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1640 Meeting Street Road, Suite 202
Charleston, SC, 29405
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News

Filtering by Category: National

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!

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.

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!

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!

Firehouse Magazine Announces National Station Design Award Winners

Mez Joseph

Firehouse Magazine announced the winners of its ninth annual Station Design Awards program, which recognizes outstanding architecture and design from fire departments and emergency facilities nationwide. Peter Matthews, Firehouse Editor-in-Chief said, “This is the ninth year of the awards, and we are excited to see the advances in fire station designs. It’s wonderful to see the coordination between fire departments and architectural firms to design stations with a focus on keeping firefighters trained and healthy to better serve their communities. As fire departments become true all-hazard response agencies, their training and equipment needs grow, and the new facilities offer improved opportunities for firefighters to hone their skills.”

Winners were selected by a panel of seven judges, including fire chiefs and architects experienced in recent design and construction. Liollio is honored to announce that The City of Charleston Fire Station #11 received the Firehouse Station Special Design Award and James Island Public Service District Fire Station #1 HQ received a Notable Award.

Fire stations are essential public buildings that serve as critical infrastructure for emergency response services, and designing them requires careful consideration of operational needs, efficiency, and aesthetics. Receiving this award highlights Liollio’s commitment to creating spaces that not only meet the functional requirements of a fire station but also contribute to the community's architectural landscape. It recognizes Liollio’s dedication to designing buildings that enhance the well-being of the firefighters and the surrounding community while promoting safety and efficiency.

Showcasing and recognizing both projects is a tremendous honor and the Liollio team would like to thank Firehouse, the jurors, and our clients and project team. Congratulations to our clients at the City of Charleston, Charleston Fire Department and James Island Public Service District!

About Firehouse
Firehouse is the leading fire and emergency services brand, reaching more than 1.5 million visitors and subscribers monthly and thousands of attendees annually via its live events and media portfolio. The Firehouse brand encompasses Firehouse Magazine, Firehouse.com, Firehouse Expo, Firehouse Station Design Conference, Station Design Awards, and many print and digital products targeting fire and emergency services personnel. Utilizing its multiple platforms and unparalleled reach, Firehouse sets itself apart from the competition by fostering a culture that encourages innovation and the use of the latest digital and database technologies to best serve its audience and companies serving the marketplace.

Liollio Team Members Attend AIA Conference on Architecture 2023 in San Francisco

Mez Joseph

Liollio’s Michelle Lanker and Mason Malsegna attended the 2023 National AIA Conference in San Francisco recently. The conference gathered industry leaders and professionals to discuss equity, resiliency, workflow efficiency, and knowledge sharing. Michelle and Mason attended various sessions regarding community-based design initiatives, mitigation of climate effects through design, fundamental shifts within the AEC industry, and better design through symbiotic teaming. The experience enabled Michelle and Mason to pursue specific interests; Michelle focusing on firm-wide quality assurance processes and Mason focusing on shaping the future of sustainable design within the AIA SC Cote Chapter. They also had a chance to explore the city, have fun, and take in San Francisco’s distinct architectural language and urban fabric. Liollio is thrilled to have these two to attend the 2023 National AIA Conference and represent our team!

For info on next year’s AIA Conference on Architecture, visit A’24 Washington DC