AIA has cited the Loudoun County Department of Economic Development’s Design Cabinet as a “model for the state of Virginia.” The Cabinet is made up of design, engineering, planning, and architectural professionals who collaborate with local business leaders to develop and implement design standards.
DBI Director Alan Hansen is Design Cabinet Chairman.
“Kudos to the pros over there in the Department of Economic Development,” Mr. Hansen said. “They put this cabinet together nearly twenty years ago, and we’ve been able to run with it, and get some real positive results.”
According to their web page (https://biz.loudoun.gov/designcabinet/), the Design Cabinet “seeks to promote high-quality ecological, urban, architectural, and landscape design in Loudoun County.” Each year, the Cabinet presents its Signatures of Loudoun Design Excellence Awards, intended to encourage and recognize outstanding design across the county. Categories include Interiors, Public Spaces, Pace Setters, Details, Makeovers, Legends, and Student’s Choice.
“It’s good that the Department itself is getting recognized this year,” Hansen said. “They deserve it, for all of the good they’ve done for the county, by creating, nurturing, and sustaining this effort.”
The Virginia Honors award was presented by the American Institute of Architects presented to the Loudoun County Design Cabinet during its Nov. 8 Visions for Architecture gala.
