December 9, 2016 Students Recognized, Awarded by Professionals
On Dec. 1, after a semester of hard work, Architecture students gathered to compete for prestigious awards and invaluable recognition from architects.
Student teams from each of the school’s three integration studios submitted designs to be considered for the annual Brewer Ingram Fuller Sustainable Design Award and the American Institute of Architects Middle Tennessee Student Design Award. The designs imagined sustainable commercial or mixed-use facilities, each serving a unique purpose.
“Above all else, the value of your designs lies in how they serve society,” said Carol Pedigo, Executive Director of AIA Middle Tennessee, before announcing the winners.
The facilities, which varied in size, included office spaces, housing, research labs, museums and more. In their designs, students were challenged to integrate design and functionality, demonstrating an understanding of building systems, such as structural, electrical, mechanical and plumbing.
In addition to curriculum requirements, students were required to satisfy certain terms of submission. To ensure that designs were resource efficient, projects had to consider the AIA Committee on the Environment metrics and earn a minimum of silver rating in LEED™ criteria, a green building certification program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.
(Shown left) Thomas Ingram from Brewer Ingram Fuller presented the Sustainable Design Award to Rachel Elbon and Adam Smith, from Kevin Stevens’ studio. The duo received $1,000 to subsidize the cost of study materials and professional exams.
The Brewer Ingram Fuller Sustainable Design Award was established by an endowed gift from Brewer Ingram Fuller Architects in Knoxville, which was founded by UT School of Architecture alumni Dan Brewer (’77), Lee Ingram (’76) and Anthony Fuller (’76). The award is intended to encourage architecture students to incorporate sustainable design strategies in their work to be better prepared to lead the field of sustainable design when they enter the profession.
(Shown below) Representatives of AIA Middle Tennessee presented the AIA Student Design first place award to Anna Katherine Biggs and Austen Barrett, another duo from Kevin Stevens’ studio.
Second place was awarded to Aubrey Andrews, Tim Rhyne and Aaron Wright, taught by Hansjoerg Goeritz.
Victoria Plaches, Dillon Dunn, Mustapha Williams and Kyler Prichard earned third place for their work, completed in James Rose’s studio.
In her final thoughts, Emily Threadgill, an AIA representative who earned a B.Arch from UT in 2016, said, “The opportunity for recognition that this competition allows is why I am where I am today.” As the student teams celebrated their achievements, she encouraged them to continue searching for opportunities to network with professional architects, adding that her career began with one connection.
