Contact: Christie McNeal
Bottom: Gulf Coast Community Design Studio also won an honor award in the architecture/new construction category for the Women in Construction Training Center in the Moore Community House.
Photo by: submitted
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Two research centers housed in Mississippi State University's College of Architecture, Art and Design recently received honors from the Mississippi Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
The chapter hosted a Design Awards Celebration in Jackson recently to honor design-and member-awards recipients, as well as newly licensed architects, landscape architects and interior designers in the Magnolia State.
MSU's Gulf Coast Community Design Studio, or GCCDS, received an honor award in the architecture/new construction category for the Women in Construction Training Center in the Moore Community House.
Also, the university's Carl Small Town Center, or CSTC, received a Citation Award in the master planning and urban design category for the Baptist Town master plan, developed in conjunction with the Greenwood-Leflore-Carroll Economic Development Foundation.
Women in Construction trains and assists women who want jobs in construction-related fields. Over the years, Women in Construction has partnered with the GCCDS on many projects for homeowners and for the community.
David Perkes, GCCDS director said, "It was especially rewarding to work with Women in Construction to create a work space that embodies their 'can-do' culture. Building the project was as important as getting it built, and the completed building is a testament of the capability of the women students, staff and volunteers."
Likewise, CSTC leaders said they were pleased to be recognized by the state.
"The award for the Baptist Town master plan reaffirms the long-term effort the CSTC has made in its commitment to Greenwood and the Baptist Town neighborhood," said Leah Kemp, assistant director of the CSTC. "We are starting to see these master plan elements come to life as recent housing has been installed and the community center is under renovation." The AIA's design awards program encourages design excellence by recognizing and honoring members' works of distinction, said Michael Berk, F.L. Crane Professor and director of the School of Architecture.
"It is a testament to the School of Architecture's commitment to 'community design' and 'social justice' when our research centers are recognized for their amazing outreach work with design awards from the AIA Mississippi Chapter," Berk said. "The work that our centers produce is nothing short of heroic--and the impacts to the communities will be felt for generations."
Learn more about AIA Mississippi at http://aiamississippi.org, and view the entire list of 2014 winners at http://aiamississippi.org/2014-aia-mississippi-design-award-winners.
MSU is Mississippi's flagship research university and features the only architecture program leading to licensure in the state. MSU is online at www.msstate.edu, facebook.com/msstate, instagram.com/msstate and twitter.com/msstate.