The Warehouse, Syracuse University’s downtown art and architecture facility, was recently awarded by New York Construction magazine for being one of the top construction projects for 2006.Once an outdated furniture storage warehouse, the drastically redesigned 135,000-foot structure sitting in the downtown area of Syracuse now provides several floors of large studio space for SU students enrolled in programs such as architecture, communication design and advertising design. The magazine recognized and honored the building’s influence on SU students and the city community.Tom Stabile, editor of New York Construction magazine, said the process for selecting the annual top projects begins with the assembling of 12 industry executives from architecture and design firms across the nation.’They reviewed more than 120 submissions this year,’ he said. In the end, eight projects were considered the best in their category. The Warehouse won the top spot for best higher education facility of 2006, ranking higher than other establishments such as Western Connecticut State University’s new science building.’The jury liked The Warehouse because it took a building that wasn’t previously noted for its architecture and made it into something where that aspect really shined through,’ Stabile said.The jury looked for projects where teamwork played an essential role in the project’s development, as well as projects that overcame challenging timeframes and budgets. ‘They were especially critical this year and I think (the winners) should feel pretty proud of their accomplishment,’ Stabile said.Receiving the award for The Warehouse project, along with SU, will be the two architectural firms that redesigned the building, VIP Structures and Gluckman Mayner Architects.’We’re very pleased with it,’ said Suzanne Kinnear, marketing representative for VIP Structures. ‘It was a great accomplishment not only for our firm, but for the city of Syracuse.’Richard Gluckman, of Gluckman Mayner Architects and ’71 alumnus of SU’s School of Architecture, worked closely with the design firms and the university on this project, as the chair of the School of Architecture’s Board of Advisors.’I'm honored and feel extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to do this project,’ Gluckman said.Kinnear said The Warehouse was among the few buildings chosen out of the Central New York area, which is a notable accomplishment in itself since several of the top projects chosen were from New York City.Both Gluckman and Kinnear said The Warehouse was a unique project to take on because of the short time frame and budget.’It was one of the best collaborative efforts I have been privileged to be involved with,’ Gluckman said. ‘VIP was a terrific collaborator and we received strong support from the city and the state.”We’re known for getting things done efficiently,’ Kinnear said. ‘We work well with architects. The design process at our firm is streamlined. We work simultaneously with architects while we’re doing construction. We integrated Gluckman Mayner as the conceptual designer and worked closely with them in finalizing designs.’Kinnear shed some light on what she said she hoped The Warehouse would bring to SU students as well as the Syracuse community.’If you’re dealing with architecture students, you want to design a building that is inspiring to them,’ she said. ‘The building is a great opportunity for students to get a feel for the city, and for the city to get to know the school. It definitely offers good suggestions to our community on how to start making improvements.’Stabile said the annual breakfast award ceremony will be held in New York City on Dec. 15 to formally recognize the projects honored by the magazine.