CAAD students at Ļć½¶Ö±²„compete to design Golden Triangle resource center for local nonprofit
Contact: Christie McNeal
STARKVILLE, Miss.āA design and construction project for a local nonprofit organization has allowed Mississippi Stateās College of Architecture, Art and Design students to develop collaborative skills and tackle real-world challenges this semester in the Golden Triangle.
Thirteen teams comprised of students from CAAD majorsāarchitecture, art, building construction science and interior designācompeted for a cash prize in the annual Brasfield & Gorrie Student Design Competition. First launched in 2011, the competition is sponsored by one of the nationās largest privately held construction firms based in Birmingham, Alabama. Brasfield & Gorrie also has an office in Jackson, which opened in 2015. The competition simulates real-world design processes with a goal of helping students overcome preconceived ideas of the roles traditionally assumed by the various disciplines in the college.Ā
This yearās competition tasked students with developing a comprehensive design, construction and branding plan for a housing resource center serving Starkville Strong, a nonprofit that provides essential support to residents in need. The center, named The Stronghold, is to be housed in an existing building and must include an office with a meeting room, a food pantry, overnight shelter accommodations, staff parking and outdoor space for clients.
Students had to incorporate solutions to current issues impacting the design and construction industry; consider environmental impacts; and align with the clientās interests of security, dignity, comfort and community.
Graphic design senior Kaylee Gould said her biggest takeaway with this collaborative project has revolved around communication.
āItās been cool to see our different majors work together,ā she said, adding that her team learned the need to explain their work to each other because they all have different backgrounds.
Gould said she helped her team learn the importance of cohesiveness in branding, and she learned about the weight of symbols and icons in signage.
āNot everyone can read, and not everyone can see,ā she said. āI hadnāt considered that before relating to wayfinding. We are learning a lot from each other we can use in future work.ā
Final projects were presented to representatives from Brasfield & Gorrie and Starkville Strong. Ļć½¶Ö±²„faculty overseeing the competition included Lecturer in Architecture Ryan Ashford, Associate Professor of Architecture Alexis Gregory, Associate Professor of Interior Design Lyndsey Miller, Associate Professor of Art Suzanne Powney and Visiting Assistant Professor of Building Construction Science Roberto Soares.
Honorees, by hometown, included:
FIRST PLACE ā Team 11
BYHALIAāAshley Howard, interior design
CHESAPEAKE, VirginiaāShelby Dehard, architecture
CLINTONāMallory Morris, interior design
MADISONāThomas Smith, building construction science
MADISON, AlabamaāOlyvia English, architecture
MILLINGTON, TennesseeāCole Stevens, building construction science
STARKVILLEāJames Porter, architecture
TOBYHANNA, PennsylvaniaāAbigail Crocker, architecture
WOODBRIDGE, VirginiaāLaine Hodanich, architecture
HONORABLE MENTION ā Team 13
BRANDONāCharles Whittington, building construction science
BRENTWOOD, TennesseeāLuke Watson, building construction science
CANTON, GeorgiaāGracielle Weil, architecture
FAIRVIEW, TennesseeāKeeley Kravanek, interior design
HATTIESBURGāDylan Irby, architecture
MONROE, GeorgiaāKatherine Krawczyk, interior design
STARKVILLEāElla Elliott, architecture; and Falon Laird, architecture
Learn more about MSUās College of Architecture, Art and Design and its academic programs atĀ Ā and onĀ Facebook and Instagram @CAADatMSU.
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