Eleven Projects Recognized in Fay Jones School's 2018 Alumni Design Awards Competition

The Ellis Hall Renovation solved volume, sight line and sound issues in the recital hall by excavating into the existing lower level. (Photo by Gayle Babcock)

The Fareground Plaza features an inviting, rolling lawn immerses visitors in the natural environment. (Photo by Jason Radcliff)

This detail of the west elevation of the Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Simulation shows the interplay of exterior materials. (Photo by Timothy Hursley)

Carved from one of the corrugated volumes of Paschal Heat, Air and Geothermal, a balcony off the break room overlooks the field to the south. (Photo by Timothy Hursley)

The landscape design for Preston Hollow Residence includes highly structured outdoor areas and the natural setting of the creek edge. (Photo by James Wilson)

The projected balcony and strong cantilevered roof figure extend the living space of the Sutcliffe House and reinforce the home’s focus on the views. (Photo by Timothy Hursley)

The entrance to Rayonier Corporate Headquarters a hybrid structure of glulam, steel and tilt-up concrete. (Photo by Timothy Hursley)

A look at the main community entry and sculpture courtyard on the northeast side of the Windgate Art and Design Building. (Photo by Aaron Kimberlin)

The second floor of the Little Rock Technology Park overlooks the lobby and a coffee bar. (Photo by Karen Segrave)

A modern spiral stair is juxtaposed with aged barn doors, chipped plaster and brick flue at the renovated Farmers Exchange. (Photo by Thomas Merritt)

The design concept of Sushi Kappo revolves around establishing a connection between two distinct environments. (Photo by BOS | UA)

Sam Fentress

Alumnus Tony Patterson won both an Honor Award for Architecture and an Honor Award for Interior Design for the renovation of Ellis Hall on the Missouri State University campus in Springfield, Missouri.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas honored the innovative work of its alumni with alumni design awards during the school's annual Alumni Dinner and Recognition Ceremony, held Oct. 4 at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House on the university campus. During the evening, Golden Graduates and Awards for Distinction winners also were recognized.

Designs for residential, interior, educational, artwork, outdoor, commercial, medical, office, lighting, historic, religious, culinary, city planning, spa, recreational and public urban spaces were among 52 projects vying for recognition in this year's Fay Jones Alumni Design Awards competition. This year's competition saw the most entries to date. Entries came from Fay Jones School alumni practicing in cities around the state of Arkansas, as well as in Missouri, California, Florida, Washington, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, New York, Colorado, Virginia, Illinois, Texas, Tennessee, Washington, D.C., and Bolivia.

A six-member jury chose 11 projects for accolades — resulting in one Honor Award for Architecture, one Honor Award for Landscape Architecture and one Honor Award for Interior Design; two Merit Awards for Architecture and one Merit Award for Landscape Architecture; and three Honorable Mentions for Architecture and three Honorable Mentions for Interior Design. One project won two awards.

Roy Decker, principal and co-founder of Duvall Decker Architects in Jackson, Mississippi, served as external jury member. Kimberley Furlong, assistant professor in interior design in the Fay Jones School, served as jury chair for the design awards competition. Fellow jury members included two other school faculty, Jessica Colangelo, assistant professor in architecture; and Windy Gay, instructor in interior design. Additional jury members were Victor Mirontschuk, president and founder of EDI International and a Fay Jones School alumnus; and Patty Opitz, senior associate at Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects and a Fay Jones School alumna.

"Peer design juries are important to highlight the achievements of individual entrants but also for the broader culture that seeks to promote design excellence," Decker said. "With each jury program, work gets recognized that achieves quality in some way; shows a special sensitivity to a client or community; demonstrates innovation or a dedication to craft and/or environmental quality, etc. Because of this collective benefit, each jury and award program grows our capacity and teaches us to see design excellence as a transformative force for public good over time. In my mind, design quality is not simply a measure of aesthetics but more a comprehensive achievement in environmental/community health.

"I have been part of many peer review design juries," Decker continued. "In each case, you get to see the quality of the conversation about design excellence in a particular community. What I see from the work submitted for this year's Fay Jones School alumni design awards competition is that the conversation about design excellence in the school and among the alumni is extremely strong, with emphasis on design quality as a comprehensive striving for public good."

Tony Patterson (B.Arch. '00) won both an Honor Award for Architecture and an Honor Award for Interior Design for the renovation of Ellis Hall on the Missouri State University campus in Springfield, Missouri. Patterson is with Patterhn Ives LLC in St. Louis, Missouri. Untouched for 50 years, the renovation of MSU's School of Music includes a pedagogically tuned environment with two signature recital halls, acoustic upgrades, a performance courtyard that mends outreach to the greater university campus, and thoughtful features that resonate with its modern framework and historic context.

"This strategically located building is a wonderful renovation of an architecturally significant 1950s structure. My eye was immediately drawn to the recital hall with its clean lines, layering of architecture and the pipe organ as a sculptural backdrop and focal point," the jury said. "This project is a fine example of a sensitive and rigorous renovation. It breathes new life into an existing building, proving that, if thoughtfully done, interior and exterior renovations can give new and valuable life to often unappreciated mid-century modern structures."

Jason Radcliff (B.L.A. '98) won an Honor Award for Landscape Architecture for the Fareground in Austin, Texas. Radcliff is with the firm dwg. in Austin. Fareground is the reimaging of a dormant office plaza into a modern, inviting and active downtown hub for professionals, residents and visitors, utilizing a dramatic botanical plant palette of native and adapted species to create a verdant and comfortable setting in the midst of the built environment.

"Perhaps the most successful feature of this outdoor urban space is how the organization of the plan and trees shields the users of the park from the busy vehicular intersection," the jury said. "Fareground is a sensitive yet playful use of topography, textures and layered space to create an active urban landscape that bridges the plaza and the city."

Jason Jackson (B.Arch. '06) won a Merit Award for Architecture for the Center of Healthcare Improvement and Patient Simulation (CHIPS) at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. Jackson is with brg3s architects in Memphis. CHIPS is a three-story design that ties together the existing structures into a cohesive campus, critically responding to and complementing neighboring buildings through the interplay of exterior materials and the planes in which the materials are utilized.

"The center responds elegantly to a challenging program with a strong urban gesture that allows for extension of the urban fabric into the ground level of the building," the jury said. "Despite the solidity necessitated by the program, the building greets the street and park with lightness and transparency."

Tim Maddox (B.Arch. '02), Seth Spradlin (B.Arch. '15), Julie Chambers (B.Arch. '99), Josh Danish (B.Arch. '02) and Ben Cruce (B.Arch. '11) won a Merit Award for Architecture for Paschal Heat, Air and Geothermal in Tontitown. The design team is with DEMX Architecture in Fayetteville. Designed to accommodate the company's unprecedented growth, the project integrates a seamless workflow and an innovative business method into a transparent and collaborative design.

The jury called the project "a fun approach to your classic warehouse design. … The playful bold geometry, strategic placement of glass and detailing combine to create an interesting architectural solution. The use of industrial materials and detailing on the exterior and interiors reinforces the company's industrial character."

Coy Talley (B.L.A. '84) won a Merit Award for Landscape Architecture for the Preston Hollow Residence in Dallas, Texas. Talley is with Talley Associates in Dallas. The residence is quietly nestled within a landscape of native grasses and a grove of existing trees, which allows for a slow unfolding of space upon entering the site.

"The siting and landscape buffer give the home privacy from the outside world. The drive along the long, naturally landscaped entry motor court creates a sense of anticipation," the jury said. The jury also appreciated "the contrast of the more natural entry approach to the refined modern home."

Tim Maddox (B.Arch. '02), Seth Spradlin (B.Arch. '15) and Josh Danish (B.Arch. '02) won an Honorable Mention for Architecture for the Sutcliffe House in Eureka Springs. The design team is also with DEMX Architecture in Fayetteville. The project was designed for a local landscape photographer and inspired by the economy of regional vernacular forms. The secluded Ozark mountain residence captures and emphasizes views of the surrounding landscape.

"The Sutcliffe House takes advantage of a spectacular site, and utilizes a limited formal vocabulary to bring the outdoors inside," the jury said. "The use of three materials - concrete, wood and metal - reinforces the horizontal geometric form of the home. The organization of the plan is simple yet functional, practical and economical."

Wendell Kinzler (B.Arch. '05), Reese Rowland (B.Arch. '90), David Porter (B.Arch. '82) and David Rogers (B.Arch. '91) received an Honorable Mention for Architecture for Rayonier Corporate Headquarters in Wildlight, Florida. The design team is with Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects in Little Rock. The project distills Rayonier's story into a physical, site-sensitive narrative reflecting the area's watershed, drawing primarily on early utilitarian Rayonier timber sawmills and regional agricultural buildings that express the virtues of simplicity.

"The use of strong geometric forms, along with the strategic use of steel, glass and wood, combine to create a strong piece of architecture," the jury said. "The detailing is masterful."

Eldon Bock (B.Arch. '83) received an Honorable Mention for Architecture for the Windgate Art and Design Building on the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith campus. Bock is with WER Architects/Planners in Little Rock. The project was designed to be an outreach to the community, placing focus on the craft of art inside and out, and it encourages the community, visitors and passersby to embrace an opportunity to introduce more art into their lives.

"Inviting, welcoming, community interaction, art awareness and art appreciation were challenges in the design of this building," the jury said. "The architecture accomplished all of these through a strong building façade, playful entry landscape, transparent interiors and careful organization of the plan and functionality."

Chad Young (B.Arch. '95), Caleb Tyson (B.Arch. '14), Jay Clark (B.Arch. '91), Earnest Duckery (B.Arch. '95), Gordon Duckworth (B.Arch. '76) and Roy St. Clair (B.Arch. '78) won an Honorable Mention for Interior Design for the Little Rock Technology Park. The design team is with Wittenberg, Delony & Davidson, Inc. Architects in Little Rock. The project is a tech-based business incubator for entrepreneurs and researchers, derived from two 1920s buildings renovated into one 42,000-square-foot office complex.

"Old meets new in a fun, creative and stimulating environment," the jury said. "The creation of playful interiors, open spaces, common lobby/events and communal spaces helps encourage collaboration with young budding entrepreneurs."

Harrison French (B.Arch. '86), Lori Filbeck (B.Arch. '05), Brian Wells (B.Arch. '02) and Alicia Wilgus (B.I.D. '02) received an Honorable Mention for Interior Design for the Farmers Exchange Renovation in Bentonville. The design team is with Harrison French & Associates in Bentonville. The sensitive adaptive reuse project breathed new life into a 1920s feed store, providing a future as a creative tech hub while recalling its past through the juxtaposed use of leftover artifacts as building materials and art.

"What a wonderful reuse of an already amazing space. Fantastic blend of existing materials, and new textiles and colors," the jury said. "This is a great example of keeping the old and recycling an existing structure to create a creative and inviting work environment."

Mark Rukamathu (B.Arch. '03) received an Honorable Mention for Interior Design for Sushi Kappo in Boston, Massachusetts. Rukamathu is with rukamathu.smith LLC in Somerville, Massachusetts. The project establishes a connection between two distinct environments — the sushi lab, where food is prepared, and the "beachy" atmosphere of the dining area — through the use of wood, stone, ceramic tile and metal.

"Love the use of materials and subtle installation methods to convey waves and Japanese traditions," the jury said. "Minimalism, clean lines and designed down to the smallest detail describe this interiors project."

About the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design: The Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas houses professional design programs of architecture, landscape architecture and interior design together with liberal studies programs. All of these programs combine studio design education with innovative teaching in history, theory, technology and urban design. A broad range of course offerings equips graduates with the knowledge and critical agility required to meet the challenges of designing for a changing world. Their training prepares students with critical frameworks for design thinking that also equip them to assume leadership roles in the profession and in their communities. The school's architecture program was ranked 26th in the nation, and the 12th best program among public, land-grant universities, in the 16th Annual Survey of America's Best Architecture and Design Schools, a study conducted in 2015 by the Design Futures Council and published in DesignIntelligence. For more information visit fayjones.uark.edu.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs.