Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Community Appearance

About the Awards:

This is the 30th year anniversary of the Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Community Appearance recognizing outstanding new contributions to the character, environment and appearance of the City of Raleigh. Since 1983, the Raleigh City Council has presented more than 200 Sir Walter Raleigh Awards to developers, designers, building owners, community groups, civic clubs, churches and citizens.

Information on past award recipients is available by clicking on the links below:

2012	2011	2010	2009	2008	2007

Award Nominations:

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2013 program and will close on August 16, 2013 at 5:00 p.m.

Electronic Nominations:

1. Complete the Nomination Form and do a "save as" with your file name as the project name
2. Prepare a minimum of ten (10) digital photos of the project/individual
3. To submit nominations please contact Elizabeth Alley for upload instructions.

In Person Nominations:
Complete steps 1. & 2. above and copy to a compact disc (CD) or flash drive and bring them to the Planning and Development office located on the 3rd floor of the One Exchange Plaza (219 Fayetteville Street).

Mail Nominations:
Complete steps 1. & 2. above, print and mail to the:

Raleigh Appearance Commission
Planning and Development
City of Raleigh, PO Box 590
Raleigh, NC 27602

IMPORTANT: Please remember to rename your Nomination Form with the project name prior to electronic submittal or the file will not be accepted.

Eligibility:
Individuals or groups nominated for a Sir Walter Raleigh Award must be residents or maintain an established location in the City of Raleigh. All other nominees, programs or projects must be located in the City of Raleigh or its planning jurisdiction. All projects must be substantially complete within the last five years prior to submission, except those in the "Maintained Outstanding Appearance" category, which is for projects completed more than 5 years ago, and the "Individual" category, which honors long-term commitment to improving Raleigh's appearance. Projects still under construction are not yet eligible.

Entries are evaluated using the following general criteria:

• Exhibition of a new standard of excellence, thereby providing an example for the future.
• Demonstration of awareness of the importance of good stewardship of the land.
• Demonstration of community involvement and innovation.
• Preservation or restoration of existing topography, trees and other natural features.
• Significant improvement of an existing site or structure, and/ or preservation of important historic or cultural features.
• Provision of attractive and safe conditions which meet and exceed requirements of applicable ordinances, policies, conservation areas and designated historic districts and properties.
• Integration of sustainable building principles, architecture expressive of how project's green features function, and thoughtful conservation/ enhancement of existing features of the site and the surrounding community.

Award Categories:

• Residential: Awards for this category are given for new residential development, conversion to residential use, or improvement made to existing residential areas. The entry may be for either multi-family developments or single-family developments of multiple buildings.
• Commercial: Awards in this category are presented for all types of new retail and office construction, or adaptive use of existing non-residential development that is open to the public.
• Historic Preservation / Rehabilitation: Awards in this category are given for preservation or rehabilitation of existing buildings, especially Raleigh's historic resources.
• Community: Awards in this category are for projects which enhance the appearance and livability of highly visible public areas of the City, including parks, streets, neighborhoods, and churches.
• Institutional: Awards in this category are for local, state and federal projects including office, educational and transportation-related facilities.
• Industrial: Awards in this category are for industrial, warehouse or corporate projects not normally open to the public that have a positive impact on the city's visual environment.
• Sustainable Design: For projects that demonstrate land design, architecture, and building principles which exemplify an integrated approach to resource conservation, and respect the existing features of the site and the surrounding community.
• Site Enhancement: This award honors otherwise utilitarian site elements (e.g., stormwater facilities, lighting, etc.) that, through exemplary design and/ or quality of construction, are made into public amenities. They may be associated with either existing or new development.
• Tree and Landscape Conservation: Awards in this category are for projects that significantly preserve Raleigh's natural features and trees.
• Maintained Outstanding Appearance: Awards in this category are for projects that are more than five years old and have consistently maintained a high quality appearance contributing to Raleigh's image.
• Volunteer Initiative: For groups who have created and implemented pro bono projects that improve the appearance and environment of our city.
• Individual: Awards in this category will be given to individuals who have consistently and over an extended period exhibited concern, leadership, and vision in preserving and improving the appearance and/or environment of the City.

Awards are made based on project merit, as determined by the selection criteria. Awards are not necessarily made in every category, nor are there a predetermined number of awards in a category in any given year. Awards are presented in the Fall.

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