Thompson Penney, FAIA is a Principal in the Charleston, South Carolina, office of LS3P Associates Ltd.

Ray Huff, AIA is founding partner of the award-winning Huff + Gooden Architects LLC with offices in Charleston, SC and New York City.

Whitney Powers, AIA, LEED AP is an award-winning architect based in downtown Charleston, SC. She founded her firm, Studio A, Inc. in 1989.

Brian T. Wurst, AIA is a Principal and Vice President in the Charleston, South Carolina, office of LS3P Associates Ltd. and is chair of the firm-wide Design Core Competency Board.

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AIA Tennessee is to be congratulated for the breadth and depth of the designs we reviewed.

Nine projects emerged as award winners – 3 Excellent – 6 Merit.
"

 

Project:	Nissan Corporate Facility
Architect:	Gresham, Smith and Partners
Location:	Franklin, Tennessee
Project Team:	Steven Johnson, AIA – Principal In Charge / Anna Roberts, AIA – Project Manager / Jeff Kuhnhenn, AIA –Design Principal / Eric Bearden, AIA – Project Architect / Jack Weber, IIDA – Design Principal / Ramona Batt, IIDA – Interior Designer / Denise DiLello – Project Designer / Julie Roquemore, IIDA – Project Coordinator / Nicho Young, ASLA – Landscape Architect / Chris Cowan, P.E. – Project Engineer / Joe Johnston – Civil Engineer / R.J. Tazelaar, P.E. – Structural Engineer / Jim Harding – Environmental Graphics / Jim Alderman – Environmental Graphics
Consultants:	IC Thomasson Associates, Inc. / Gary Steffey Lighting Design, Inc. Thorburn Associates / H. Stephen Jones and Associates Fire Protection Associates, Inc. / BDY Environmental Consultants, LLC / DRS Food Service Design, Inc.
General Contractor:	Skanska USA Building, Inc.

A new 460,000-square-foot corporate facility including a 1,100-space parking structure and fitness center on a 50-acre site in Franklin, TN for a major automotive maker.

The client desired an efficient, flexible facility with the goal of creating a work space that would put the employee first and establish a unified sense of corporate culture and values.

In the course of relocating from California to Tennessee, approximately 50% of the staff would have to be replaced... accentuating the need for the new facility to emphasize and embody corporate culture and habits.

Connectivity and Collaboration as central themes inspired the introduction of "town centers" composed of shared functions (meeting rooms, mail, copy, break) as the activity hub for each floor.

Each floor is connected to the floors above and below by a series of two-story atriums and communicating stairs to encourage a sense of community and transparency.

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Although a tough building typology to carry out a distinctive design from the big moves consistently down through the details, this corporate office building was exemplary! It has both a very strong and compelling read from the parkway as well as quite elegant detailing and articulation at a pedestrian scale.

The alternating atrium section, reminiscent of "Corbu’s Unite",was successful in creating an openness and connection that facilitates collaboration and connectivity between office floors.

A striking monument to the adjacent parkway that salutes the vehicular reason for its existence and an icon of demonstrated corporate commitment for the people behind the vehicles.
"

Project:	Ghost House - Phase 1
Architect:	Curb
Location:	Knoxville, Tennessee
Project Team:	Tricia Stuth, AIA Ted Shelton, AIA Brad Raines
Consultants:	Mallia Engineering
General Contractor:	Spratt Construction

The Ghost Houses, Phase 1 is a market rate rental duplex adjacent to an historic house.

The site is a 1/4 acre lot in an inner ring neighborhood in Knoxville.

When it was constructed in 1910, the existing house was the center of a three-house group of similar design and detailing.

The memory of the two lost houses, demolished in the 1990’s, lives in city files, newspaper clippings, Sanborn maps, and the minds’ of nearby residents.

It now lives in the Ghost House.

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A very thoughtful exploration of vernacular house form. This project exhibited masterful restraint and humility, while it artfully investigated and reinterpreted the domestic house form that had been lost on either side of the existing 1910 house.

The programmatic and explanatory diagrams were most helpful in understanding the design challenges and solution.

The Architect and the owner are to be commended for this innovative, reserved and appropriate tribute to the memory of what was lost instead of slavishly giving in to trying to recreate it.
"

Project:	Cape Russell Retreat
Architect:	Sanders Pace Architecture, LLC
Location:	Sharp’s Chapel, Tennessee
Project Team:	John L. Sanders, AIA Brandon F. Pace, AIA, LEED AP Michael A. Davis
Consultants:	Blue Ridge Atlantic Enterprises Sustainable Futures
General Contractor:	United Metal Industries JTI Construction

The owners commissioned the architect to design and coordinate construction of an off-the-grid lakeside pavilion for weekend use with integrated water reclamation and photovoltaic technology.

In developing the skin the desire for transparency coupled with a passive cooling approach led to a shop fabricated structural screen of 2x4 vertical cedar boards backed with insect screen.

Towards the water view the cedar skin dissolves and becomes a series of screen panels allowing unobstructed views to the water and mountains beyond. A single 8’x8’ sliding screen panel provides direct access to the water.

Additionally the cedar screen provides the structure for the butterfly roof above that directs and delivers rainwater to a collection cistern located beside the structure. An internal charcoal filter and ultraviolet light treat the water for potable use.

Rooftop mounted photovoltaic cells provide the necessary power to run the water pump, refrigeration, fans and lighting providing for a truly independent overnight living situation.

"
This is a thoughtful and well-executed masterpiece that touches the earth lightly with an attention to detail that is admirable.

The project has a memorable transparency, sophisticated simplicity, and obvious love for and commitment to its site.

A jewel in the woods – one that Thoreau would be proud to call home.
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