For AIA West Virginia’s 2004 awards program, a Chicago jury—Chair Ray Bordwell, AIA; Ralph Johnson, FAIA; Jim Schellinger, AIA; Rick Dewar, AIA; and Robert Finigan, AIA—awarded 3 projects from among 28 submitted in the Mountain State. The recipients this year are a university dining hall facility, an addition to an historic church, and a new credit union branch building. The chapter also honored four architecture students, granting them scholarship awards totaling $7,250.

Honor Awards for Excellence in Design

Star USA Federal Credit Union, Charleston, W. Va., by Silling Associates
Star USA Federal Credit Union, a young financial institution recently opened to public membership in the state, wanted to establish a contemporary image that relates to its original corporate headquarters and appeals to a youthful and emerging consumer market. The resulting 5,000-square-foot, single-story, two-tenant structure uses masonry and curtainwall construction to project its corporate identity, while the bowstring trusses and clerestory components introduce a signature architectural element for this and subsequent branch facilities. The linear procession of curved trusses defines the customer spaces and forms the primary building mass. The truss structure creates a well-lighted, high-volume tectonic space of contemporary materials to reinforce the design goals. The clear separation of solid and void through the use of brick and glazing emphasizes the tenant spaces and symbolize the solidity of banking. The jury was impressed with the clear distinction of volume that helped reinforce the different building components. “The building is easy to understand, setting a hierarchy of public and private space while clearly expressing circulation and access,” they said.
Photo © Silling Associates.

Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral Addition, Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, Charleston, W. Va., by Associated Architects
Sacred Heart Cathedral, a historic church originally built in 1897, serves as a prominent example of Romanesque architecture within the downtown area of the state capital. The new 10,000-square-foot main entry hall reorients visitors from the traditional entry facing the main street and provides a much-needed gathering place for visitors to congregate and socialize informally during parish events. A new landscaped courtyard with two fountains provides a welcoming, gracious invitation to people of all religions to come forward and enter. The new addition also includes a sacristy/vesting area for up to 40 priests, a bridal party dressing room, and a gift shop. “This is a wonderful design that extends the life of the original building; the addition creates a second front while respecting the intent of the original building,” the jury remarked. “The design doesn't upstage the original and is well sited.”
Photo © Associated Architects.

Merit Award for Achievement in Design

Harless Dining Hall, Marshall University, Huntington, W. Va., by Bastian & Harris Architects, with Einhorn Yaffee Prescott Architecture & Engineering.
The Harless Dining Hall creates the focal point for Marshall University’s newly developed John Marshall Commons. Located along a busy thoroughfare connecting to downtown Huntington, the building serves as a landmark emphasizing the university’s presence. The architect carefully cited the dining hall and adjacent residential buildings to define street edges while also enclosing a central landscaped space. The 19,000-square-foot hall sits at the critical junction where this pathway curves toward the center of campus. The interior plan is organized around a large, high-ceilinged dining room offering a generous expanse of curtainwall and sweeping views both into and out of the dining area. The exterior architectural expression of new building draws cues from both historic and more recent buildings on the campus, employing red brick with split-faced CMU accent bands and a buff brick accent wall. The jury commented on the clarity of the plan and the sharp distinction between public and private space. “The strong gesture toward the center of campus reinforces the pedestrian circulation plan and anchors the residential quarter,” they said.
Photo © Feinknopf Photography/Jason Meyer.

Four students win scholarships
A jury of John Harris, AIA, chairperson; Jody Driggs, AIA; Jeff Kreps, AIA; William Yoke, AIA; and Robert Wilson, AIA, selected four students to receive scholarship awards totaling $7,250. The recipients are:

• Jack Douglas Maynard, University of Kentucky
• Cheryl Maliszewski, University of Tennessee
• Bethany Vandetta, Fairmont State University
• Jason A. Buttrey, Fairmont State University (The Mayfield Memorial Scholarship Award).

Copyright 2005 The American Institute of Architects. All rights reserved. Home Page