AIA Greater Columbia @ First Thursday, “2019 People’s Choice Awards,” to Take Place at 1530 Main Street at May 2nd First Thursday
Clemson University: School of Architecture: A Library for Cottontown

(Columbia, S.C.) April 25, 2019 –

The American Institute of Architects Greater Columbia section (AIAGC) is excited to announce that it will be opening the doors of the Center for Architecture at 1530 Main Street for First Thursday (May 2nd) from 6pm to 9pm!

All are welcome to stop in, have a free glass of wine and explore an exhibition of 12 unique design visions for a Cottontown Library Branch in the historic Cottontown neighborhood. During the spring semester of 2019, 80 second year undergraduate students in the Clemson University’s School of Architecture (CUSoA) explored what a new library branch would look like for Cottontown. 12 finalists as selected by a jury of AIAGC board members and Clemson professors will be on exhibition for First Thursday to participate in AIAGC’s 2019 People’s Choice Award.

As part of AIAGC’s efforts to engage with the public about the important role of great design, First Thursday visitors will be welcomed to vote on their favorite project. The project with the winning design will be awarded a $250 prize at 8:30pm! Additionally, a Grand Prize project selected by AIAGC board members will receive a $500 scholarship prize.

While the project is speculative in nature, students gain invaluable experience by having their work placed in a real setting – allowing them to gain insight into what it is like to design for Columbia’s community by studying its history, the unique conditions of the Cottontown neighborhood, and the goals of North Main Street development. Through the CUSoA-AIAGC Partnership, these students have further benefited from meeting with local architects about their own work and experience in the Cottontown District and held two design reviews as their projects progressed with AIAGC architects in Clemson. CUSoA and AIAGC hope that the designs exhibited here support an ongoing discussion about how thoughtful collaborative design can promote cultural equity and serve as a catalyst for the revitalization of one of the city’s most vibrant and important historic districts.

“Mentorship is so crucial to the development of an architect and their career,” states AIAGC board president, Adriane McGillis, AIA, a senior associate at Stevens & Wilkinson, “Inviting these students to come to our community and then getting to visit them throughout the semester is a key to building bridges with the newest generation of architects who will be influencing the very face of our communities in only a few short years.”

CUSoA – AIAGC Partnership organizer Wendy Bertani Bergmann, AIA, said, “It is incredibly refreshing to be a part of this relationship with Clemson. While the students benefit from having practicing architects join their professors in their design reviews, we as professionals are also inspired by how talented and creative these students are so early on in their careers. Student projects bring fresh perspectives to our communities and it’s important to maintain this partnership moving forward, bringing new ideas and great design to Columbia.”