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Filtering by Category: Celebration
AIA South Carolina Awards Reflection: Exceptional Projects & Visionary Clients
Mez Joseph
In this time of reflection and celebration, Liollio is so grateful to our wonderful clients who invest in great buildings to serve their communities! Cheers to our colleagues and clients who were recognized in 2024 with AIA South Carolina Design Awards, recognizing this vision and commitment to design excellence. We are honored to have collaborated on these four American Institute of Architects South Carolina award-winning projects.
AIA South Carolina has recognized the City of Charleston with an AIA South Carolina Honor Award for Carr-Richardson Park, James Island Public Service District with an AIA South Carolina Merit Award for the new James Island PSD Fire Station 1 Headquarters, The University of South Carolina with an AIA South Carolina Citation Award for the preservation of the South Caroliniana Library, and Landmark Enterprises with an AIA South Carolina Merit Award for the rehabilitation of Old City Jail.
Exceptional projects are the result of collaboration with visionary clients. Liollio congratulates our clients and collaborators on these amazing accolades!
MUSC Breaks Ground on New College of Medicine & Administrative Building
Mez Joseph
Liollio Architecture, in collaboration with [tag The S/L/A/M Collaborative (SLAM)], is proud to be part of the journey to redefine medical education in South Carolina. The new Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine & Administrative Building will provide a space for students, staff, and faculty to support innovation and progress in medicine, education, and research. We celebrate MUSC’s leadership in education and their commitment to excellence as they break ground on this facility. Congratulations to the MUSC community on this milestone! Take a sneak peek at the new MUSC College of Medicine below.
Liollio's Sarah Glass Honored with CRBJ's Forty Under 40 Award
Mez Joseph
The Charleston Regional Business Journal held it’s annual Forty Under 40 event last week at the Charleston Music Farm in downtown Charleston celebrating this year’s honorees. We are thrilled to share that Sarah Glass, AIA, Liollio Project Manager, Architect, & Associate, was honored as an award recipient. Honorees are chosen based on their career achievements and philanthropic efforts in the community. Liollio Architecture would like to congratulate Sarah and all of the 2024 Forty Under 40 honorees!
College of Charleston’s Albert Simons Center for the Arts Celebrates Grand Re-Opening
Mez Joseph
Our team was thrilled to celebrate the grand re-opening of the College of Charleston’s Albert Simons Center for the Arts. We were honored to present the College with a plaque reflecting its certification of Two Green Globes by the Green Building Initiative, in recognition of their commitment to sustainability. The Renovation and Expansion of the Simons Center, home of studio art, music, theatre, dance and more, had four leading goals: Modernizing Arts Education, Sustainability & Resiliency in the Urban Coastal Environment, Connecting History and the Future, and Showcasing the Arts.
The revitalized School of the Arts building includes a new Black Box Theatre, new studios for sculpture, printmaking, drawing & painting, theatre design, costume shop, music classrooms, practice rooms, and a scene shop, in addition to active learning classrooms for Art History and Arts Management, faculty offices and spaces for student gathering. A new transparent Commons, that doubles as student gathering in the day and pre-function space in the evening, was added to welcome visitors in from the Green Way to experience the arts.
President Hsu and Dean Jayme Host spoke at the opening, saying “this beautiful building bolsters our position as the artistic heartbeat of Charleston, as these spaces benefit our students as well as the community." The reimagined Simons Center has ~100,000 SF of bright and colorful spaces that are inviting to students and visitors alike. The colors featured throughout the building are inspired by iconic architectural features found on campus along Green Way, College Way, and the Cistern Yard, such as the blue-green door of Towell Library and the rich coral color of Randolph Hall.
We would like to thank and congratulate College of Charleston and our entire AE team on the completion of this exciting and collaborative project! We can’t wait to attend all the exhibits and performances this fall! For more information on upcoming events, visit http://calendar.charleston.edu/simmons-center.
OLD CITY JAIL AWARDED HISTORIC CHARLESTON FOUNDATION'S 2024 WHITELAW FOUNDERS AWARD
Mez Joseph
Click image for more information.
The Old City Jail at 21 Magazine Street served as the county jail from its construction in 1802 until 1939 and was home to a variety of infamous inmates. Historic fabric and finishes were maintained wherever possible but there are challenges to retrofitting a jail for modern use. The new office suites have exposed brick walls, 14 to 16-foot ceilings, metal bars on the windows, and bars on some interior doors. Historic Charleston Foundation honored Old City Jail, LLC with a 2024 Whitelaw Founders Award for the rehabilitation and excellent stewardship of the Old City Jail. Liollio Architecture congratulates Old City Jail, LLC and our team on this amazing achievement. We’re honored to have been part of the team for the preservation and repurposing of this important and historic Charleston landmark. Congratulations to all of this year’s award recipients!
To learn more, visit: historiccharleston.org/blog/charter-day-2024-award-winners/
Elissa Morrison honored with National AIA Award in Washington D.C.
Mez Joseph
Liollio Firm Associate, Elissa Morrison, AIA, was recognized last week at the The American Institute of Architects (AIA) National Conference, as one of only 30 nationwide recipients of the 2024 AIA Young Architects Award. This prestigious award recognizes individuals for their exceptional leadership and significant contributions to the architecture profession and their communities.
Always seeking to elevate the quality of life for the communities she serves, Elissa has distinguished herself as an unparalleled leader and award-winning architect. Liollio would like to congratulate Elissa and all of this year’s award winners!
National Preservation Month: Celebrating USC's South Caroliniana Library
Mez Joseph
May is National Preservation Month, celebrating the nation's heritage through historic places. As we reflect on this, Liollio would like to congratulate the University of South Carolina on completing the restoration of the South Caroliniana Library, c.1840 — one of the premier research archives and special collections repositories in South Carolina and the Southeast region.
It's striking how personal much of USC’s library collections are: Mary Boykin Chesnut’s Civil War-era diaries, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s walking cane, Pat Conroy’s side-by-side shotgun, Ron McNair’s personal effects as an African American astronaut who died aboard the Challenger. Bringing these artifacts into public view is our greatest joy with this project, and that joy is amplified by the beauty of the restored Bulfinch Reading Room.
For more information about South Caroliniana Library’s history, visit USC’s University Libraries website.
Photography // Keith Isaacs // @keithisaacsphoto // isaacsphoto.com
Liollio Welcomes New Team Members Erin Estep & Nate Stoltenberg
Mez Joseph
Erin Estep AIA, LEED AP
Nate Stoltenberg Associate AIA
Liollio Architecture is pleased to welcome Architect, Erin Estep, and Designer, Nate Stoltenberg, to its studio.
A native of Delaware, Erin Estep earned her Master of Architecture and Bachelor of Science in Architecture at The Catholic University of America in Washington DC. Erin believes good design maintains strong connections to design concepts and client missions. As an Architect and Project Manager, Erin has been able to hone a skillset that ranges from client and team management to technical architectural skills. Her ambitions for continued growth and high design drives her to a detail-oriented, efficient work ethic, with a focus on delivering the best quality spaces for end users.
Upon graduating from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture, Nate Stoltenberg relocated from Des Moines, Iowa to the Charleston area to join the Liollio studio as a Project Designer. Nate has a passion for sustainability and resiliency, which are important factors of responsible Lowcountry design. The representation of unique designs have been at the forefront of Nate’s education and interest. He values the process of physical model making as well as mixed media visual representation. Nate and Erin are valuable additions to the Liollio team, contributing in pinups, jumping into production, and elevating firm culture.
IN HONOR OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2024, WE REFLECT ON HISTORIC PENN CENTER
Mez Joseph
Penn School was founded in 1862 as a school for formerly enslaved people. The school established a commitment to Black education, community welfare, and cultural heritage that has remained strong for over 150 years. Penn School functioned as an educational institution, health clinic, farm bureau, a catalyst for community action, and a repository for preserving St. Helena Island’s unique Gullah heritage and written history.
Original Building of the Penn School, St. Helena Island, SC (From the Penn School Collection)
At the turn of the century the school’s curriculum was revised to follow the Hampton-Tuskegee model of Black education - training students in masonry, carpentry, domestic arts, and midwifery. The school closed in 1948, but the community service and cultural preservation originated by its founders flourished through Penn Community Services, Inc., organized in 1951. Penn opened South Carolina’s first day care center for African Americans, provided a community health care clinic and a Teen Canteen.
The first basket teacher at the Penn Schoo, lSt. Helena Island, SC (From the Penn School Collection)
A class in mending & sewing at the Penn School, St. Helena Island, SC (From the Penn School Collection)
Throughout the 1960s, Penn Center sponsored and hosted interracial conferences on civil rights organized by groups including the NAACP, CORE, SNCC, Southern Regional Council, South Carolina Council on Human Relations, World Peace Foundation, and the Peace Corps. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) held citizenship education classes at Penn, taught by iconic organizers Andrew Young, Dorothy Cotton, Bernice Robinson, and Septima P. Clark. Andrew Young introduced Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to Penn Center. King, his SCLC lieutenants, and countless unnamed activists met with the SCLC at Penn five times between 1964 and 1967.
At Penn Center in 1966, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Joan Baez, Ira Sandpearl, & Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Photo Credit: Bob Fitch)
In November 1966, during a formal speech he gave at Penn Center, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. connected the long struggle for African American civil rights to the neglected fight for economic equality. In September 1974, the historic campus, Brick Church, and surrounding areas were listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In subsequent decades, Penn Center continued to serve as a site for church and organizational retreats, a training center for various organizations, and an educational site for Black history and culture. In January 2017, President Barack Obama designated the Beaufort National Landmark District, Camp Saxton Site, Penn Historic District and the Old Beaufort Firehouse as the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park under management of the National Park Service. In 2021, the Penn Center was added to the African American Civil Rights Network (AACRN), as well as the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network. For more information on The Penn Center visit www.penncenter.com.
Liollio Architecture is honored to have had the privilege to design the St. Helena Branch Library which houses a Gullah Geechee Special Collections area and is contiguous to the National Historic Landmark campus of Penn Center.
St. Helena Branch Library at Penn Center, St. Helena Island, SC (Photo Credit: Richard Leo Johnson)
For more information regarding National Park Service’s Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor (established by Congress in 2006), please visit: www.nps.gov/places/gullah-geechee-cultural-heritage-corridor.htm.
CCPL Opens Renovated John L. Dart Library
Mez Joseph
Charleston County Public Library held the ribbon-cutting and grand reopening of the renovated John L. Dart Library in downtown Charleston this morning. The ribbon-cutting ceremony began at 9AM at the 1067 King Street branch. “We’re excited to show patrons the incredible transformation that has taken place at Dart,” said CCPL Executive Director Angela Craig. “The updates at the branch offer the surrounding community a modern library equipped with resources, services, and technology that complement our updated collection.”
Updates included new interior finishes, replacement of shelving, refreshed collection items (books, audiobooks, etc.), new furniture, technology upgrades, a private study room featuring Rev. John L. Dart’s personal book collection, and a new community meeting space.
Liollio is honored to have collaborated with the Charleston County Public Library, MB Kahn, and RMF Engineering on this momentous and meaningful project. Dart Hall, which was later replaced by the John L. Dart Library, was one of the original library branches established in 1931. Dart existed as a library for many years before the Charleston County Library adopted it as a branch. Dart Hall was originally built as the Charleston Industrial Normal Institute by the Rev. John L. Dart, a distinguished educator and a leading minister of the city. The current Library was built by the County Council in 1968 and named in honor of the late Rev. John L. Dart. Dedication ceremonies were held on Dec. 12, 1968, with members of the Dart family present.
For more information about this newly renovated library branch, please visit ccpl.org/construction.
Liollio Honors the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on MLK Day 2024
Mez Joseph
Liollio will be observing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, January 15. This is a day for giving back to the community and observing the holiday in a way that is meaningful.
MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service, to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities, as we celebrate and carry forward Dr. King’s great legacy. Our team will join the SC Aquarium for the MLK Day of Service Litter Sweep & Food Drive on Monday.
For more info, visit: https: americorps.gov/serve/volunteer/mlk-day
For information regarding MLK day events: ywcagc.org/mlk-celebration.html
HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM YOUR FRIENDS AT LIOLLIO
Mez Joseph
We have much to be thankful for - the ability to pursue our passions and doing what we love, our clients, professional partners, consultants, community, each other…the list is long! We would not be who we are without you. We are grateful for the connections, opportunities, partnerships and support we’ve been blessed with this year. The Liollio team wishes you all the happiest of holidays!
First Baptist Church of Charleston Education Building Honored with 2 AIA Awards
Mez Joseph
Congratulations to First Baptist Church of Charleston SC for being honored with two AIA Awards - an AIA South Atlantic Region 2023 Merit Award & an AIA South Carolina 2023Merit Award - for the new Education Building! This new structure on the campus of First Baptist Church and School in Charleston replaced a non-historic existing building located approximately mid-block between Meeting and Church streets. The building includes offices, classrooms, and a Fellowship Hall with a commercial kitchen, all of which are shared by the Church and School. The building is simply built of economical materials: brick veneer over metal studs and a structural steel frame with storefront and curtainwall glazing. The massing of the building is broken down into two wings to reduce the overall scale of the building in relation to the existing historic context. The design includes a reduced footprint compared to the existing building and utilizes a 12’-8” floor to floor height to better integrate the building into its context. The new education building works with the c.1822 Robert Mills-designed sanctuary to frame an active courtyard. Together, the new building, the courtyard, and the sanctuary represent the three pillars of Baptist faith: Education, Fellowship, and Worship. It also creates connections between three communities: the religious community of the church, the educational community of the school, and the historic community of Charleston’s South of Broad neighborhood.
CCPL Celebrates National American Indian Heritage Month With Architecture
Mez Joseph
Charleston County Public Library recently hosted a Native American Architecture Program at the Main Library to celebrate National American Indian Heritage Month in November. The Liollio team volunteers for CCPL’s annual program to teach children about vernacular architecture and native structures and dwellings. Following a presentation of vernacular architecture, children were given an hour to build a dwelling of their choosing with the help and direction of architects and designers. The Liollio team had a wonderful time with the children and CCPL staff. It is always a pleasure spending time and sharing knowledge with our community. To potentially spark a child’s interest in history, architecture, and design is a special and rewarding experience. Thank you to Charleston County Public Library for hosting our team!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Mez Joseph
Your friends at Liollio would like to wish you and your loved ones a very Happy Thanksgiving!
The Liollio office will be closed Thursday, November 23 and Friday, November 24 in observance of the holiday.
SPOTLIGHT ON: RIDAB GLAL
Mez Joseph
Spotlight On is our tradition of interviewing team members to celebrate them and get to know them better. Our October Spotlight On feature is Ridab Glal. Ri joined the Liollio team in 2022 and is a graduate of the University of North Carolina in Charlotte, where she earned her Master of Architecture degree. Ri has a passion for architectural design and rendering, organic design, and sustainability. A valuable asset to the studio, Ri confidently settled into her role as Project Designer and is applying her experience and knowledge to several projects in markets including Higher Education, K-12 Education, Community, Federal, and Health & Wellness. We sat down for a Q+A session with our newest Spotlight On feature:
Where did you grow up?
We moved around a lot when I was younger. I bounced back and forth between the States & Europe. If I had to identify one place, it would be North Charleston.
Are you married?
Yes newly wedded!
Do you have children?
Nope!
What do you like to do for fun?
I mostly like to spend time with my family. If I’m not hanging with family I’m most likely at the beach!
Do you have pets? If so, tell us a bit about them.
Noo but I really want a kitty.
Favorite place(s) to go locally?
The beach!!
Favorite restaurant?
I don’t necessarily have a favorite restaurant, but I often find myself at Kid Cashew or Spicy Palette.
Favorite food?
If the dish tastes good it automatically becomes my new favorite.
Least favorite food?
Unpopular opinion but I HATE eggs!
Favorite book?
Not sure! I haven’t come across a book that has caught my attention for a long minute.
Do you play any instruments?
Not currently but I used to play the
What song is at the top of your most played list?
Tout va Bien by Ever Mihigo
Favorite musical artist or genre?
Heavy Metal & R&B
Favorite visual artist?
Not sure if she counts as a visual artist, but Iris van Herpen
Favorite television show?
Grey’s Anatomy! But my show of the month right now is Why women Kill.
Favorite movie or genre?
Thrillers or Mystery! Sometimes horror
Last movie you watched?
They Cloned Tyrone
Favorite place you have traveled to and why?
Thailand! We went for our honeymoon; it was a breath of fresh air.
Favorite style of architecture?
I like architecture that reflects traditions and values of a specific culture. Not sure if it has a name - maybe cultural architecture?
What building have you visited that most impressed or inspired you?
Wat chaithararam temple in Thailand. All of it is hand made! So impressive.
Are you messy or organized?
I like to stay as organized as I can.
What’s your pet peeve?
Nothing yet!
If you could interview one person (dead or alive) who would it be?
Zaha Hadid
If you could witness any historical event, what would you want to see?
Hasn’t happened yet but the first Woman president!
If your house was burning down, what is the one nonliving thing you would save?
Most likely my phone! It has literally all the information I need to replace my other belongings.
What’s your astrological sign?
Cancer
What is your personal philosophy?
Mistakes are forgotten, life goes on.
What’s one thing you couldn’t live without?
Shelter & water - the essentials!
What is the greatest challenge you have had to overcome in your life thus far?
Being comfortable with being uncomfortable. It’s gotten me far.
What is your greatest fear?
I fear nothing… except chimpanzees…they are terrifying.
What inspires you most?
My parents! They’ve gone through a lot trying to make sure my siblings and I have a safer life than they did in Sudan.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
Completing Architecture school, it was a rocky ride.
What is your favorite thing about working at Liollio?
I love how relaxed the working environment is and how the firm prioritizes growth!
What does true leadership mean to you?
I think a true leader should have a passion for teaching. If I’m not learning anything what am I gaining?
If you could perform another job for just one day, what or who would it be?
Jeff Bezos
What would you most like to tell yourself at age 13?
Other than the responsibilities you suddenly have, adulting isn’t so bad.
How do you define success?
Being very knowledgeable and resourceful.
Tell us something that might surprise us about you.
I used to speak fluent Dutch up until I was about 5 years old because I was born/lived in the Netherlands. I no longer speak Dutch - just Arabic and English.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Just do it.
USC's South Caroliniana Library Ribbon Cutting & Grand Reopening
Mez Joseph
The ribbon cutting for the University of South Carolina's South Caroliniana Library took place in Columbia recently and was a huge success! The library is our nation's oldest freestanding academic library and underwent meticulous renovation. Liollio is honored to have been part of the team who helped preserve this important and historic building for generations to come! Learn more about South Caroliniana Library, which houses the stories and the treasures of our state – from its leaders to its ordinary citizens. go.sc.edu/CarolinianaReopening
North Charleston's New Dorchester County Library Celebrates Ribbon Cutting
Mez Joseph
We are honored to have been part of the team for the new Dorchester County Library & Media Center in North Charleston. We were excited to attend the Ribbon Cutting ceremony last week, and the event was a huge success. Congratulations to Dorchester County Library, Dorchester County Government, Dorchester County School District, our amazing team and partners at Edifice, the City of North Charleston, and the greater community!
Liollio Congratulates Elissa & Will Morrison on the Arrival of Baby Adeline West Morrison!
Mez Joseph
Congratulations to Liollio's Elissa Morrison & husband Will Morrison on the new addition to their family and first child - Adeline West Morrison!! Adeline was born March 29, 2023, and Elissa visited the office this week to introduce her to the studio. The Liollio team is happy for the Morrison family and welcomes baby Adeline to the world!