November 2000 EPSTEIN/ISI DESIGNS RECEIVE TOP HONORS FROM AIA By applying lively, innovative designs to simple structures, the Chicago-based architecture/engineering firm A. Epstein and Sons International, Inc. and ISI, Epstein's interior design unit, recently were chosen by the Chicago Chapter of the American Institute of Architects for top honors in their 2000 Design Excellence Awards competition. "Once again our designers have proven that even seemingly ordinary structures are exciting when in the hands of a talented individual or team," stated Mickey Kupperman, president and CEO of A. Epstein and Sons International, Inc./ISI. "We are very pleased to see the AIA has recognized this creativity by honoring these designs with a variety of design excellence awards." The Wilmette Public Works Facility, Wilmette, Illinois, with its attractive façade and comfortable work environment, was awarded the highest accolade by receiving an Honor Award in the Distinguished Building category. Principal designer Andrew Metter, FAIA accomplished this welcoming design by linking two rather mundane buildings with a structure that allows natural light to penetrate the building and provides access to an employee patio and courtyard. A large steel and fabric canopy runs from the parking lot to the courtyard, providing covered access to the entrance and creating an outdoor dining space on the patio. Rubio/Durham Architects of St. Louis teamed with ISI, Epstein's interior design unit, and garnered two awards for their work on Bethany Place, a Belleville, Illinois care provider for people with HIV. The team was awarded an Honor Award in the Interior Architecture division plus a Distinguished Building Special Recognition Award for the amazing conversion of Quonset huts into a warm, welcoming home for the chronically ill. Two Quonset huts along with a masonry building were transformed into a housing facility and office space for this non-profit social service provider for AIDS patients. The design created a feeling of expansiveness and a variety of light levels, all contributing to a space that creates a definite feeling of well being for its residents. Finally, Epstein/ISI received a Citation of Merit in the Unbuilt Design category for their collaborative effort in designing a massive office and manufacturing campus for Comverse Network Systems, Tel Aviv, Israel. With one million square feet above ground allotted for office space and an additional two million square feet of parking, warehouse and manufacturing space designed for below-grade use, the jury agreed that the building and overall campus would fit well into the dense layout of the Tel Aviv area. The design further reflected Israeli culture by incorporating both the concept of a 'walled' city and 'tent' structure into the campus layout, bridging the ancient and the modern in the overall design concept. A. Epstein and Sons International, Inc. is a full-service architecture, engineering, interior design and construction management firm. Begun in 1921, the firm is headquartered in Chicago with offices in Los Angeles, California; Warsaw, Poland; and Tel Aviv, Haifa and Beersheba in Israel. The Epstein family of companies includes A. Epstein and Sons International, Inc., ISI, and the newest addition of ComCorp, experts in graphic and environmental (signage) design. The firm currently has projects in progress valued at approximately $1 billion.