This month, the Seattle Design Commission announced its biennial Design Excellence Awards. The awards highlight design excellence of City funded projects or projects that have an impact on the City and its public realm.

Four design excellence awards were given this year:

• Mapes Creek – a joint Seattle Public Utilities and Seattle Parks and Recreation project in Rainier Beach
• Fire Station 20 – a new Fire Station developed by the City of Seattle Department of Finance and Administration and Seattle Fire Department in the Interbay neighborhoods
• Bike Master Plan – developed by Seattle Department of Transportation, to advance the City’s commitment to bicycling for all citizens
• University of Washington Light Rail Station – developed by Sound Transit

An honorable mention was also given to the Leaves of Remembrance project, a joint project with the Women’s Housing, Equality and Enhancement League (WHEEL) and the Homeless Remembrance Project.

The Commission is comprised of 10 professionals in the fields of Architecture, Urban Planning and Design, Transportation, Landscape Architecture, Engineering and the Arts.