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We took some time today to enjoy our traditional Thanksgiving meal with each other. We are thankful this holiday season for an amazingly talented group to work with!
Nothing like a Food Truck Friday to brighten up the work week! Last week we invited our families and pets to join us for some games, cold beverages and delicious food.
We had a great evening representing the firm at the 2022 AIA Alabama Awards in Gulf Shores. We're thrilled to announce that we won two Merit Awards for the design of the Telegraph Creative and KMS offices.
AIA Alabama Merit Award
The design for the new Telegraph office creates an ultra-contemporary studio achieved in a rustic, industrial setting. The vision was to create an informal work environment where employees could work and relax in the same space. Focused on repurposing the existing space in a way that is modern, flexible and open, one of the focal points is the main meeting room. An existing delivery truck ramp was turned into stadium seating and a large projection screen punctuates the space.
AIA Alabama Merit Award
The vision for this corporate headquarters was to maintain the spirit and bones of an old masonry warehouse and was achieved through a series of modern adaptations to special building features such as the existing mezzanine supported from the roof deck above, and reuse of the generous amount of skylights. The design for this family-owned business combines professionalism and seriousness with that of a relaxed, comfortable family atmosphere for employees to gather and creates a professional home away from home.
Another project received a special recognition at the 2022 AIA Alabama Awards. A few of our employees volunteered their free time to work on The Compassion Project designing and building temporary housing solutions and were honored with a Merit Award. We are proud of their incredible personal achievement and their dedication to serving their community inside as well as outside the office.
The Compassion Project is a pilot partnership of local organizations that serve those who are experiencing homelessness in the Birmingham area. The Faith Chapel Care Center, Food for Our Journey and God’s Loving Hands worked together to provide food, cooling shelters, showers, laundry, health services and fun activities for those in need.
We’re proud to announce that The Estelle won a Merit Award at this year’s MultiFamily Executive Awards in Las Vegas. The Estelle was recognized for setting a new standard for apartment living in Birmingham, Alabama, with a design focused on placemaking and community building.
This week, Williams Blackstock Architects took a field trip to volunteer at The Community Food Bank of Central Alabama. Not only are we proud to be working with them on their new building, we are proud to have spent time serving our community and learning about their mission first-hand. We spent the afternoon in teamwork sorting food, packing bags, and helping in their belief that no one in Alabama should go hungry.
The Community Food Bank supplies millions of meals per year to over 230 partner agencies, like food pantries, shelters and children’s programs across Central Alabama. We are proud to have helped our community and helped towards their goal to feed people in need today and foster collaborative solutions to end hunger tomorrow.
We’re exited to announce the groundbreaking of The Arcadia this week in Huntsville, Alabama. Located in Cummings Research Park, directly across from the new Alabama School of Cyber Technology, The Arcadia is a six-story mixed-use project that once completed will include 12,000 square feet of office space, 7,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space and 250 residential units.
“This development will be a significant one for Huntsville and Cummings Research Park. We hope it acts as a catalyst for continued growth in the area.”
Best in Design 2022
We're thrilled to be featured by Interior Design Magazine in their Best in Design 2022 issue featuring RMS.
“A financial investment firm specializing in timberland revamped its global headquarters, leveraging the surrounding dense woods as design inspiration. Offices feature glass fronts with sliding glass doors to enhance transparency and daylight. The AIA Award-winning design complements rather than competes with it’s outdoor setting.”
With incredible sadness we share the loss of our dear friend and respected colleague Anthony Penny, endearingly referred to as Penny by his friends. Penny and his girlfriend passed away in a tragic car accident early Sunday morning on August 14th. Penny was a cherished friend to many, a loving son and brother, and a bright star in our community. A talented architect, designer, and craftsman, he shared his skills and talents within our firm and through the various volunteer efforts he engaged in outside of work. He was selfless and committed to helping those in need, spending many hours serving the homeless community in Birmingham. Professionally Penny was integral to any project he worked on, contributing his talent and thoughtfulness to some of our best projects. He was a voice of inspiration and improvement within our practice. His loss has been and will be deeply felt by our firm and our community. We miss him so much; he was the best.
Funeral Service for Anthony Penny:
Sunday, August 28th
Johns Rideout Funeral Home in downtown Birmingham, University Avenue
Viewing from 1-2pm.
Service begins at 2pm.
Obituary to follow.
Birmingham Business Journal - Top 40 Under 40
Congratulations to Lauren Gwaltney for being named as one of the 2022 Top 40 Under 40 from the Birmingham Business Journal. As a Senior Associate, Gwaltney, 39, has led many of the firm's adaptive reuse projects to sustainably restore vacant buildings downtown such as Cahaba Brewing and Dread River Distillery, which won recognition with American Institute of Architects design awards. As Director of Higher Education, she participated in and led the firm's higher education design on several high-profile projects at Auburn University, the University of Alabama, UAB and community colleges. She was responsible for the design and management of the new $27 million freshman gateway classroom building for Auburn University. She also was instrumental in founding a chapter of AIA Birmingham Women in Architecture.
