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Nashville, TN - The Tennessee School Boards Association (TSBA) awarded architecture/engineering design firm Barge Waggoner Sumner and Cannon, Inc. (BWSC) two design awards at their annual convention. Every year, members of school boards from across the state meet to share ideas, discuss educational trends and changes, and formulate ways to better educate students. During their convention, TSBA recognizes architectural firms for their excellence in design through the TSBA School of the Year Awards. Awards are given in five categories: new construction for elementary, middle and high schools; renovations; and the People’s Choice Award.
BWSC won two of the five awards for 2010 at the November convention. TSBA officials judged the design for John Adams Elementary School in Kingsport, Tennessee, as First Place winner for Best Elementary School Design. BWSC also took Second Place for Best Middle School Design with the Colonial Middle School project in Memphis.
The First Place winning design of John Adams Elementary integrated the atmosphere of the surrounding neighborhood into the design of a new learning environment that maximized space, efficiency, and flexibility. A two-story building, the school’s linear design incorporates a multi-level library and features open floor plans in the classroom areas that can be subdivided with movable partitions. The crescent shape of the building conforms to site size yet allows for inclusion of a full-sized AAU basketball gymnasium. John Adams Elementary was designed for a population of 500 students with additional spaces for Pre-K and special needs students and offers flexibility for diverse learning styles. Designed to be environmentally friendly, the school uses a geothermal well system and multiple water source heat pumps all controlled by a central computer for heating and cooling.
“It is extremely gratifying to have our talents and efforts recognized on the state level. I am very proud to have been a part of the team that provided such a unique and wonderful new school for my home town,” commented Terry Cox, architectural designer in the Tri-Cities office.
BWSC also took home the Second Place Award for Best Middle School with the design of Colonial Middle School in Memphis, Tennessee. The school was constructed in three phases during the school year with new construction and demolition occurring while school was in session. Once construction of the new facility was complete, students were relocated to the new building at mid-year and the old buildings were demolished to construct the new ball fields on the old site. Colonial Middle School serves 1,100 students and offers Enriched Academics and Creative and Performing Arts in addition to standard curriculum. The special programs were uniquely addressed in the building design.
“We are proud to have been a part of this exciting project,” states Project Manager Charlie Goforth. “We had an excellent working relationship with the staff of Memphis City Schools and this was a joint effort of combining their needs and our vision into a plan for this school. We enjoyed the opportunity to work with the Memphis Arts Commission to incorporate arts into the school that stresses Creative and Performing Arts, and Enriched Academics into their curriculum.” |
