Our very own Amy Hickman Wallace extended this message to us as she introduced her latest design, “It is with great anticipation we introduce our second son, Robert Bruce Wallace, aka ‘Rab’, (which is Scottish for Rob), born on November 29, 2011. Our red-headed Rab has been a fun addition to our family.”
We all look forward to Amy’s return to the “tranquility” of our office; although we can’t promise that she won’t hear an occasional whine or two over the phone.
Ribbon cutting ceremonies were held on Monday, August 30, 2011 for the new Multi-Purpose Academic Center (MPAC) on the LSU Alexandria campus. MPAC is the first new academic building built on campus in more than 30 years, and is among the most technologically advanced buildings in the state.
“I don’t have to tell you this building here has been a long, long time coming . . . Now LSUA has a great building and an even greater future,” Governor Bobby Jindal told the crowd of elected officials, LSUA staff and students, and other stakeholders.
Since opening, the LSUA staff and students have taken full advantage of the new building. Students fill the lounge seating placed around the natural light filled lobby. The first theatrical productions have had great success in the 175 seat black box theater. Teachers and students alike rave about the bright, technology filled classrooms. The building has become an essential piece of the LSUA campus fabric.
LSUA Chancellor David Manuel sums it up best, “We have to start looking to set the bar higher, achieve more. That’s what this building does.”
It is now our opinion that every grand opening should be required to have a zydeco band jamming. Most don’t but ours did.
Our office crew made its first trip down I-49, exit 23, as tourists instead of architects, and was excited to be counted among the 200 visitors present for the ribbon cutting. Hearing the conversations in the exhibition hall, seeing people point out details that we toiled over, and watching guest stroll down the boardwalk made the trip worthwhile. It was a well-earned wrap party for all involved with making the St. Landry Parish Visitor Center a reality.
We can’t express our thanks enough to the St. Landry Tourist Commission for having the vision to do something more than a shallow replication of historical, and instead provide a facility to visitors that serves as a cultural portal to the region and is integrated with the site.
Lt. Governor, Jay Dardenne addressed the crowd, “It’s a great testament to the ingenuity and foresight of the people of this parish to make this happen.”
For more information and a picture of our friend and Director of Tourism, Celeste Gomez, wowing the audience please read the full press release.
The Shaw Center in Baton Rouge was host to more than 300 Louisiana architects, designers, and students to gather for the 12th annual Celebrate Architecture design symposium. Unified around the theme “Uncovering the Potential” five distinguished architects including David Lewis and Marc Tsurumaki of Lewis.Tsuramaki.Lewis from New York, Doug Stockman and Dan Maginn of El Dorado from Kansas City, and Kevin Daly of Daly Genik Architects from Santa Monica, shared the collective work of their respective firms in the morning and followed in the afternoon with an in-depth review of a single project from each firm that began from a difficult or underutilized site that required an inventive solution to realize the potential of the eventual design solution. The compelling projects presented were well-received by the AIA Louisiana membership and the event served as a great opportunity for real dialogue among colleagues.
Our very own Doug Ashe served as moderator and continues to organize the event on behalf of AIA Louisiana. Mike Nichols designed the event media, marketing materials, and coordinated the production of the presentations.
As a direct result of the financial success of Celebrate Architecture, AIA Louisiana was able to establish its annual AIA Louisiana Traveling Fellowship, a $5,000 travel/study abroad award available to 3rd and 4th year students at Louisiana schools of architecture. With the continued success of Celebrate Architecture we are now able to award two fellowships each year. Additionally, AIA Louisiana makes an annual $500 contribution to each of the five AIAS chapters in the state.
FULL SPEAKER LIST
The Ashe Broussard Weinzettle designed Uptown Banking Center of Red River Bank Center was opened for business following an official ribbon cutting ceremony which included Shreveport Business Chamber Officials and Red River Bank Administration and Staff.
This new retail banking office, located at the intersection of Line Avenue and Pierremont Road, marks the sixth location for the growing Red River Bank brand and establishes an anchor location within the Uptown Center.
We’re excited to announce that Louisiana Tech University’s newest student housing community, Park Place, has earned South Central Construction’s Best of 2010 Award of Merit in the higher education/research category.
The new student housing provides apartment style living for 348 residents. All units have patio or balcony openings facing the street in an effort to maximize activity, visual interest, and visibility for residents, neighbors, and campus visitors. An urban relationship is established by pushing the buildings to the sidewalk’s edge create a series of internal courtyards.
Park Place was designed with our collaborators and joint venture partners, Tipton Associates, and constructed by Lincoln Builders.
For more information please read the full press release from Louisiana Tech University.
Following a competitive interview process among several regional design firms, the team of Ashe Broussard Weinzettle Architects and Jeffery Carbo Landscape Architects has been selected to design the new 1,600 seat Worship Center for Calvary Baptist Church on their existing campus located on Jackson Street.
In addition to a new and larger worship space, the campus addition will feature a choral rehearsal suite, video studio, audio studio, broadcast mixing studio, satellite bookstore, and an expansive lobby between the new Worship Center and existing Sanctuary.