AIA Tennessee Convention
Our annual convention and expo was held in Chattanooga, Tennessee from August 24 to August 26. We had over 400 exhibitors and attendees at our convention this year! This year was a ground breaking year with many new and excting changes! A huge thanks to our Convention Co-Chairs, Jared Hueter, AIA, and Matthew Twitchell, AIA, for their leadership and pulling off an outstanding convention with two community outreach projects, international and nationally known speakers, packed exhibit hall and unforgettable awards gala! Check out the recap below…
Community Outreach Programs
Passageways – Activating the Urban Alley through Architecture
It all started when AIA Tennessee joined forces with River City Company of Chattanooga to highlight how architecture can change the urban landscape. The result was an international design competition called, Passageways. It is a public architecture exhibit focusing on the urban fabric that exists in the space between our city’s buildings. These forgotten and often times overlooked voids exist throughout our city. The intent of the exhibit is to exemplify the potential of these spaces and the benefits they have in creating a healthy urban environment throughout Chattanooga.
Learn by Design for Students…and Teachers!
Learn by Design presented by AIA Tennessee and Green Spaces is a community engagement project intended to highlight the value of design based learning for K-12 education. Students, educators, and Architects will learn from national leaders in integrating design thinking and project based learning into the core curriculum of classrooms. Students will be inspired by engaging and challenging projects that empower them to not only learn but have a positive impact on their city in the process. Teachers will learn strategies for more creative and innovative classrooms, while making connections with design professionals from the region.
2016 Design Award Winners
Fourteen projects were chosen from a field of 95 submittals, all of which received thoughtful consideration. “We’re admiring of much of what was shared with us, and we thank you for the opportunity to share our thoughts with your community. Our jury used two perspectives of design critique to make a determination of whether or not a project was deserving of an award; firstly, is it an example of “best in class” for its building typology, or, does it take a familiar typology, and say something “in an original way”.
Several significant patterns emerged: projects explored familiar typologies; house, church, office building, theater and public infrastructure….within the boundaries of budgets, schedules, and challenging site & spatial conditions, design creativity flourished,….and most importantly, at their best, these projects redefined our expectations of what we think of when we imagine these building types.
The awarded projects all embody the art and intelligence of what we aspire to in design, and we are so proud to acknowledge the accomplishments of all those involved in their creation.”
– Paul Woolford, AIA, IIDA, LEED AP
View all design winners here.
View the Masonry Institute of Tennessee award winners here.
2016 Lifetime Achievement Award Honorees are…
David L. Wooley, FAIA, Marleen Kay Davis, FAIA and T.K. Davis, FAIA received the highest honors that AIA Tennessee can bestow on an individual during the 2016 AIA Tennessee Annual Meeting and Convention held in Chattanooga.
The two awards: “William Strickland Award for Lifetime Achievement” and the “Samuel Morgan Lifetime Achievement Award” are conferred by the AIA Tennessee Board in recognition of a significant body of work influencing the built environment.
Architect David Wooley received the 2016 AIA Tennessee “William Strickland Award for Lifetime Achievement” for his outstanding design work, firm leadership, and service to the American Institute of Architects on the local, state, regional and national levels. In addition, Mr. Wooley was a gifted and popular design professor at the University of Tennessee, helping to mold and nurture young talent.
Professors at the University of Tennessee College of Architecture and Design, Marleen Kay Davis and T.K. Davis, were jointly awarded the 2016 Samuel Morgan Lifetime Achievement Award for their impressive achievements both in and out of the academic setting.
Marleen Davis served as the Dean of the UT College of Architecture + Design from 1994-2003, introducing significant new curriculums, while raising its exposure on the national scene. An effective and creative professor for over twenty years, she was always in the forefront of community efforts. Her awards have been celebrated by local, state, national and international organizations.
The accomplishments of T.K. Davis are no less impressive, having served as the Design Director of the Nashville Civic Design Center. He remains one of the most effective instructors in the Masters Program at UT; and is also involved in collaborative teaching with Vanderbilt University.
All three honorees have also received the highest achievement awarded by their profession; the American Institute of Architects named each of them a Fellow in AIA.
Newly Licensed Architects Recognized
We had a great turnout again this year of newly licensed architects because of the Tennessee Architecture Foundation’s generous support via grant which sponsored the members to attend for free. In return, AIA Tennessee rented out the Crashpad, so newly licensed architects could come completely free! We would also like to thank the Fab Lab at the University of Tennessee for producing the awards again this year!
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
2016 Convention Photos
Photos by Crystal Hogg.
