The educational architecture firm was honored for its design of projects at Central Michigan University and Jackson Community College
DETROIT, January 11, 2010 – SHW Group has been honored with two 2009 Honor Awards from the Detroit Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for the firm’s design of Central Michigan University’s (CMU) College of Education and Human Services Building in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and Jackson Community College’s (JCC) William Atkinson Hall Information and Technology Center (ITC) in Jackson, Michigan. SHW also recently received a 2009 Citation of Excellence for its design of the JCC project in Learning By Design magazine, an annual publication of innovative school design.
The SHW Group projects were two of 11 projects to receive this year’s award from more than 40 total entries the jury reviewed, which consisted of a panel of distinguished architects headed by Rob Pfaffmann, AIA, President of Pfaffmann + Associates, Pittsburgh, PA. The winning projects and architects were recently honored at an awards program where recognition plaques were presented to the firms who created the work because “it is the architect’s ability and skill that gives it an aesthetic and practical merit and to the building owners whose cooperation and understanding of the work made it possible,” according to Detroit AIA.
CMU’s College of Education and Human Services Building
Completed in June 2009, the $50-million, four-story, 137,000-square-foot College of Education and Human Services Building at CMU enhances the ability of the school to meet the learning needs of its students, the instructional needs of its faculty and the functional needs of its supporting staff. The design process began in early 2006 and called for state-of-the-art academic instructional spaces, classrooms, labs, a child development center, as well as staff, faculty and departmental offices.
The College of Education at Central Michigan University prepares teachers to teach in the 21st-century learning environment. To that end, the building functions as a learning tool to educate children and college students. All senses were explored in the crafting of the building bringing texture, light, smell and color to the forefront of design. The child development labs are exceptional examples. Positioned on the southern side of the building for rich daylight, the development program provides an immersive learning environment. Children are complex and learn and grow in a multitude of ways. A rich color pallet derived from nature complements the natural woods and slate stone featured in the space. Light is central to learning in this space. The large windows also engage the children; their paintings on transparent film when hung on the glass lets sunlight pass through the art transferring color into the room. This integral relationship of the architecture and pedagogy creates a cohesive way for children to connect with the world through their senses. The outdoor learning environment immediately adjacent to the children’s lab utilizes rich textures and materials. Through gardening and play, the children manipulate this microclimate while stimulating and fostering different ways of interpreting reality and a critical awareness of our world.
“The College of Education and Human Services Building is a testament of our firm’s integrated design approach,” said Tod Stevens, AIA, LEED AP+, principal at SHW Group. “This one project features everything, from its dark slate exterior, ventilated wall system made of terra-cotta rain screen panels and displacement ventilation to its beautiful recycled tiles, bamboo walls and classrooms with 12-foot wall-to-wall windows and integrated sun screens. These design elements demonstrate how this truly is a one-of-a-kind facility. SHW Group is proud to be associated with a project that brings unprecedented opportunities that are rich with innovative technologies and engaging learning and teaching environments for its students and faculty.”
“The project takes a deep program and plan of multiple collaborative departments and creates a clear cohesive whole. The breakdown of the building massing using contrasting recycled and sustainable materials provides a substantial expression of the collaborative spatial organization within. The building is a bold expression in space and material of the college’s commitment to high-quality collaborative learning environments,” said the Detroit AIA jury panel.
JCC’s William Atkinson Hall Information and Technology Center
The $16.5-million, two-story, 53,000-square-foot William Atkinson Hall Information and Technology Center (ITC) at JCC was completed in August 2007. It is considered the foundation for a new renaissance at the college and is an innovative approach to multiple academic programs, resulting in a new hybrid building. This building merges the library, information commons, student lounge, flexible classrooms and multiple staff offices into a single structure. The ITC is the academic center for the college and provides state-of-the-art services to the surrounding community. The new multipurpose informational and instructional building provides for the needs of 21st-century learners, researchers and community members alike.
“Conceptually, the structure provides for the relocation and expansion of the existing college library and college information technology programs, as well as providing space for new instructional program development,” said Janice Suchan, AIA, LEED AP, principal at SHW Group. “The design successfully creates a strong individual presence for the ITC without disrupting the fabric of the campus. It is also a strong new symbol for the college, as the material selection took cues from many of the original buildings. These materials—brick, glass and wood panels—were expressed in a contemporary and refreshing manner, resulting in a handsome addition to the college community.”
“The project transforms a late modern campus while creating a dynamic new space for the college. By taking cues from many of the original buildings, the existing buildings are given new life. The exterior design opens the internal program and commons to views and makes critical visual connections to adjacent buildings,” said the Detroit AIA jury panel.
ABOUT SHW GROUP
SHW Group, LLC, a Michigan-based architectural and engineering firm, is one of the state’s leading educational design firms. More than just an A/E firm, the company is known for its comprehensive collaboration with educators and researchers to design innovative facilities that support the learning process. For more information, please visit www.shwgroup.com.
ABOUT AIA DETROIT CHAPTER
The American Institute of Architects Detroit, headed by Mark Nickita, AIA, of Birmingham, is a chapter of the 83,000 member national organization. The mission of the Honor Awards program is two fold, 1) to show the public “What Architects Do” and to inform about the value and importance of architectural excellence and 2) to enable architects to better understand notable achievements so that excellence becomes the standard.
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Media Contact: Nicole Traycoff
ntraycoff@shwgroup.com, (214) 473-2424
Claire Bloxom
claire@coopersmithagency.com, (214)329-9191