Three nationally recognized architects convened at Architecture Center Houston to determine the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Houston 2011 Design Awards. The board consisted of Susan Piedmont-Palladino, curator at the National Building Museum, Washington, D.C.; Steve Raike of Lake Flato Architects, San Antonio, and Jay Siebenmorgen of New York's NBJJ.

In total, 126 entries were assessed, out of which arose 17 prize projects in eight categories. CultureMap readers will recognize several of the recipients, who have been profiled on the site over the past year:

Following a feature in the New York Times T Style Magazine, architect Ronnie Self invited CultureMap on a tour of his pristine home perched along Highway 59 on the fringe of the Third Ward. Now, the Saint Emanuel House has been recognized in the AIA Awards' residential architecture category. A statement on automobile-driven urban planning, neighborhood regeneration and stark aesthetics, the abode's façade is fully accessible to downtown commuters.

Walk around the home and listen to Self describe the structure here.

Garnering an award in architecture under 50,000 square feet is Bayou Bend's Lora Jean Kilroy Visitor and Education Center by Leslie Elkins Architecture. The monumental project's development was closely watched by CultureMap, as it represents the fulfillment of philanthropist and Americana collector Ima Hogg's vision to involve the Houston public in art discourse, while underscoring the community's appetite for innovative green architecture.

With it's well-appointed library and resplendent Hogg Family Legacy Room, the sleek, LEED Silver-certified 18,000-square-foot structure serves as a gateway to Hogg's neo-colonial estate and gardens.

Kirksey Architecture's gleaming Tellepsen Family Downtown YMCA earned a spot in the architecture over 50,000 square feet category. While the old Renaissance Revival brick YMCA on Louisiana Street faces demolition by Chevron, the $55 million, Jetsons-esque incarnation across the street represents a new era in stylish fitness. Join CultureMap on a video tour of the new digs here.

After our initial tour, we were ready to move into the New Hope Housing at Brays Crossing project, which won Glassman Shoemake Maldonado Architects an award in the renovation/restoration category. A vibrant palette and monumental metal murals by Carmen Lomas Garza contextualize the edifice within the East End's artistic tradition. It's an inspired environ for Houstonians who generally earn no more than $13,000 a year. Click here to explore the grounds.

EaDo is easing out of its weary warehouse district daze thanks to projects like Gensler's plans for the EaDo Promenade. The initiative is the brainchild of the Houston-Shenzhen Sister City Association, and when realized, the six-block green will feature aspects from all 17 of Houston's global sister cities. Read the CultureMap story on the park for a bird's eye view. The concept won an award in urban design.

Beyond these five gems, the AIA has selected a diverse group of projects, ranging from a "Barndominium" residence in Brenham by Logan/Johnson Architecture to HOK's KAUST Library in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. From the whimsical — Rottet Studio's design center for Mattel — to the socially conscious — a conceptual infill project in Rio de Janeiro by Alejandro Lara — the 2011 awards embody the architectural creativity coming out of Houston today.