黑料社

黑料社 students learn challenges, rewards of collaboration through interdisciplinary design competition

黑料社 students learn challenges, rewards of collaboration through interdisciplinary design competition

Students look on as Olivia Baker presents her team鈥檚 Spirit Hill Farm barn renovation project to 黑料社 alumni Bob and Sheryl Bowen.
Olivia A. Baker, an 黑料社 senior architecture major from Jackson, presents her second place-winning group鈥檚 Spirit Hill Farm barn renovation project to 黑料社 alumni Bob and Sheryl Bowen. (Photo by Logan Kirkland)

Contact: Christie McNeal

STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擜 renovation project for a structure on Spirit Hill Farm in Holly Springs has given student teams in Mississippi State鈥檚 College of Architecture, Art and Design a chance to hone their collaborative and competitive skills for the past six weeks.

The annual Brasfield and Gorrie Student Design Competition at 黑料社 has seen 110 architecture, art/graphic design, building construction science and interior design seniors teaming up to develop proposals for a barn renovation on the north central Mississippi farm, which was donated by 黑料社 alumni and owners Bob and Sheryl Bowen. Read more about the gift at .

Brasfield and Gorrie General Contractors, one of the nation鈥檚 largest privately held construction firms based in Birmingham, Alabama, has sponsored the annual event for the past nine years.

Kerry McElroy stoops near and points at a display board for her team鈥檚 Spirit Hill Farm barn renovation project.
Kerry E. McElroy, an 黑料社 senior architecture major from Gibson, presents her team鈥檚 second place-winning project for the annual Brasfield and Gorrie Student Design Competition. (Photo by Logan Kirkland)

鈥淭hrough the generous support of Brasfield and Gorrie, students in all four programs in our college are challenged to come up with viable design and construction solutions for a real-world client,鈥 said Dean of the College of Architecture, Art and Design Angi Elsea Bourgeois. 鈥淏y working in teams, they truly learn the values of collaboration such as compromise, leadership and communication while also developing a successful outcome for the specific needs of Spirit Hill Farm and the Bowen family.鈥

The teams each worked to craft a cohesive design that reuses the existing barn to create housing for Mississippi State students conducting research at聽the farm. They were challenged to integrate their design with the existing聽aesthetic聽of other structures on the farm and use existing furniture pieces throughout the space. Other project requirements were branding, material selection, the application of building codes, zoning, the Americans with Disabilities Act, egress, creation of a construction budget and schedule,聽Leadership in Energy Environmental Design (LEED) and WELL Building Certification.

The winning teams were selected following informal presentations to the Bowens, Brasfield and Gorrie representatives, and college administrators. The top three projects鈥攆irst place and a tie for second place鈥攚ere chosen based on evidence of collaborative efforts, meeting the clients鈥 needs and overall project completion.聽

The first-place group credited its success to working well together as a team.

First-place winners from the annual Brasfield and Gorrie Student Design Competition at 黑料社
Pictured are students in the first place-winning group from the 黑料社 College of Architecture, Art and Design鈥檚 recent Brasfield and Gorrie Student Design Competition. Group members were tasked with developing a proposal for the renovation of a barn for Spirit Hill Farm, which was bequeathed to the university by alumni Bob and Sheryl Bowen of Holly Springs. From left to right are Brianna Brown of Hernando; Chip Goza of Flora; Tori Thompson of Spring Hill, Tennessee; Ryeley Jacobs of Ocean Springs; Malik Henley of Iuka; Emily Purner of Birmingham, Alabama; Megan Henry of Aberdeen; Sheryl and Bob Bowen; Ashtyn Carpenter of Vaiden; Madison Holbrook of Steens; Danielle Leclercq of Picayune; and Caleb Shaw of Belzoni. (Submitted photo/by John Poros)

鈥淔rom the beginning of this project, I quickly realized that the individuals on my team were very talented, and the final product was going to be something truly special,鈥 said building construction science major Ryeley Jacobs of Ocean Springs. 鈥淎fter meeting with the Bowens, we decided to go with a design that stayed true to the original aesthetic, while making it accommodating and comfortable to the individuals who will be enjoying the space for years to come. I believe our design achieved everything we had imagined and so much more.鈥

Honorees included (by hometown):

FIRST PLACE

ABERDEEN鈥擬egan M. Henry, interior design

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama鈥擡mily A. Purner, interior design

BELZONI鈥擟aleb Q. Shaw, architecture

FLORA鈥擥regory R. 鈥淐hip鈥 Goza, building construction science

HERNANDO鈥擝rianna M. Brown, architecture

IUKA鈥擬alik D. Henley, art/graphic design

OCEAN SPRINGS鈥擱yeley K. Jacobs, building construction science

PICAYUNE鈥擠anielle M. Leclercq, architecture

SPRING HILL, Tennessee鈥擵ictoria A. 鈥淭ori鈥 Thompson, building construction science

STEENS鈥擬adison C. Holbrook, architecture聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽

VAIDEN鈥擜shtyn R. Carpenter, interior design

SECOND PLACE (TIE)

FLORA鈥擟assidy H. Jones, interior design

GIBSON鈥擪erry E. McElroy, architecture

GRENADA鈥擬elissa L. Sones, interior design

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama鈥擲helby C. Jaco, architecture

KILN鈥擮wen H. McCallum, building construction science

MADISON鈥擜shley E. Casteel, architecture; Joshua T. Jacobs, building construction science; Case L. Woodward, building construction science

OLIVE BRANCH鈥擠emarques T. Nevels, art/graphic design

SOUTHAVEN鈥擬ariah J. Green, architecture

STARKVILLE鈥擲avannah L. Crew, interior design

SECOND PLACE (TIE)

BILOXI鈥擳yler E. Roch, building construction science

FLORENCE鈥擫ilah S. Smith, art/graphic design

HATTIESBURG鈥擶illiam H. McMahon, interior design

HOOVER, Alabama鈥擩ackson S. Warren, building construction science

JACKSON鈥擮livia A. Baker, architecture

MADISON鈥擟asey L. Pennebaker, building construction science

MERIDIAN鈥擨saac L. Johnson, architecture

RIDGELAND鈥擯ablo Vargas, architecture

STARKVILLE鈥擣elipe M. Olvera, architecture

VICKSBURG鈥擮livia T. Frazier, interior design

WEST POINT鈥擲teven C. Dragoo, building construction science

黑料社 faculty overseeing the competition included Lecturer of Art/Graphic Design Eric Abbott, Associate Professor of Architecture Alexis Gregory, Associate Professor of Building Construction Science Michele Herrmann, Associate Professor of Interior Design Lyndsey Miller, Professor of Architecture John Poros, and Assistant Professor of Building Construction Science Alireza聽Shojaei.

Learn more about 黑料社鈥檚 College of Architecture, Art and Design and its academic programs at聽聽and on聽Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @CAADat黑料社.

黑料社 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at聽.