Alumni Design Awards

2023 Fay Jones School Alumni Design Awards

Any architecture, landscape architecture or interior design graduate of the University of Arkansas may submit projects for the 2023 Fay Jones School Alumni Design Awards. Awards for winning designs will be presented via an awards celebration in December. These projects will be featured in our alumni magazine, on this website and through social media. Submissions must be anonymous

All design work is eligible for the alumni design awards competition — architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, urban planning, historic preservation/adaptive reuse, industrial design, furniture and product design, set design, etc. Work must have been designed or built in 2018 or later.

In 2020, we introduced a new design award category: Public Good in the Cause of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Details are below and on the competition entry forms.
We also introduced the Award for Excellence in Outreach and Service in the Cause of Diversity and Inclusion, which recognizes an individual or organization for work done in the community. Nominations for this award, including self-nominations, may be made directly to Dean Peter MacKeith at mackeith@uark.edu. Send a nomination letter and a one-page description of the nominee's activity and impact. Also, please provide names and contact information of two references.  

Potential project types for alumni design awards entries:

  • architecture
  • interior design
  • landscape architecture
  • regional/urban design
  • preservation design/adaptive reuse
  • public good in the cause of diversity, equity and inclusion *
  • visual studies (photography/drawing)
  • product/furniture design
  • virtual constructions
  • exhibition design 
  • unbuilt projects

* Newest category:  As both the University of Arkansas and the Fay Jones School continue to make increased diversity, equity and inclusion a focus and priority, the school also wants to reflect that resolve in the annual Alumni Design Awards program. In 2020, we introduced a new design category: Public Good in the Cause of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. This award aims to celebrate and encourage projects that engage with minoritized and/or low-income communities through the design and building of architecture, interiors and/or landscapes that mitigate deficits and inequalities in housing, education, culture, health, other public services, public and/or community spaces, landscapes and/or infrastructure. These projects may be private, public, NGO or community driven projects. These projects also should have had a community-engaged, participatory design/planning component in addition to measurable indicators of their impact. Also included in this category are pro-bono projects with a social impact. (And, projects entered in this category may be entered in other categories in the awards program.)

Submission criteria:

Projects to be considered in the competition must have been designed or built by 2018 or later.

Each project submitted must include:

  • Project entry file (PDF)
  • Information file (PDF)
  • Media image of project for publicity (maximum 2 MB JPG)

For each entry, you'll need to complete and prepare two PDF files. Download both the 2023 project entry form template and project info form template. Please note that additional PDF pages showing images and other visuals will need to be added to the project entry file, providing a portfolio of the project.

Label entries in the following format: 
PROJECT NAME_ENTRY
PROJECT NAME_INFO

Next, upload your PDF files (two per project) and your media image online at: https://fjsoa.wufoo.com/forms/2023-fay-jones-school-alumni-design-awards-entry/

Please note that the project info form must be saved separately, and it will not be seen by the jury members. 

Pay the fee of $50 per entry on the U of A's eCommerce site at: https://commerce.cashnet.com/UARKARDO?itemcode=ARDO-ALUMSUB. Make sure to include the identifying project name when you pay the entry fee. Each project submitted will be paid for separately through the payment portal. 

Deadline:

Entries must be submitted online no later than Sept. 12, 2023.

Contact

Michelle Parks
Director of Communications

479/575-4704
mparks17@uark.edu

Gradient HouseMississippi County Courthouse Renovation and AdditionOnyx HQ862 Fenimore Road Residence Additions and Renovation

Gradient House

Gradient House received an Honor Award for Urban Design in the 2022 Fay Jones School Alumni Design Awards program. Photo by Jeremy Bittermann.

Mississippi County Courthouse Renovation and Addition

Mississippi County Courthouse Renovation and Addition received an Honor Award for Historic Preservation in the 2022 Fay Jones School Alumni Design Awards program. Photo by Ken West Photography.

Onyx HQ

Onyx HQ received an Honor Award for Interior Design in the 2022 Fay Jones School Alumni Design Awards program. Photo by Andrew Camarillo.

862 Fenimore Road Residence Additions and Renovation

862 Fenimore Road Residence Additions and Renovation received an Honor Award for Historic Preservation in the 2022 Fay Jones School Alumni Design Awards program. Photo by Albert Vecerka / ESTO.

Adohi HallBlackstone Visitors CenterThe MomentaryOlivewood Gardens, Greenbuild Legacy ProjecteSTEM East Village

Adohi Hall

Adohi Hall at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville won an Honor Award in the Architecture category and a Merit Award in the Landscape Architecture category during the Fay Jones School’s 2020 Alumni Design Awards Competition.

Blackstone Visitors Center

The Blackstone Visitors Center in Worcester, Massachusetts won an Honor Award in the Architecture category and an Honorable Mention in the Regional/Urban Design category during the Fay Jones School’s 2020 Alumni Design Awards Competition.

The Momentary

The Momentary in Bentonville won an Honor Award in the Architecture category during the Fay Jones School’s 2020 Alumni Design Awards Competition.

Olivewood Gardens, Greenbuild Legacy Project

Olivewood Gardens, Greenbuild Legacy Project in National City, California, won an Honor Award in the Unbuilt category during the Fay Jones School’s 2020 Alumni Design Awards Competition.

eSTEM East Village

The eSTEM East Village in Little Rock won an Honor Award in the Interior Design category during the Fay Jones School’s 2020 Alumni Design Awards Competition.

2022 Fay Jones School Alumni Design Award Winners

Designs for residential, hospitality, retail, office, commercial, governmental, industrial, educational, religious, medical, historic, cultural, tourism and mixed-use spaces, as well as furniture and urban planning, were among 42 projects vying for recognition in the 2022 Fay Jones School Alumni Design Awards competition. Entries came from Fay Jones School alumni practicing in cities around the state of Arkansas, as well as those in California, Kansas, Michigan, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Oregon. A six-member jury chose 12 projects for accolades — resulting in four Honor Awards and eight Merit Awards.

The alumni design awards were announced and presented during the school’s Winter Fest Reception and Alumni Recognition Ceremony, held Dec. 15 in Vol Walker Hall on the university campus.

Christopher Brown (B.Arch. ’04) won an Honor Award in Urban Design for the Gradient House in Portland, Oregon. Brown is with Linden, Brown Architecture in Portland, Oregon. The Gradient House transforms a postwar house in Portland into a timely and sophisticated live-work campus. United by a shared roof and material palette, the house and studio frame a courtyard that overlooks the iconic St. Johns Bridge, the Willamette River and the West Hills. Though the new house and studio more than double the size of the original house, the scale of the surrounding neighborhood is maintained. Interior walls are lined with textured maple panels, subtly changing configuration to adapt to a variety of needs. The simple, gabled roof is punctuated by distinct light monitors that bring soft daylight into several interior spaces.

“The dramatic transformation of the existing ranch-style house into a modern home and studio is impressive,” the jury said. “The rhythm of the front elevation into a series of vertically proportioned rectangles and portals is a compelling interpretation of the existing conditions.”

Bradley Edwards (B.Arch. ’93), Lucky McMahon (B.Arch. ’13) and Kelley Reed (B.Arch. ’16) won an Honor Award in Interior Design for the Onyx HQ in Rogers. The design team is with Bradley Edwards Architect in Fayetteville. Onyx HQ resides in a 30,000-square-foot brick and timber-framed building built as a warehouse in 1907. The building is now mixed-use, split between residential multifamily and retail and restaurant space. Onyx comprises the majority of the public-facing spaces and acts as the main anchor and operator of the building. By consolidating many of the once-disparate aspects of the company into one location, Onyx streamlined operations and put often-hidden production activities on full display. The main programmatic elements are held within volumes that act as the spatial regulators in the open warehouse.

“The revitalization of the historic building is an excellent blend of celebrating the old and providing counterbalance with new insertions,” the jury said. “Overall, the project is a celebration of the senses with a variety of visual and physical textures and spatial experiences.”

Michael Grogan (B.Arch. ’95) won an Honor Award in Historic Preservation for 862 Fenimore Road Residence Additions and Renovation in Larchmont, New York. Grogan is with Michael Grogan Architecture. This design involves a full renovation and strategic addition to a 1958 modernist home designed by the notable architect Paul Randolph. The design approach blends the new extensions with the existing work — as Randolph had done in earlier additions from 1982 to 1991 that extended the architectural language of the original. The existing space was supplemented by extending the spatial, material and formal language of minimalist wall planes, informally distributed apertures, and transitional exterior spaces, while deferring to and restoring many important elements in the predecessors' work.

“This project illustrates how a small addition and surgical approach to interior reconfiguration can greatly improve a significant work by a renowned architect,” the jury said. “Excellent drawings and diagrams were critical to understanding the complexity and significance of this respectful project.”  

Aaron C. Ruby (B.Arch. ’97), Kristy Angyal (B.Arch. ’86), Lawrence Angyal (B.Arch. ’86) and Amanda Benham (B.I.D. ’01) won an Honor Award in Historic Preservation for the Mississippi County Courthouse Renovation and Addition in Blytheville. Ruby is with Revival Architecture, Inc. in Scott. Kristy and Lawrence Angyal are with Kip A. Moore & Associates in North Little Rock. Benham is with Cromwell Interior Design in Little Rock. The historic Mississippi County Courthouse required repairs, modernization and code improvements and an 18,000-square-foot addition that would double the size of the facility. Designed to complement the original 1919 structure, the addition is shorter and does not extend past the outer edges of the original courthouse. The new curtain wall allows natural light to fill the public stairwell and introduces a sense of transparency, while the new steel staircase and exposed steel beams showcase one of the county’s most successful industries. The grand courtroom received new period-correct woodwork, new custom pews and a period appropriate chandelier.

The jury called this project “an excellent example of adding on to an historic structure sensitively.” They noted specific restoration details in the courtroom and added that the new mechanical systems are “well integrated to not detract from historic volumes and architectural details.”

Jonathan Opitz (B.Arch. ’03), Adam Day (B.Arch. ’08), James Sullivan (B.Arch. ’07), Kyle Heflin (B.Arch. ’15), David Cowan (B.Arch. ’73) and Jamie Borg (B.Arch. ’96) won a Merit Award in Urban Design for 1424 SoMa in Little Rock. The design team is with AMR Architects, Inc. in Little Rock. 1424 SoMa is an infill project designed to be a striking addition to the SoMa district. Respecting the scale and historic nature of the neighborhood, the building engages the street at multiple levels. Traditional rhythms and symmetry are combined with new materials and colors that veer from the typical South Main palette.

Wendell Kinzler (B.Arch. ’05), Jason Landrum (B.Arch. ’94), Greg Rose (B.Arch. ’88) and David Rogers (B.Arch. ’91) won a Merit Award in Architecture and Interior Design for the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Pine Bluff Clinic in Pine Bluff. The design team is with Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects in Little Rock. Arkansas Children’s Hospital Pine Bluff Clinic is a bright new addition to a predominantly residential neighborhood. The project united the idea that healthcare extends beyond the physician-to-patient experience and creates a symbol of care for the community. The façade presents a strong gesture while interior touches make the spaces open and accessible.

Adam Day (B.Arch. ’08) won a Merit Award in Architecture and Interior Design for the Arkansas Riverfront Residence in North Little Rock. Day is with AMR Architects, Inc. in Little Rock. This home for a young family captures the essence of modern living within a traditional community that fronts a bike trail loop along the Arkansas River. The architect leaned on two local vernaculars — the shotgun and the dogtrot — for a straightforward design approach that also served the project’s tight budget.

Reese Rowland (B.Arch. ’90), David Rogers (B.Arch. ’91), Joe Stanley (B.Arch. ’69) and Fred Reed (B.Arch. ’78) won a Merit Award in Architecture and Interior Design for the Pine Bluff Main Library in Pine Bluff. Rowland, Rogers and Stanley are with Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects in Little Rock. Reed is with Reed Architectural Firm in Pine Bluff. Positioned on a prominent street corner, the Pine Bluff Main Library is a symbol of rebirth for downtown and the town as a whole. Through public meetings, the project emerged as a community-embedded supportive learning center, offering a teaching kitchen, recording studios, café and computer training, in addition to books.

Mark Weaver (B.Arch. ’82) and Joshua D. Love (B.Arch. ’16) won a Merit Award in Interior Design for Caption By Hyatt Beale Street Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee. The design team is with HBG Design in Memphis. The Caption By Hyatt hotel in Memphis marries the 144-year-old façade of a machine shop with a contemporary hotel design. The property combines a layering of historic structural elements such as exposed brick and original wooden beams, vibrant colors, textures, and hand-painted murals. The site hosts public amenities that include a coffee and liquor bar, market, gallery, outdoor courtyard, fitness center and meeting spaces.

Travis Bartlett (B.Arch. ’95), Galen Hunter (B.Arch. ’83), Timothy Varner (B.Arch. ’15) and Christopher Galindo (B.Arch. ’19) won a Merit Award in Interior Design for Arts on Main in Van Buren. The design team is with MAHG Architecture in Fort Smith. Arts on Main, the relocation of the Center for Art and Education to downtown Van Buren, is designed to showcase the arts while contributing to the revitalization of historic Main Street. The design melds the need for art education and gallery space with the requirements for restoring buildings to their original appearance in the historic district.

Zack Cooley (B.Arch. ’06) won a Merit Award in Landscape Architecture for Oceana Puerto Madero Residences in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Cooley is with Brandon Haw Architecture, LLP in Brooklyn, New York. The Oceana Puerto Madero Residences provide gracious living along the boardwalk of the historic Rio Darsena Sur canal. The structure is exposed board-formed architectural concrete, exposed on the façade, while the building’s balconies feature curved corners and are clad in bronze-colored fritted glass. A curated public park with sculpture gardens sits between the two apartment buildings and conceals below-grade parking and amenities through vibrant, colorful planting and pools of water, light and sculpture.

Leah Hales (B.L.A. ’94) and Hank Thomas (B.L.A. ’04) won a Merit Award in Landscape Architecture and Public Good/DEI for the Martin Luther King Jr. Square in Conway. The design team is with SWA Group in Dallas. Martin Luther King Jr. Square transformed a former auto scrapyard site into a public park that demonstrates landscape infrastructure solutions to flooding and climate change, while honoring the cultural heritage in this historically Black neighborhood. The project creates a robust community asset in which green infrastructure and play, biodiversity and community, stormwater management and recreation are all inseparable and complimentary aspects of the built environment.

Susannah Drake, FAIA, FASLA, principal at Sasaki, in New York, served as the external jury member for the design awards competition. Carl Matthews, interior architecture and design department head, served as jury chair. Fellow jury members included three school faculty members Ken McCown, landscape architecture department head; Laura Terry, associate professor of architecture; and Michelle Huh, assistant professor of interior architecture and design. Fay Jones School alumna Lori Santa-Rita, principal at Jennings + Santa-Rita Architects in Fayetteville, also served on the jury.