ABW News

Summer Farewell

Featured

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Foster Gunter

  • 3rd Year Architecture Student at Louisiana Tech University

For many people, summer time means happy holidays with leisure and pleasure, relaxation and having a good time with friends and family. This talented young man, chose to spend his summer break away from Louisiana Tech University and all things architecture studio to invest in his career with hands-on professional practice in the real world of Architecture. All summer long, Foster Gunter has been thrown into so many aspects of this career, from field measurements, cad drawings, scanning countless pages of ‘very old’ drawings, to creating fun and inspiring 3-D renderings. We wish him well as he heads back to Tech for his 3rd year of Architecture school. We will never forget the coconut chair!!

Christian Salazar: Summer Intern ’22

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We mustache you a question…. Are you sure you want to go back to school?

It’s that time again to say goodbye to our summer intern. We were thrilled that Christian Salazar joined the ABW team this summer to gain some professional architectural experience. Getting experience from a small scale firm also means that you get to work on a variety of projects. In Christian’s case, it ranged from documenting existing building plans, building 3D models and renderings, scanning really old drawing sets,(fun?!!) as well as using some muscle to move things around the office. We wish him the best as he will be entering his 3rd year at the School of Design at Louisiana Tech University.

Calvary Worship Center Fly-by

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This is some great footage of the new Calvary Baptist Church Worship Center as it nears completion.

About Calvary Baptist Church Worship Center

In the wake of a member survey and professional led study to assess long-range needs and project program growth, Calvary Baptist Church of Alexandria, Louisiana established a goal to develop and construct a new 1,500 seat Worship Center to meet the church’s increasing spatial requirements for joint worship services. The functional program for the new Worship Center, in addition to the 1,500 seat auditorium, includes an expansive lobby, choral rehearsal suite, satellite bookstore, staff offices, video studio, audio studio, and broadcast mixing control room.

The new Worship Center will incorporate features, including removable choir risers, that allow flexibility of use between traditional and contemporary worship programs; and provide a large, expansive platform for theatrical productions. In addition, the orientation of the Worship Center, on the existing Calvary campus, was selected to enhance the pedestrian mall spine that interconnects current choral, worship, fellowship, activity, and educational spaces. The new lobby, when complete, will not only serve as the connector between the new Worship Center and existing pedestrian mall, but will also provide a much needed overflow and expansion of Calvary’s fellowship hall.

Calvary Baptist Church Worship Center

Fifteen Years of Celebrate Architecture

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During most years the speakers for the Celebrate Architecture design symposium come from all over the country, but this year we kept things more neighborly by reaching out to architects from Texas, Mississippi, and for the first time, Louisiana. It was another great gathering for the annual all-day event held in Baton Rouge, with over 200 AIA Louisiana members converging at the Shaw Center for the Arts.

We were happy to host Steve Dumez the Director of Design of the New Orleans-based architectural studio Eskew+Dumez+Ripple, who recently won the national AIA’s 2014 Architecture Firm Award; Juan Miró and Miguel Rivera of Miró Rivera Architects out of Austin (Juan and Miguel pictured above with moderator, Doug Ashe); and Anne Marie Decker of Duvall Decker Architects based in Jackson, Mississippi. This year’s symposium was focused around the idea of transformative architecture and how each of the speakers’ firms reconciled the cultural and environmental conditions of a region, local building traditions, and constraints into innovative architecture that transforms a place. The speakers did not disappoint, and shared several projects that exceeded mere conditional responses and were inspirational in both scope and commitment.

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.

Design Begins on New Residence Halls at the Louisiana School For Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA)

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We recently received the news that, along with our frequent collaborators at Tipton Associates, we’re going to be designing the new digs for some of the smartest students in the state. The state supported Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA) draws some of the top students from across the state through a competitive admissions process to complete their final two or three years of high school.

In addition to housing 360 students, the new residence hall will be so much more . . . a home away from home for its residents, that also supports their academic pursuits and builds community. We look forward to the challenge of meeting the aspirations of the LSMSA family with this important addition to the campus.

More to come.

LSMSA website

Louisiana Tech Opens Extension of Alumni Walkway

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As part of this year’s homecoming activities Louisiana Tech unveiled the extension of the Alumni Walkway. Nearly 20,000 bricks engraved with the names of recent years’ graduates were laid this fall, including the recent 2013 graduating class. The Ashe Broussard Weinzettle and Tipton Associates team designed the extension and enjoyed attending the homecoming event.

Louisiana Tech Campus Master Plan Awarded

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We’re happy to announce that we’ll be working with Louisiana Tech to develop the long term vision of university’s campus. Ashe Broussard Weinzettle Architects joined renowned planning firm Sasaki Associates of Boston and Tipton Associates to form the team that was chosen by Louisiana Tech University from a distinguished list of planning firms to develop the Campus Master Plan.

The team will provide a complete assessment of existing campus facilities and infrastructure and, combined with stakeholder participation, establish a framework for future campus development of the university. We look forward to working with President Les Guice, administration, staff, students, and alumni to establish a unified long term vision for Louisiana Tech University.

Magnolia Manor Holds Open House

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Magnolia-openingMagnolia Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, owned and operated by Central Management Company, hosted an open house to celebrate the completion of extensive renovations and additions designed by Ashe Broussard Weinzettle Architects. The official ceremony included local dignitaries, Central Management executives, Magnolia Manor staff, residents, and resident families.

The expanded and renovated skilled nursing center, located at the intersection of Claiborne Avenue and St. Vincent Avenue in Shreveport, reinforces the mission of Central Management Company to provide premier personal and healthcare services to their residents.

ABW Receives Top Two AIA Louisiana Honor Awards For Second Year in a Row

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Lambright Sports & Wellness CenterOkay, we know you’re not “supposed to” get excited about awards but when we realized that we were taking home the top two design awards for the second year in a row, we have to admit that it felt pretty good.

The Lambright Sports and Wellness Center at Louisiana Tech University was one of only two projects to receive an Honor Award in the category of Architecture. The project was honored among an exceptional field of 54 projects from across the state at the annual AIA Louisiana Design Conference held in Destin on August 2nd. Attending AIA members at the conference also voted to award the Lambright Sports and Wellness Center the sole Members’ Choice Award.

The award recognition is the culmination of a successful collaboration with our joint venture partners, Tipton Associates, who shared our enthusiasm for the project and the design challenges that came along with it. Additional team members included Fenner Consulting, structural engineer, John G. Guth Associates, MEP engineers, and Lincoln Builders served as general contractor. Architecture begins with ideas and this project began, and was guided by, the clear vision of Dr. Jim King, Vice President of Student Affairs.

About the Lambright Sports and Wellness Center:

The $12.5 million, 40,000 sq. ft. expansion of the sports and wellness center synthesizes student athletics on campus by combining a new competitive aquatic center with a variety of recreational, dining, and leisure opportunities that focus on a holistic picture of student wellness mind and body. The zinc clad aquatic center features a 25m NCAA competition pool and provides a monumental presence along the primary campus entry. Rhythmically positioned slender window openings combine with the patterned curtain wall along the street to create a lantern effect at night. The pedestrian approach to the lobby entrance from campus is framed with the one story health and wellness clinic to one side, and a 120’ long screen wall comprised of staggered Garapa wood slats that forms a linear cabana structure that opens to the leisure pool terrace. A series of interconnected indoor/outdoor spaces on the first and second floor include areas for exercise, a rock climbing wall, a food venue, and associated dining. All are sheltered below a 40’ tall “superporch” which opens to expansive views of the recreation pool terrace.

Read the full press release here.

Lambright Sports & Wellness Center Wins Two AIA Baton Rouge Design Awards

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Lambright Sports & Wellness CenterAshe Broussard Weinzettle Architects is pleased to announce that out of seven awards given out at AIA Baton Rouge’s Annual Rose Awards Gala that we went home with two awards for the recent design of the Lambright Sports & Wellness Center at Louisiana Tech University. We share this recognition with our joint venture partner firm and collaborator, Tipton Associates.

The event was held Friday, July 26th at the Louisiana State Museum. The jury was chaired by Rick Archer, FAIA, founding principal of the distinguished Overland Partners | Architects based in San Antonio, Texas and also included Lewis McNeel, AIA, of Lake|Flato Architects, and Jim Poteet, FAIA, of Poteet Architects. The jury awarded the project a Silver Rose Award and the AIA Baton Rouge membership bestowed the Members’ Choice Award on the project as the top design of the year.

From the jury comments:
“This 40,000 SF project started with a large and complicated set of program tasks. Consequently this is a building of many diverse pieces and parts. The resulting form is complex and varied, yet a consistent level of refinement and creativity is maintained throughout. Compositionally it’s an impressive juggling act. It’s a great looking building from all sides. A multitude of materials, scales and strategies are happening here to address the various program needs and climatic conditions, and the overall result is a rich and inviting hub for community. The large canopy roof structure of the “super-porch” is particularly elegant as a solar shading strategy and as a linkage between indoor and outdoor gathering places. The main interior spaces are naturally lit and with an appropriately gracious scale, and these spaces get a lot of mileage out of a few big moves. The big box of the natatorium has wonderful dappled views to the landscape beyond. Some very wise and economical design choices are on display throughout. Community will happen easily in and around this building.”