Charleston, SC Economic Development

Clemson architecture captures two of six national NCARB prizes

Apr. 15, 2008
Swamp Fox
CLEMSON — The Clemson University School of Architecture has won two of the six national 2008 NCARB prizes for creative integration of practice and education.

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) awards the annual prize each year for projects that show a creative marriage of classroom ideas and real-life challenges.

One of Clemson’s winning entries explored how innovative architecture improves health-care environments. The other localized global climate change by illustrating how Charleston’s historic peninsula might be defended against the twin threats of rising sea level and increased storm severity.

To illustrate the work of the Architecture + Health program at Clemson, three projects were entered as examples:

* A proposal for a green health clinic for the Joseph P. Sullivan Center linked programming, health administration and studio courses;
* a patient room prototype brought together architecture, industrial design and fine arts students; and
* a studio/seminar explored a New Orleans project to rebuild medical facilities lost to Katrina. Students twice visited the 74-acre site in New Orleans and helped officials and the community visualize plans for a new medical center planned by Louisiana State University and the Department of Veterans Affairs. In all of these Architecture + Health projects, students interacted with professionals in a variety of ways.

David J. Allison is director of the Architecture + Health program. He worked with associate professor Dina Battisto and professor Stephen Verderber on the submitted projects.

The NCARB Prize to the Clemson Architecture Center in Charleston was earned on the strength of its study “Global Climate Change and the Charleston Peninsula.”

Based on the January 2007 report of the International Panel on Climate Change, students worked with scientific consultation from Greg Carbone of the University of South Carolina’s department of geography to examine the primary urban design impact on the peninsula. They produced proposals at four levels of magnitude that showed how planners could manage increasingly severe storm events, a rising water table and the incursion of seawater.

The Clemson Architecture Center in Charleston is under the direction of Robert Miller, professor and architect. Ray Huff, assistant professor and a practicing architect in Charleston, helped lead the project.

Each of the prizes earned $7,500. The $25,000 grand prize went to California State Polytechnic University. Other winners were Arizona State, Savannah College of Art and Design and a joint submission from the University of Arkansas and Washington University in St. Louis.

NCARB is a non-profit federation of architectural licensing boards. The NCARB Prize for Creative Integration of Practice and Education in the Academy supports excellence and innovation. Submissions must represent unique efforts to integrate education and practice while allowing students to earn academic credit.
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