News Flash

Community Awards Recognize Best Contributions to Durham’s Appearance

This year, a total of 10 projects were honored for excellence in design and preservation of their properties at the 2020 Golden Leaf Awards.

Sponsored by the Durham City-County Appearance Commission and Keep Durham Beautiful, Inc., the following Golden Leaf Awards were given to properties to honor their excellence in design, preservation, and stewardship of the natural and built environment.

Large Development

• Durham Police Department Headquarters and Durham Emergency Communications Center (602 E. Main St.)
• Forest History Society Headquarters (2925 Academy Rd.)

Small Development

• Beth El Synagogue (1004 Watts St.)

Adaptive Reuse, Large Scale

• Golden Belt Campus (800 Taylor St.)

Adaptive Reuse, Small Scale

• Hutchins Garage (402 W. Geer St.)

Hearth and Home

• Hope Together House (1404 Holloway St.)

Garden and Landscape

• Durham Central Park Cohousing Community Gardens (130 Hunt St.)

Keep Durham Beautiful

• Falls Lake/MST Clean Up (Redwood Rd.)
• Durham Parks and Recreation Environmental Education Pavilion (N.C. Hwy. 157)

People’s Choice

• Durham.ID Southern Gateway (404 Hunt St.)

“The Durham City-County Appearance Commission serves to cultivate visual appeal and recognize the benefits of good design, which enhances the quality of life in Durham. The Golden Leaf Awards is our annual event that aims to recognize buildings and landscapes that positively affect Durham’s built environment and contribute to the experience of our great city,” said Committee Chair Anne Lebo of the Durham City-County Appearance Commission. “Our Commission would like to thank all who have submitted projects for consideration. This year, we received over 30 examples of design excellence in Durham. They came from area designers, homeowners, developers, neighborhood groups, civic organizations, and interested citizens. The quality and diversity of the submissions is a testament to the character of our built environment, as well as the unique creative energy we are fortunate to have here in Durham.”   

Due to COVID-19, the annual awards reception was canceled and has not been rescheduled at this time. In the meantime, residents are encouraged to visit the Archives web page on the Durham City-County Appearance Commission website to find maps of current and previous winners and consider taking a socially-distant walking tour through Durham.

For more information about this annual awards program, visit www.durhamappearance.com or contact Durham City-County Planning Department Senior Planner Kayla Seibel, AICP, at [email protected] or (919) 560-4137, ext. 28271.

About the Durham City-County Appearance Commission

The Durham City-County Appearance Commission is made up of 15 members, seven appointed by the City Council and eight appointed by the Board of County Commissioners. Its mission is to cultivate visual appeal and recognize the benefits of good design, which enhance quality of life for the residents of Durham City and County.

About Keep Durham Beautiful

Keep Durham Beautiful is a nonprofit, volunteer organization working in partnership with the City of Durham General Services Department and Durham County to encourage residents, businesses, and community organizations to protect the environment and enhance the appearance of Durham through cleanup events, beautification projects, waste reduction, and educational activities. To learn more, visit the website and follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.