NEW YORK —It’s a tale of two buildings when it comes to the Laurel and Oak Hall academic centers at the University of Connecticut, Storrs Campus. Joined together by copper and brick, the two halls are unified into a memorable landscape space for students. Today, the seamless architectural application and style of these two new buildings earned them a spot as one of the top 12 building projects receiving a 2015 North American Copper in Architecture Award (NACIA).

The NACIA Awards program recognizes and promotes North American building projects for their outstanding use of architectural copper and copper alloys. In its eighth year, the awards program continues to see a growing number of submissions, inspiring the first-ever North American Copper in Architecture Awards Ceremony, which was held in Atlanta at the Fuse Arts Center on May 14.

“Every year, we’re impressed by the number of quality award submissions that we receive for the program,” said Stephen Knapp of CDA. “We couldn’t be more pleased to see how many of these projects exemplify not only the sustainability and durability of copper, but the incredible diversity in the world of architecture.”

Another winning project, the NYC Public School 39K – The Landmark School, is one such example of the diversity of copper use within architecture. Founded in 1877, this 138-year-old building in Park Slope, Brooklyn, N.Y., is one of the nation’s oldest schools continuing to serve its original function. The building’s historic cornice was replaced with ornamental-formed copper because of the cost-effectiveness and natural malleability of copper.

The NACIA award recipients this year also include several museums and statehouses, such as the Kansas Statehouse Inner Dome Copper Restoration project. Standing at 306 feet in downtown Topeka, Kan., the statehouse is a prominent feature of the downtown skyline, standing 17 feet taller than the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. During the restoration project, great care was taken to protect the existing copper that intricately lines the inner dome during the process of stripping, cleaning, tinting and testing.

Sustainable and environmentally friendly designs were also a common theme among this year’s award winners. In fact, three of the 12 winners utilized environmental, sustainable and energy-saving standards in the development of their projects. The New School – University Center, located at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 14^th Street in New York City, is a prime example. Standing 16-stories, the building is covered by muntz metal — a brass-like blend of copper and zinc — which provides a thermal envelope that maximizes daylight while minimizing heat gain.

Established in 2008, the NACIAawards program is sponsored by industry representatives at the Copper Development Association (CDA) and the Canadian Copper & Brass Development Association (CCBDA). Projects are selected across three different categories: New Construction, Renovation/Restoration and Ornamental Applications. This year’s recipients include:

New Construction

Dumbarton Oaks Fellowship House – Washington, D.C.

Application: Roofing, exterior ornamental

Architect: Cunningham | Quill Architects PLLC

Sheet-Metal Contractor:Tecta America East LLC

General Contractor: Whiting Turner Contracting Company

Harvard University Tozzer Library – Cambridge, Mass.

Application: Roofing, exterior ornamental

Architect:Kennedy & Violich Architecture Ltd.

Sheet-Metal Contractor:Gilbert & Becker Co. Inc.

General Contractor:Consigli Construction Co. Inc.

Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas – Irving, Texas

Application: Wall cladding

Architect:Studio Hillier

Sheet-Metal Contractor:A. Zahner Company

Laurel and Oak Halls, Social Sciences and Classroom – Storrs, Conn.

Application: Wall cladding

Architect:Leers Weinzapfel Associates

Copper-Siding Installer:Crocker Architectural Sheet Metal Co. Inc.

General Contractor:Skanska USA Building

Green Roof Installer:Greenwood Industries

Massachusetts General Hospital Paul S. Russell, MD – Boston

Application: Wall cladding

Architect:Leers Weinzapfel Associates

Sheet-Metal Contractor:John F. Shea Company

General Contractor:Turner Construction Company

Orchard Willow Residence – Chicago

Application: Wall cladding

Architect:Wheeler Kearns Architects

Sheet-Metal Contractor:Tuschall Engineering

General Contractor:Norcon, Inc.

Structural Engineering: Enspect Engineering

Landscape Architecture: McKay Landscape Architects

Private Residence – Lookout Mountain, Tenn.

Application: Roofing, exterior ornamental

Architect:McLaughlin & Associates

Sheet-Metal Contractor:CopperWorks Corporation

General Contractor:H.E. Ashley Contracting Co. Inc.

University Center – New School – New York

Application: Wall cladding

Architect:Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP

Consulting Architect:SLCE Architects, LLP

Sheet-Metal Contractor:Gamma

General Contractor:Tischman Construction

Owner:The New School

Metal Finishing:Soheil Mosun Ltd.

Renovation/Restoration

NYC Public School 39K – The Landmark School – Brooklyn, N.Y.

Application: Historic restoration and roof cornice replacement

Architect:Ivan Brice Architecture

Sheet-Metal Contractor:Gotham Metalworks

Maine Statehouse Dome Restoration – Augusta, Maine

Application: roof and dome restoration

Architect:LEO A DALY

Sheet Metal Contractor:The Heritage Co.

General Contractor:Consigli Construction Co., Inc.

Roofing Consultant:Independent Roofing Services

Museum of Comparative Zoology – Cambridge, Massachusetts

Application:Roofing and Exterior Restoration

Architect:Perry and Radford Architects

Sheet Metal Contractor:Gilbert & Becker Co., Inc.

General Contractor:Consigli Construction Co., Inc.

Ornamental Application

Kansas Statehouse Inner Dome Copper Restoration – Topeka, Kansas

Application: dome restoration

Architect:Treanor Architects

Sheet Metal Contractor:Stuart Dean

General Contractor:JE Dunn Construction Company

 The building projects were judged by a panel of architectural and copper industry experts. Entries were evaluated based upon overall building design, integration of copper, craft of copper installation and excellence in innovation or historic restoration. To view each project, including photos and profiles, visit www.copper.org.