FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The $18 million dollar renovation of the historic Chemistry Building on the University of Arkansas campus has been named Best Education Building Project of 2007 by “McGraw Hill’s South Central Construction” magazine. The project was selected by a regional jury for Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. Earlier this month the project was also awarded an honorable mention for Excellence in Preservation Rehabilitation by the Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas.

The Chemistry Building was built in 1935 as a federal Public Works Administration project. It is built of limestone in the “Collegiate Gothic” architectural style, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in September 1992.

The renovation project began in May, 2004, and the building was re-opened for classes in January, 2007.

The renovation was a collaboration of Arkansas designers and builders, with WER of Little Rock the architects and planners for the renovation and the Fayetteville firm of Amirmoez Foster Hailey Johnson as associate architects for the project. Tinsley-Mullen Engineers of Little Rock served as the project engineers, and May Construction of Little Rock was the general contractor.

The McGraw-Hill award was presented on Nov. 29, in Memphis.