Investing in the Next Generation: 2026 ACFA Scholarship Luncheon

The future of architecture depends on the talented young people choosing to enter the profession—and on the architecture community finding meaningful ways to support them along the way.

That spirit was at the heart of the 2026 Alabama Center for Architecture Scholarship Luncheon, held July 16 at Samford University. This year, ACFA awarded a record $20,000 in scholarships to 14 architecture students pursuing their education at Auburn University, Mississippi State University, and Tuskegee University.

The annual luncheon brings students, families, educators, and members of Alabama’s design community together to celebrate the hard work and potential of aspiring architects. This year’s program also featured keynote speaker Dennis Madsen, AICP, offering another opportunity to connect students with professionals shaping communities across the state.

Among this year’s awards was the Anthony Miekeco Penny Scholarship, established in memory of our friend and former colleague. The $2,500 scholarship was awarded to Soledad Ordonez Vicente of Auburn University, continuing Penny’s legacy by supporting students who share a passion for design and the belief that architecture can make a positive difference in people’s lives.

Programs like the ACFA Scholarship are an important investment in the strength and future of our profession. We congratulate all of the 2026–2027 scholarship recipients and look forward to seeing where their talent, determination, and creativity take them next.

2026 AIA Birmingham Design Awards

Celebrating Excellence in Design

The Birmingham design community gathered at The Haven on June 25 for the 2026 AIA Birmingham Design Awards, an annual celebration recognizing projects that demonstrate excellence, innovation, and a meaningful contribution to the built environment.

We were honored to receive three awards this year, recognizing work across research, adaptive reuse, and higher education. Each project presented a unique design challenge, but all three share a common goal: creating places that strengthen connections, elevate everyday experiences, and serve their communities for years to come.

UAB Altec Styslinger Genomic Medicine & Data Sciences BuildinG

Honor Award

The UAB Altec Styslinger Genomic Medicine & Data Sciences Building received an Honor Award, one of the program’s highest distinctions.

Situated on a challenging urban site, the project was designed to foster collaboration, innovation, and discovery. Its distinctive façade, welcoming interiors, central stair, and thoughtfully designed outdoor spaces work together to create an environment where researchers, students, and healthcare professionals can connect and advance the future of genomic medicine.

The jury praised the project as a “thoughtful and well-executed plan on a challenging urban site,” highlighting its building skin, inviting interiors, prominent stair, landscape, and outdoor spaces as elements that create opportunities for collaboration and connection.

The recognition reflects UAB’s vision for a facility that not only supports groundbreaking research today but also creates an inspiring environment for generations to come.

Nextec

Merit Award

Nextec received a Merit Award for the thoughtful transformation of a nearly century-old Birmingham building into a contemporary workplace.

Originally constructed in 1927 as the Edwards Motor Company, the building has been reimagined while preserving the character and history that make it unique. Original brick, exposed structural elements, restored skylights, and expansive garage doors remain central to the experience, while contemporary interventions introduce new workspaces designed for collaboration and innovation.

The jury recognized the challenge of the adaptive reuse effort and praised the way the project “beautifully balances historic character with modern interventions,” while also highlighting the exposed structure, refined interior details, and new urban park.

The result demonstrates that preserving the past does not mean designing for yesterday — it can provide the foundation for an entirely new chapter.

Auburn University at Montgomery College of Sciences

Distinction Award

The Auburn University at Montgomery College of Sciences received a Distinction Award for a design intervention that transformed the experience of the existing building.

At the center of the project is a ceremonial stair and skylight that turn what was once primarily a pass-through space into a vibrant, light-filled commons. Positioned between laboratories and classrooms, the new gathering space creates a natural hub where students and faculty can meet, collaborate, and exchange ideas.

The jury specifically recognized the “integration of the ceremonial stair and skylight to create a light-filled internal common space,” noting that the transformation will “provide another generation of life to the existing structure.”

Together, these three awards celebrate very different approaches to design — from a new research environment to adaptive reuse and the transformation of an existing academic building. We are grateful to our clients, consultants, contractors, and project teams whose collaboration and commitment made each of these projects possible.

Auburn in Birmingham Honored at Winchester Institute Real Estate Gala

The Winchester Institute for Real Estate Development brought together students, alumni and industry leaders on April 30 for its Second Annual Real Estate Gala at The Hotel at Auburn University & Dixon Conference Center.

The annual event celebrates the continued growth of real estate education at Auburn and recognizes the students, faculty, alumni and industry partners helping shape the future of the industry. The Winchester Institute is a collaborative effort between Auburn’s Harbert College of Business and College of Architecture, Design and Construction, creating connections across business, design and development.

One of the highlights of this year’s Gala was the recognition of Auburn in Birmingham with the Outstanding Auburn Alum Design of the Year Award. The honor recognized the project and the contributions of its design team, including Auburn alumni Matt Foley and Brittany Foley, along with Celia Gannaway and Stephen Allen.

Located in downtown Birmingham, Auburn in Birmingham transformed the historic Hood-McPherson Building into a new home for Auburn University programs, creating a stronger connection between the university and Alabama’s largest city. The adaptive reuse project reflects the intersection of thoughtful design, development and community impact that the Winchester Institute works to advance.

We were honored to celebrate alongside so many talented members of the Auburn real estate community and especially proud to see Auburn in Birmingham and our team recognized among this year’s honorees.

Supporting Community Through the Great Birmingham Bake Off

A team from the firm participated in this year’s Great Birmingham Bake Off hosted by Workshops Empowerment Inc. (WE Inc.), earning the event’s People’s Choice Award with a “Spicy Margarita Pound Cake” creation.

Inspired by the popular British baking competition format, the Great Birmingham Bake Off brings together teams from across the Birmingham community for a fun and creative fundraising event supporting an important mission. Held at Cahaba Brewing Company, the event invites amateur bakers to create custom desserts using baking mixes produced through WE Made, a workforce development initiative operated by WE Inc.

Beyond the friendly competition, the event raises awareness and funding for programs that provide vocational training, internships, and employment placement services for individuals living with disabilities and others facing structural barriers to employment.

Participating in events like the Great Birmingham Bake Off reflects many of the values that guide our firm, including making our communities better places, serving and respecting others, and cultivating a culture of diversity, equality, inclusion, and belonging.

The event also creates opportunities for team members to collaborate in a fun and creative environment outside of the office while strengthening relationships within the broader Birmingham community.

From recipe brainstorming to decorating the team table and engaging with attendees throughout the evening, the event served as a reminder that meaningful community impact can happen in many different forms — sometimes even through cake.

Investing in the Next Generation of Design Professionals

This year, Williams Blackstock Architects participated in career development fairs at Auburn University, Samford University, The University of Alabama, Mississippi State University and Tuskegee University to connect with architecture and interior design students exploring careers in the design industry.

Participating in these career fairs is an important part of who we are as a firm and directly reflects our core values. We believe in creating a platform and framework for professional growth by helping students gain insight into the profession, understand career pathways, and build meaningful industry connections early in their careers.

These events also support our commitment to making the world and our communities a better place. By engaging with emerging designers and sharing our experiences, we hope to encourage thoughtful, community-focused design leadership for the future.

We value serving and respecting others while cultivating a culture of diversity, equality, inclusion, and belonging. Career fairs provide an opportunity to meet students from a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives, while helping foster a more inclusive future for the architecture and interior design professions.

Over the years, these connections have led to several successful hires and internship opportunities within our firm. Many of the students we first met at career fairs have gone on to become valuable members of our team and contributors to projects that positively impact communities across the region.

We always enjoy contributing to the development of students who are interested in pursuing careers in design and look forward to continuing these relationships in the years ahead.

Jeremy Cutts Named to Birmingham Business Journal’s 2026 “Top 40 Under 40”

Jeremy Cutts has been named to the 2026 Birmingham Business Journal 40 Under 40 list, recognizing the region’s most influential emerging leaders, executives, and innovators shaping the future of metro Birmingham.

Jeremy was selected for his exceptional architecture career, advocacy for equitable housing, and ongoing civic engagement throughout Birmingham and across Alabama. His work includes several transformative civic and commercial projects, including the Equal Justice Initiative Pavilion, the redevelopment of the historic Ramsay McCormack Building, and major university and housing initiatives throughout the region.

His work focuses heavily on purposeful, equity-driven design, with a strong emphasis on bringing high-quality architecture to underserved communities. Jeremy has also helped expand affordable, workforce, and multi-family housing initiatives aimed at improving quality of life across Birmingham.

Beyond his professional work, Jeremy remains actively involved in the design and civic community through leadership with DesignAlabama and AIA Birmingham, while mentoring emerging professionals and supporting the next generation of diverse designers.

The 2026 BBJ 40 Under 40 celebration was held on February 12, 2026, at Haven as a Mardi Gras-themed reception honoring this year’s class of business and community leaders.

A New Backyard for Auburn: Melton Student Center Patio Opens

Auburn University students have a new place to gather, study, relax and celebrate campus life with the opening of the newly renovated Melton Student Center Patio.

The approximately 21,200-square-foot, $3 million renovation transforms what was once an underutilized outdoor area into an active extension of the student center. Driven in large part by Auburn’s Student Government Association, the vision was to create a true “backyard” for students — a welcoming destination at the heart of campus that could support everything from an afternoon study session to a large university event.

The redesigned patio features a central event lawn with tiered seating, outdoor study and lounge areas, integrated power and technology, and a large-scale LED video display. Improved circulation and the removal of existing physical barriers better connect the patio to surrounding campus pathways, while a variety of seating environments give students more choices for gathering or finding a quiet place to work.

Existing heritage oak trees were preserved as part of the design, providing valuable shade and helping retain the established character of the site. New landscaping, shade structures and campus-inspired materials complement the surrounding architecture while giving the patio a fresh identity of its own.

Since opening, the space is already becoming what it was envisioned to be — a hub for student life. From Midday Music events to studying between classes, socializing with friends and gathering for campus activities, the patio provides a flexible outdoor environment designed to adapt to the many ways students experience Auburn.

Seasons Greetings at Dread River Distilling Co.

Our Holiday Party at Dread River Distilling Co. was a standout evening in one of Alabama’s most impressive and thoughtfully designed destinations. The facility’s industrial character, warm materials, and carefully crafted details reflect the same precision and craftsmanship found in the spirits produced there, creating an atmosphere that feels both refined and inviting. The evening began with hors d’oeuvres, craft cocktails, and a behind-the-scenes tour of the state’s largest and most product-diverse distillery, followed by an exceptional dinner and time spent together—an ideal setting to celebrate the season and close out the year as a team.

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Jeremy Cutts - MFE Rising Star

We’re proud to celebrate Jeremy Cutts, recipient of the Multifamily Executive Awards’ Rising Star Award, recognizing emerging leaders shaping the future of multifamily design. The 2025 award winners were announced in late summer/early fall and formally recognized during the Multifamily Executive Conference, held November 4–6, 2025, in Newport Beach at the VEA Newport Beach. With experience across university campuses, mixed-use communities, office and retail environments, and housing authority projects, Jeremy brings thoughtful creativity and impact to every challenge. Beyond his design work, his dedication to service—through roles with Design Alabama, AIA Birmingham, the Alabama Center for Architecture Housing Task Force, and more—continues to amplify his influence on communities throughout the Southeast.

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Wallace State Student Investment Luncheon and Auction

The Wallace State Community College Student Investment Luncheon and Auction, presented by the Wallace State Future Foundation, was an inspiring celebration of community support and student success. Held at Traditions Bank Arena, the 21st annual event brought together more than 600 guests for a delicious catered meal, silent, live, and online auctions, and personal stories from scholarship recipients who helped serve and share their gratitude. Thanks to the generosity of attendees, sponsors, and donors, the luncheon raised a record-breaking $416,161 to fund scholarships that help Wallace State students pursue their academic and career goals. The event not only showcased the power of collective investment in education but also highlighted new endowed scholarships and the deep impact of community partnership in transforming lives.