MSU students honored in annual interdisciplinary design contest

Contact: Leah Barbour

STARKVILLE, Miss.--Twenty-four members of interdisciplinary teams from Mississippi State University's College of Architecture, Art and Design won honors in the 2014 Brasfield & Gorrie Student Design Competition.

Fourth-year architecture majors recently joined with other seniors in art-graphic design, building construction science and interior design--the academic disciplinesin the college--to plan, design and produce a hypothetical building in just two weeks. In all, 74 students participated in the fourth annual competition.

Employees of Brasfield & Gorrie LLC, a general contractor and construction company, judged students' projects; the Birmingham, Alabama-based business annually contributes $5,000 to support the MSU contest.

Interdisciplinary student teams included 25 architecture majors, 19 training in building construction science, 15 concentrating in art-graphic design and 15 studying interior design.

"This year is the first year that the art department, specifically graphic design students and assistant professor Suzanne Powney, were involved in the collaborative studio," said Alexis Gregory, assistant professor of architecture. "They joined the architecture, building construction science, and interior design students and faculty to design a retail incubator project in downtown Starkville for small businesses to have space and sell goods."

The collaborative experience previews what real-world work will be like in each respective fields, Powney said.

"Graphic design students got a taste of what it's like to meet client deadlines and work together," she said. "Our students helped with the charts and graphs; the graphic designers also served by designing signage, brand and environmental graphics.

"It was a good marriage of abilities for graphic design, architecture, building construction science and interior design."

Building construction science assistant professor Michele Herrmann said her students learned more about how the overall design process works, especially in relation to how estimates often change through the process. All the students who participated improved their communication skills, she emphasized.

Jacob Gines, assistant professor of architecture, said the fast pace and necessary collaboration are vitally important to professional success in architecture, building construction science, interior design or graphic art.

"Over a two-week period, our students gained critical exposure to a collaborative process that challenged design thinking skills and abilities, and they altered anticipated outcomes into a series of cohesive proposals," he said.

Honorees for superior design included, by hometown:

FIRST PLACE

CLINTON--Devin A. Carr, architecture major and the son of Neil and Sandra Carr.

FAIRHOPE, Alabama--Savannah M. Harvey, building construction science major and the daughter of Bobby and Debra Harvey.

FAYETTE, Alabama--Anna Leigh Richards, art-graphic design major and the daughter of Jeffery and Debbie Richards.

FLORENCE--Cristen N. Richard, interior design major and the daughter of Clyde and Michelle Richard.

FOREST--Phillip L. Vance, building construction science major and the son of Larkin and Terri Vance.

GULFPORT--Austin C. Edwards, art-graphic design major and the son of Chadwick and Daniele Edwards.

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama--Megan R. Vansant, architecture major and the daughter of Donald and Rebecca Vansant.

LOVELAND, Ohio--Sidney E. Ashmore, interior design major and the daughter of Jeffrey Ashmore and Margaret King.

SECOND PLACE

BAY ST. LOUIS--Britney R. Johnson, art-graphic design major and the daughter of Willie Johnson of Diamondhead and Linda Johnson of Bay St. Louis.

BILOXI--Erin T. Bristol, interior design major and the daughter of Jerry and Kathy Bristol.

CARRIERE--Cody J. Smith, architecture major and the son of James Smith of Ward, Arkansas, and Christina Renderman of Carriere.

COLLIERVILLE, Tennessee--Taylor K. Tillman, interior design major and the daughter of Chad and Kimberly Tillman.

INDIAN SPRINGS, Alabama--Mary K. Sanders, architecture major and the daughter of David and Patricia Sanders.

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri--Stefan K. Balcer, architecture major and the son of Conrad and Karen Balcer.

KILN--Donald J. Drummond, building construction science major and the son of Todd and Nancy Drummond.

SUWANEE, Georgia--Garrett Little, building construction science major and the son of Christopher and Rebecca Little.

THIRD PLACE

CRYSTAL SPRINGS--Cody M. Skinner, architecture major and the son of Michael and Tina Skinner.

GULFPORT--Nenyatta K. Smith, architecture major and the daughter of John and Dorothy Smith.

JACKSON--Ebbony S. Evans, interior design major and the daughter of Ruby Smith.

MADISON--Katelyn N. Napier, art-graphic design major and the daughter of Jerry and Sherri Napier.

MERIDIAN--Kenan Hamilton, building construction science major and the son of David and Lauretta Hamilton.

MURFREESBORO, Tennessee--Caroline Riley, interior design major and the daughter of David and Donna Riley.

OLIVE BRANCH--Lauren E. Blalock, art-graphic design major and the daughter of James and Melanie Blalock.

SMYRNA, Georgia--Gage W. Adkins, building construction science major and the son of Gary and Karen Adkins.