Mayor's Design Awards: A look at the seventeen winners

​The seventh round of the Mayor's Design Awards was presented last night, to a whopping seventeen projects around the city -- some old, some new, all interesting.

The program was started in 2005, when John Hickenlooper was mayor; Mayor Michael Hancock did the honors last night, awarding prizes in seven categories to buildings/businesses that ranged from a far-from-standard 7-Eleven to a hip urban market, a refurbished Victorian house and a very contemporary home on a block of Victorian houses, and two structures devoted to beer!

Here's a look at the winners:

​ 7-Eleven at 2341 East Colfax Avenue, winner in "Main Street Transformation" category.

The new, two-story store is a prime example of Main Street Zoning, with the building coming right up to the street, and the parking put in the back. "Denver urban corridors come alive," the award proclaims.

​Evans/Kampstra Residence, 2745 Umatilla Street, winner in "Home Is Where the Art Is" category.

"It refrains from appearing old or original to the site," the city says...in what could be the understatement of the Mayor's Design Awards. This single-family home overlooks the highway and downtown from the edge of Stoneman's Row.

​Ale House at Amato's, 2501 16th Street, winner in "Buildings That Beckon" category.

The spot that once held Amato's, a garden store, is now home to Ale House at Amato's -- which incorporated the original building into the new structure that also has two stand-out decks.

​Anchor Center for Blind Children, 2550 Roslyn Street, winner in "Oh, Pioneers!" category.

This landmark in Stapleton, a successful New Urbanism infill, serves young blind children -- and the building itself is a teaching tool, with special acoustics, light and texture.