Professor Michael Hagge, chair of the Department of Architecture, and Professor Sherry Bryan, director of the Architecture Program and coordinator of Graduate Studies in Architecture, were co-recipients of the 2011 Francis Gassner Award. This award, given by the Memphis Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, recognizes outstanding contributions to the advancement of the professor of architecture.
Professor Sherry Bryan was selected by the Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners to serve as the transcript evaluator for the Board.
Professor Sherry Bryan received a Course Redesign Fellowship to study the relationship among first year courses and ways to improve retention. Professor Michael Hagge and Adjunct Professor Jennifer Barker were also involved, particularly in the coordination of the Introduction to Architecture + Design and Fundamentals of Design courses.
Two faculty members were appointed by the city and county mayors to represent the University of Memphis on new sustainability-focused organizations. Professor Michael Chisamore, director of the FedEx Institute of Technology Center for Sustainable Design, was appointed to the Sustainable Shelby Green Building Task Force. Adjunct Professor Jenna Thompson, sustainability coordinator for the Department of Architecture, was appointed to the Sustainable Advisory Committee of the Memphis and Shelby County Office of Sustainability.
Professor Michael Hagge moderated a panel on Green Building Design as part of the Justice Forum at BRIDGES, USA. Adjunct professor Jimmie Tucker served as a member of the panel.
Professor Michael Chisamore presented a paper at the Building Technology Educators Society Conference in Toronto in August. The paper, “TERRA Incognita: Teaching Sustainable Design through Engaged Scholarship, Community Outreach and Service Learning," was co-written with Jim Lutz, former director of the U of M’s Center for Sustainable Design and now on the architecture faculty at the University of Minnesota.
Adjunct Professor Jenna Thompson presented a paper at the Building Technology Educators Society Conference in Toronto in August. The paper “Control Issues: Bio-plastics in the Design Curriculum” focused on the work of several groups of students and faculty exploring bio-plastics. The research was funded by a grant from the FedEx Institute of Technology. The paper was co-written with adjunct professor Jennifer Barker, third year architecture honors student Megan Hoover, and former faculty member Chere Doiron.
Jimmie Tucker, adjunct professor of architecture, presented a paper on Sustainable Design at the 2011 national conference of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) in Atlanta. He also served as faculty sponsor for the NOMA Student Design Competition entry submitted by students in his Architecture Design 5 Studio. Additionally, Tucker was invited to serve on the Awards for Distinction Selection Committee at Washington University School of Architecture.
Professor James Williamson presented a paper “A World Within a World: The Design of a Campus Interfaith Chapel” at the 2011 Architecture, Culture and Spirituality Symposium held in Serenbe, Georgia. The paper focused on the community engagement and design elements of a studio project in the Architectural Design 4 Studio taught by Williamson. Also, Professor Williamson was awarded a Poet’s Tax Grant to conduct research at the University of Pennsylvania Architectural Archives in connection with his book about architect Louis Kahn.
Tamara Redburn joined the adjunct faculty. Professor Redburn is a registered architect, LEED AP, and earned a M.Arch degree from the University of Michigan. She is an architect with Fleming Associates Architects in Memphis. Recently, Professor Redburn served as an accreditation team member in a National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) site visit to the University of Hartford.
Robin Halbert-Petty joined the adjunct faculty. Professor Halbert-Petty is an NCIDQ registered interior designer, LEED AP, and earned a BFA in architecture from the University of Memphis. Recently, Professor Halbert-Petty received an Excellence in Design Award SILVER from the South Central Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) for the Arkansas Building Authority, Bureau of Legislative Research.
Pam Hurley joined the faculty of the Department of Architecture on a one year appointment. She brings her considerable talents in art, photography, theatre, dance, and design to the department. Professor Hurley earned a M.Arch degree from the University of Memphis, an MFA in Theatre from the University of Tennessee Knoxville, and a BFA in Fashion Design from Parsons The New School for Design in New York City.
Professor Michael Hagge and Adjunct Professor Jeanne Myers, served on the planning committee for the 2011 annual convention of the Tennessee Chapter of the American Institute of Architects which was held in Memphis. Professor James Williamson served as chair of the jury selection committee for the AIA Memphis Design Awards and the AIA Tennessee Design Awards.
Several firms employing Department of Architecture faculty members were recently recognized for their design work. The Haizlip Studio (Josh Jackson) received a 2011 AIA Memphis Merit Award for interiors for the University of Memphis University Center, and 2011 Best Community Design from Hillsborough City County Planning Commission for the Glazer Children’s Museum in Tampa, FL. Firms receiving AIA design awards include archimania (Tim Michael and Andrew Parks); LRK, Inc. (Frank Ricks, Steve Auterman, and Jenna Thompson); and Askew Nixon Ferguson Architects (Jeanne Myers).
Sam and Deborah Brackstone funded a special design competition which challenged students to design a lakefront residence that creates a special sense of place on their property in Tishomingo County, Mississippi, overlooking Pickwick Lake. Over $2500 in cash prizes was awarded to the following architecture students: Ben Cooper, Award of Distinction; Huan Tran, Award of Merit; and Dustin Collins, Special Citation. The winner of the Client’s Choice award was Ben Cooper. Jurors for the competition were local architects and firm principals Joey Hagan of Architecture, Incorporated, Adjunct Professor Frank Ricks of LRK, Adjunct Professor Jimmie Tucker of Self+Tucker Architects, and Todd Walker of archimania. Mr. and Ms. Brackstone have funded another competition, A Place of Gathering and Celebration for the Spring 2012 semester. This competition celebrates the 100th anniversary of the University of Memphis.
Faculty advisors for the four registered student organizations within the Department of Architecture are: American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS), Sherry Bryan and Jeanne Myers; Construction Specifications Institute Student Affiliate (CSI-S), James Williamson; International Interior Design Association Campus Center (IIDA-CC), Michael Chisamore; and National Organization of Minority Architecture Students (NOMAS), Michael Hagge and Jimmie Tucker.
Megan Hoover and Fabiana Vasquez, third year architecture students, attended the 2011 American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) Grass Roots conference in Washington, DC. Sherry Bryan, AIAS Faculty Advisor, attended as well.
The Department of Architecture presented an exhibit of “community engagement” work displayed in the Art Museum of the University of Memphis as a part of the Paul R Williams AIA 150 exhibition. Every design studio in the Architecture Program from second through sixth year has at least one studio project a semester with a community partner.