Fay Jones School Students' Work Receives Integrated Design, Advanced Studio Awards

“In the Context of Emptiness, Detroit Wonderland Studio,” received a First Place Award.

“Carb Complex: Big Picture” received a Second Place Award.

“North Fork Interdisciplinary Studio” received a Third Place Award.

Image courtesy of Kennedy VanTrump

This design by Kennedy VanTrump was recognized with First Place in the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design's Integrated Design Studio Awards.

The Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design recognized the design work of several students during a Sept. 30 virtual awards presentation for the school's Integrated Design Studio (IDS) Awards and the Advanced Studios Prize.

A panel of internationally distinguished jury members discussed the work and publicly announced the students and projects being recognized. 

"The exhibition of talent represented in all the students' work is remarkable and to be commended — finalists and those who were awarded," said John Folan, professor and head of the Department of Architecture. "It is invigorating to see the work and celebrate it within our own community, but to have such a diverse and esteemed group of internationally recognized jurors articulate admiration and respect for the students' accomplishments makes it clear that it resonates globally."

The focus of the fall 2019 semester Integrated Design Studio was "Trans-Logic Studio: Adaptive Reinventions, Wilson, Arkansas." This studio was led by faculty members Marlon Blackwell (coordinator), FAIA, Distinguished Professor and E. Fay Jones Chair in Architecture; Emily Baker, associate professor in architecture; and Jonathan Boelkins, teaching assistant professor in architecture.

Students recognized with Integrated Design Studio Awards were Kennedy VanTrump, First Place; Ryan West, Second Place; Alexandria DeStefano, Third Place; and Sarah Little, Honorable Mention. For VanTrump's first-place project, the jury noted several compelling attributes: "complex and interesting section; inventive; public access to the roof level; explores light and use with great sensitivity." The jury said that West's use of a public veranda in his second-place project "is a good intelligent move in this context" and that the images used were "simple and effective." They applauded several aspects of DeStefano's third-place project: "interesting site plan; use of gantry/crane idea intelligent; choice of materials good; studied structural strength of floor and found new use that is appropriate." Little's honorable mention was noted as a "spatially interesting proposition."

For the Integrated Design Studio Awards, $2,000 went to the first-place winner, $1,500 to second place, $1,000 to third place, and $500 to honorable mention.

There were six finalist projects pre-selected for the jury to review for the Advanced Studios Prize, and three of those finalists were awarded books as prizes. The First Place Award went to Joshua Levy for "In the Context of Emptiness, Detroit Wonderland Studio." This studio was led by Marlon Blackwell and Steve Luoni, Distinguished Professor and Steven L. Anderson Chair in Architecture and Urban Studies. This project focused on adaptive re-use, and the jury noted it was "partially imagination, partially grounded in reality — perfectly balanced" with an interesting landscape proposal in a "society of exterior rooms."

The Second Place Award went to Daniel Barker, Hunter Adkisson, Faith Cover, Amanda Davidson, Molly Dillard, Alexandria Hutchins, Sarah Schrom and Seth Soto for "Carb Complex: Big Picture." Studio faculty were John Folan (coordinator), architecture professor and department head; Ken McCown, landscape architecture professor and department head; Kim Furlong, associate professor in interior design; and Jonathan Boelkins, teaching assistant professor in architecture. This project done in the Urban Design Build Studio focused on the planned Whipple Family Forestry Education Center at Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs. The jury noted strengths in the research associated with the work and in the understanding of the site through methodical analysis. The jury said this "resulted in a surprising and delightful place emerging from the forest — implied by its name, the outlook."

The Third Place Award went to Miller Matlock for "North Fork Interdisciplinary Studio," led by Kim Furlong, associate professor. The jury noted that the project's "atmospherics communicated through drawings are highly effective and of the place."

The awards jury panelists for the Integrated Design Studio (IDS) Awards and the Advanced Studios Prize included:

• William Bates, FAIA, NOMA, LEED AP BD+C, national president, American Institute of Architects (AIA) 2018-2020; professor, Carnegie Mellon University.
• Kimberly Dowdell, AIA, NOMA, SEED, LEED AP BD+C, principal and director of business development, Hellmuth Obata and Kassabaum (HO+K) Chicago; president, National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) 2019-2020. 
• Yvonne Farrell, FRIBA, co-founder and partner, Grafton Architects, Dublin, Ireland; 2020 Pritzker Architecture Prize recipient; 2020 Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Gold Medal recipient; lead architects of the Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation, Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, University of Arkansas.  
• Billy Fleming, Wilks Family Director, Ian L. McHarg Center in the Weitzman School of Design at the University of Pennsylvania; author of "The 2100 Project: An Atlas for the Green New Deal" and "The Indivisible Guide;" Fay Jones School alumnus, B.L.A. 2011.