award. Another high honor, the third annual Sustainable Firm of the Year award, was presented to Line and Space LLC of Tucson.

Several hundred design and construction professionals turned out for the awards program that was held for the first time at the Phoenix Convention Center.

The Patron Award, honoring someone in the community who supports architectural excellence, was given to U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-Ariz.), who was in attendance. The former Tempe mayor was also on hand to see Tempe City Hall win the 25-Year Award, which honors a building that has stood the test of time.

The inverted pyramid structure is actually 40 years old and is a part of the Harry E. Mitchell Government complex. Tempe City Hall was designed by Kemper Goodwin, one of Arizona's architectural pioneers, and his son Michael.

The Collaboration Award, named after Kemper Goodwin and honoring designers, owners and contractors, was given to two projects this year: The Tempe Transportation Center, a public transportation hub in downtown Tempe, and the Arizona Polytechnic Campus Complex in Mesa on the site of the former Williams Air Force Base. Both incorporate significant sustainability and energy efficiency features.

The team on the Tempe Transportation Center included Architekton of Tempe, the city of Tempe, and Adolfson & Peterson Construction, also of Tempe. The team on the polytechnic project included RSP Architects, with offices in Tempe and Minneapolis; Lake/Flato Architects of San Antonio, Texas; Arizona State University; and DPR Construction Inc., which has numerous office around the country and in Phoenix.

The Tempe Transportation Center also won the SRP Sustainability Award.

Papago Gateway Center, a mid-rise office building at the northwest corner of Mill Avenue and Washington Street in Tempe, won the APS Energy Award. It was designed by SmithGroup of Phoenix.

Here's a look at other awards given out:

Merit Awards:

• Jones Studio Inc. for the College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, University of Arizona, Tucson

• SmithGroup for the Papago Gateway Center

• RSP Architects for ASU Polytechnical Campus Complex

Honor Awards:

• David Hovey Associates for Optima Camelview Village, Scottsdale luxury condominium project

• David Hovey Jr. for Relic Rock, a private residence

Citation Awards:

• Westlake Reed Leskosky Phoenix office for the historic renovation of the Balboa Theatre in San Diego

• Richard & Bauer Architecture for Sunrise Mountain branch library in Peoria

• Holly Street Studio Architects for the Maryvale Pool House in Phoenix

• Line and Space LLC for the Helen S. Schaefer Poetry Center, University of Arizona, Tucson

• SmithGroup for the Avondale Old Town Library, Avondale

• Gould Evans for the renovation of the James E. Rogers College of Law, University of Arizona, Tucson