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.

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.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

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.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

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.

Fall Festival 2025

The Fall Festival was a relaxed and joyful afternoon that brought employees, families, and pets together to celebrate the season and spend time with one another outside the everyday work routine. From painting pumpkins and friendly games of cornhole to simply gathering and catching up, the event was filled with easy conversation and laughter on a beautiful fall day. Several team members jumped in to run a make-your-own pizza kitchen line, adding a fun, hands-on element—and plenty of great food—to the experience. Most importantly, the festival created space to connect with friends and families, strengthening relationships and reminding us that sometimes the best moments are the ones focused purely on being together and having fun.

UAB celebrates opening of Altec/Styslinger Genomic Medicine and Data Sciences Building

University of Alabama at Birmingham celebrated the ribbon cutting of the Altec/Styslinger Genomic Medicine and Data Sciences Building, a 175,000-square-foot facility that merges architecture, science, and innovation into a bold new campus landmark.

Defined by its striking double-helix form, expressed through a transparent glass curtain wall, the building makes visible UAB’s mission to connect biology, medicine, and data. Positioned along Seventh Avenue South, it serves as a physical and symbolic link between research, clinical care, and education—anchoring the medical campus while signaling the future of precision medicine.

Inside, flexible laboratories, collaborative workspaces, and computational research areas are designed to foster interdisciplinary exchange and accelerate discovery. Thoughtful details—like bird-friendly etched glass and new public spaces—reinforce the project’s commitment to sustainability, wellness, and community.

More than a new building, the Altec/Styslinger facility is a carefully crafted environment where design supports innovation—setting a new standard for biomedical research architecture in Birmingham and beyond.

Honoring the Work and the People Who Inspire It - AIA Alabama Awards 2025

The 2025 AIA Alabama Awards highlighted what we value most at Williams Blackstock: thoughtful design and the emerging leaders who carry that work forward. With Auburn in Birmingham honored for its design excellence and craft, and Kayla Bailey recognized as the state’s Emerging Professional Award recipient, this year’s honors celebrate both our architectural achievements and the exceptional talent driving our work and community impact.

Auburn in Birmingham received both the 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 and the 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 at the 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐀𝐈𝐀 𝐀𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐦𝐚 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬.

Housed within one of downtown Birmingham’s most recognizable industrial structures, the project celebrates the building’s historic craftsmanship while introducing contemporary interventions that respect its past and reimagine its future.

The jury praised the project for its:
𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 — preserving the building’s DNA while ensuring its continued relevance in the city’s evolving landscape.
𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 — creating a quiet, authentic architecture that values continuity and craft over novelty.
𝐔𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 — activating the ground floor to engage the streetscape and strengthen community life downtown.

Thank you to our partners, clients, and collaborators who helped make this transformation possible.

Please join us in congratulating Kayla Bailey, on being named the 2025 AIA Alabama Emerging Professional Award recipient — the highest honor bestowed by AIA Alabama upon an Associate Member whose leadership, service, and contributions have advanced the profession.

Kayla’s passion for people-centered design, her mentorship of young professionals, and her dedication to community impact exemplify the very best of what it means to be an architect in training. Whether leading project initiatives, collaborating with clients, or volunteering through AIA Birmingham, Kayla brings creativity, integrity, and purpose to everything she does.

We are incredibly proud to see her recognized for the difference she’s making in both our firm and the broader design community.

As we celebrate these honors, we’re energized by what they represent: a commitment to design excellence, a belief in the power of collaboration, and a future shaped by leaders like Kayla and projects like Auburn in Birmingham.

Williams Blackstock Architects Named to BBJ’s Middle Market 30

We’re proud to share that Williams Blackstock Architects has been named to the Birmingham Business Journal’s Middle Market 30 for the second year in a row, earning the No. 14 spot among high-performing companies across the region.

Each year, the BBJ recognizes 30 Birmingham-area businesses with revenues between $5 million and $1 billion that demonstrate strong, measurable growth. This year’s honorees were selected from more than 1,000 surveyed organizations and celebrated at an event at The Club.

Reflecting on WBA’s continued momentum, President Stephen Allen shared:

“We’re navigating a cautious economy by broadening our reach, staying close to our clients, and making sure our marketing and business development efforts reflect what our regional market will need. Our diversification helps us weather fluctuations and continue growing while maintaining profitability.”

We’re honored to be recognized alongside so many impactful companies driving Birmingham forward. Thank you to our incredible team and clients—your trust and partnership make this achievement possible.