We are thrilled to announce that The Blair Building won a Merit Award at the AIA Birmingham Design Awards last night.

The historic Blair Building’s artful renovation juxtaposed the exposed historic brick and timber structure with contemporary clean lines to create a unique architectural statement. The two separate buildings, originally built in 1917 and 1920, have been blended into one through the addition of large wall openings at each floor. This allowed for maximizing private office and workstation space, while maintaining an open atmosphere. Working to meet the client’s need for more space, a rooftop addition was designed to complement the existing buildings while also providing a new roof terrace that capitalizes on panoramic views of downtown.

The jury said that this kind of humble yet powerful project that makes something greater than the sum of its parts should be celebrated, and they noted the careful treatment of new versus old and the deft navigation of extremely narrow buildings.

Frederico Cavazos served on the jury and noted, “A project that makes something greater than the sum of its parts - this is the kind of humble but powerful project we should be celebrating as a profession. The Blair Building adaptively and creatively transforms two existing load-bearing masonry buildings on a shoestring budget and under the watchful eye of historic preservationists. The jurors noted the careful treatment of new vs old, the deft navigation of extremely narrow buildings, and the restrained material palette, which cleverly deploys simple glazing and skylights to pull light deep into the buildings. The careful treatment of the exterior façade, fire stairs and all, allows this project to add to these buildings’ ongoing story, in lieu of replacing them.”