Otak Inc. has earned four awards for its work on the Tempe (Ariz.) Transportation Center.

Otak was the prime consultant to the city of Tempe and lead architect for the Transportation Center, which is expected to earn LEED Platinum certification. Ron Dean (RA), Michael Nielson (AIA, LEED AP) and Otak’s Tempe and Lake Oswego, OR, offices collaborated with Tempe firms Architekton and Adolfson & Peterson Construction to achieve the City of Tempe’s vision for the Center.

On Sept. 26, the Arizona Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) recognized the Tempe Transportation Center with the Kemper Goodwin Award for collaboration. The chapter also honored the project with its SRP Sustainability Award, which “recognizes the importance of sustainability and energy-efficient buildings through excellence in design, planning and construction.”

On Sept. 29, Southwest Construction Magazine named the Tempe Transportation Center the winner of its Best of 2009 Arizona Award for Green Building (www.southwest.construction.com).

On Oct. 2, the Arizona Masonry Guild recognized the project with an Excellence in Masonry Architectural Award, citing the design’s innovative, energy saving use of concrete masonry. The west façade of the Center is constructed with “A” shaped concrete masonry units, used in a unique combination to create vertical “fins” that self-shade the west skin of the building during the hottest part of the day.

The Tempe Transportation Center is the centerpiece of Tempe’s transportation program. The 40,300-square-foot, three-story center houses Tempe’s Transportation Offices, Traffic Management Center, Community Room and Transit Store, as well as Arizona’s first bicycle commuter facility, the Bicycle Cellar. The Center is a strategic hub for rail, bus and bike transportation, serving the new 20-mile Valley Metro light rail system. The project is designed to use 52 percent less energy and is seeking LEED Platinum certification.