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

Spotlight On: Pat Ogle

Mez Joseph

A native of Ohio, Pat relocated to Charleston 14 years ago. For the past 13 years, Pat has led Liollio's front door focus as our Office Manager. Though we knew it would happen eventually, we were sad to celebrate her retirement as Office Manager this month. Although we know she loved us and the beach, Pat recently returned to Ohio to be closer to family and friends. Our Liollio team will truly miss her personality and presence. Before she left, we sat down for a little Q&A with our new Spotlight On feature.

How long have you lived in Charleston?
14 years

Where did you grow up?
Marietta Ohio

Do you have children?
Yes, 2 - Stacey & Jesse

What do you like to do when you have free time?
Going to the beach.

Do you have any pets?
No, but I have grandpuppies

What was your favorite thing about working at Liollio?
The family atmosphere.

What are your plans after retiring?
Working part time and being around family & friends.

What’s your favorite place in Charleston?
Folly Beach

What is your favorite food?
Shrimp & grits

What is your least favorite food?
Anything involving raw/rare meat - yuck!

What song is at the top of your most played list or what song, if you had to choose one, is your favorite (be honest)?
Garth Brooks Friends in Low Places (Pat - we know you're not talking about us!?)

Who are your favorite musical artists?
Garth Brooks & Vince Gill

Favorite television show?
NCIS

What’s your astrological sign?
Taurus

Guilty pleasure?
Anything chocolate

Where is your favorite destination you’ve traveled to and why?
Key West - beautiful views & fabulous sunsets.

What is your greatest fear?
Snakes

If you could do another job for just one day, what would it be?
Sail a sail boat around Charleston Harbor - scary thought isn’t it?

What are your three most overused words/phrases?
Sorry, those can’t be repeated in public. :)

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Work hard but enjoy life.

What will you miss the most about living in Charleston?
The beautiful views & scenery.

What will you miss the most about being at Liollio?
The kind people that work there.

Liollio Architecture Awarded Multiple 2018 AIA South Carolina Awards

Mez Joseph

Liollio Architecture is honored to announce that the 2018 American Institute of Architects South Carolina Chapter has recognized three Liollio projects with four State Design Awards. Richland Library Ballentine, in Irmo SC, received a New Construction Honor Award and an Interior Architecture Merit Award. Hampton County Health Clinic, in Varnville SC, received a New Construction Merit Award. South Carolina Welcome Center at Fort Mill, in York SC, received a New Construction Citation Award. Because these projects were the result of deep collaboration with clients, Liollio would like to extend special thanks to South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism, South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control, Hampton County and Richland Library.

Events surrounding the AIASC Annual Design Conference took place in Lake City SC over the course of three days, from Wednesday, April 18 to Friday, April 20. This year, AIASC partnered with Lake City’s annual community-wide arts festival and competition known as ArtFields, artfieldssc.org. This year's theme was Community: By Design and focused on the power of art and design in creative placemaking. The Design Awards program and many other sessions were open to the community. Speakers included Michael Ford, Associate AIA, Emilie Taylor Welty, Dan Pitera, FAIA, and Trey Trahan, FAIA. The awards were juried by New Orleans LA-based juries and presented at a Design Awards Celebration held on Thursday, April 19 at The Bean Market during the AIASC Design Conference.

Liollio Architecture Elevates Andy Clark, AIA, to Principal

Mez Joseph

Andy Clark, AIA, LEED AP, Principal

It’s an honor to be part of a talented and dedicated team of design professionals that take pride in their work and make even the most challenging days fun and rewarding.
— Andy Clark, AIA, LEED AP, Principal

Liollio Architecture is pleased to announce the elevation of Andy Clark, AIA, LEED AP, to Principal. Liollio celebrates Andy’s accomplishments and is proud to have him as a firm leader!

Andy is passionate about design and the value it brings to our clients through successful collaborations. As part of Liollio's third generation of ownership, Andy leads the educational market and has a diverse portfolio spanning educational, municipal, commercial and healthcare. “It’s an honor to be part of a talented and dedicated team of design professionals that take pride in their work and make even the most challenging days fun and rewarding.” A graduate of Clemson University, with a Master of Architecture and Bachelor of Science in Design, Andy is currently serving as the State President of AIA South Carolina, where he organized the Community: by design Conference in conjunction with ArtFields in Lake City. He has served on the Clemson Architectural Foundation Board, volunteers as a student mentor, and is a Past President of AIA Charleston, where he co-founded a free public lecture series to elevate the design dialogue in our community.

In Loving Memory of Caliope "Cally" Moraitakis Liollio

Mez Joseph

Demetrios Jimmy Constantine Liollio & Caliope Cally M. Liollio

Our office will be closed Friday, April 13 2018 in observance of the passing of Mrs. L, Caliope Cally Moraitakis Liollio.

Caliope Cally Moraitakis Liollio, 95, of Charleston fell asleep in our Lord on April 10, 2018, surrounded by her loving family. The relatives and friends of Caliope M. Liollio are invited to attend her Funeral Service at 11AM on Saturday, April 14, 2018, at The Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity. The family will receive friends from 5 – 7PM on Friday, April 13, at the James A. McAlister Funeral Home, 1620 Savannah Highway. The Trisagion Service will begin at 5PM. Cally was born in the small town of Cordele, Georgia on December 6, 1922, in the family home. She was the daughter of Stephanos and Eleni Moraitakis, formerly of Atlanta GA. As a young and newly married couple, Cally’s parents immigrated to the United States from Greece. They came to America seeking new opportunities and to start a family that would define their legacy. They brought with them their proud Greek heritage upon which they built the foundation to begin their new life. Cally was their first child…a miracle in truth, as she was the first live birth after two devastating loses. In very short time, Cally was joined by a sister Anna and four brothers George, Michael, Angelo, and Victor. She had a competitive nature and a strong will to succeed. She could out run, out-hit, out-climb and out-smart her siblings, who held her to high standards. She became quite the Tomboy but soon blossomed into one of the most beautiful young women who attended Cordele High School − and could she dance! She mastered the Jitterbug as well as all the traditional Greek dances. Upon her graduation, Cally left home to attend Georgia State Women’s College, currently known as Valdosta State University, in Valdosta GA. With the on-set of World War II, her father, who was strong, loving and protective, called her home to return to the safety of the family, now living in Atlanta. Over the next several years, all four of Cally’s brothers served in the military from the European Theatre to Korea. In the meantime, Cally began new pursuits and took a job working as a teller in a bank in Atlanta, and very soon was promoted to Supervisor. She and her siblings had many Aunts, Uncles and first cousins living in Atlanta. They were all heavily involved in the Greek community with the Greek Orthodox Church at its nucleus. Many a young man tried to catch her eye, but her heart was stolen by a handsome young Army Air Force Veteran, originally from the beautiful island of Skopelos, Greece, who was attending Alabama Polytechnic Institute, now known as Auburn University. Cally and Demetrios Jimmy Constantine Liollio first met on August 28, 1946, at the wedding of one of her cousins. By November of the following year they were engaged, and married on December 21, 1947 in Atlanta. They celebrated 67 years together and were only departed by Jimmy’s passing on February 28, 2015. Upon Jimmy’s graduation from API, they moved east and finally in 1952 settled in Charleston, drawn here by the ocean and the community of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. They made many wonderful life-long friends serving in the church together. They had two wonderful children, Andrea Mache Larkin (Raymond) and C. Dinos Liollio (Cherie), five grandchildren; Melanie Shay Jager (Sean), Stephanie Dawn Smith (Ian) and Chryse Nye Jackson (Josh), Demetrios Alexandre Liollio and Zachary Paul Liollio; and 7 great grandchildren; Michael and Gabriel Jager, Thomas and Andromache Smith, and David, Cally and Alexandra Jackson. Cally was pre-deceased by her sister Anna Cheokas and three brothers George, Angelo and Victor. In addition to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Cally is survived by her brother Michael Moraitakis (Chris) of Atlanta and his family and many nieces and nephews. Cally was a devoted wife, working side by side with Jimmy as he built his architectural firm. She had an extraordinary ability to make the people she met feel special. She was gracious and kind with a passionate spirit to serve others. Cally was a member of numerous organizations, including past District Governor of La Sertoma and 50 years of committed service to the Charleston Philoptochos Society. Her family was the focus of her life. Nothing brought her and Jimmy more joy than spending time with their beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her hobbies included anything Jimmy pursued. She was his partner in gardening, first mate in sailing and biggest fan in fishing. As a wife and mother, she was a woman of strength, always supportive, loving and compassionate, with a heart that knew no boundaries. As a grandmother and great grandmother, she was the best friend that we would ever know - a role model of grace, humbleness and always genuine. She had a wonderful sense of humor and a sharp wit. No amount of awareness ever prepares a family of the magnitude of loss her passing will create and the huge void that will result. We mourn her loss but celebrate her memory and the many lives she touched. Our family wishes to express eternal gratitude to our mother’s dedicated caretakers, Josephine, Deidre and Charlene, and also to Palladium Hospice, with heartfelt thanks to Gena. We will always be grateful. Memorial donations may be made to the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity Building Fund at 30 Race Street, Charleston SC 29403. Visit the guestbook at www.jamesamcalister.com/obituary/4749695

Annual AIASC Design Conference “Community: By Design” to Take Place in Lake City, Brings Famed Hip Hop Architect, Michael Ford to SC

Mez Joseph

Design is not limited to large metropolitan areas. There are great communities all across our state that have historic architectural inventory that can be restored and repurposed for contemporary use through the power of creative design and community engagement.
— Andy Clark, AIA, 2018 AIA SC President

The American Institute of Architects’ South Carolina Chapter (AIASC) is excited to share that this year’s Annual Design Conference will take place in conjunction with renowned nine-day art competition, ArtFields. Held in the small town of Lake City SC, the conference will begin on Wednesday, April 18 and end Friday, April 20 with a gift to the community.

This year’s theme, Community: By Design, focuses on the power of art and design in creative placemaking. As part of this year’s focus on the community, AIASC will open several conference sessions to the public.

“Design is not limited to large metropolitan areas,” states Andy Clark, AIA, 2018 President of AIA South Carolina. There are great communities all across our state that have historic architectural inventory that can be restored and repurposed for contemporary use through the power of creative design and community engagement.”

The goal of this year’s conference is to help export the success Lake City has seen over the last decade. By collaborating with ArtFields, artists and architects, AIASC can better achieve the vision of both the organization and the conference by directly connecting communities with industry professionals interested in learning more about the powerful effect art and design can have on the community.

“Restoring main streets, spurring new contemporary and sustainable development strategies, and reviving a collective community spirit across the state is often the driving force behind why artists and architects, much like myself, are drawn to the field,” continued Clark. “The power of place coupled with the ability to create spaces for the community to enjoy, is what fuels us – which is the driving force behind this year’s design conference.”

Speakers for the Community: By Design conference include, The Hip Hop Architect, Michael Ford, Assoc. AIA; Emilie Taylor Welty, AIA, director of Design+Build at Tulane’s Small Center; Dan Pitera, FAIA, director of the Detroit Collaborative Design Center; and keynote speaker Trey Trahan, FAIA of Trahan Architects.

“We are extremely excited about the opportunity to engage the Lake City community at this year’s event,” said Claire Bowman, AIA, conference chair and Lake City native. “Being able to highlight the power that architecture and art can have in transforming our South Carolina communities, especially cities similar to Lake City, is why we believe this year’s conference is so unique. Our members are thrilled to engage this vibrant rural community, and really every community throughout South Carolina, in a dialogue regarding the importance of, and potential for, art and design, especially as a catalyst for growth and economic development.”

For more information on the AIASC annual design conference, Community: By Design, visit aiasc.org

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Michael Ford, Associate AIA | The Hip Hop Architect
Affectionally known as “The Hip Hop Architect,” Michael Ford, Associate AIA, is the founder of a national initiative that explores architecture and urban planning through the culture of hip hop. Ford, the founder of The Hip Hop Architecture Camp, an international award-winning youth camp that uses hip hop culture as a catalyst to increase the number of underrepresented communities in architecture, urban planning and design. To date, his camp, which has been featured on The Today Show, ESPN, VIBE, and Architect Magazine, is working with hip hop legends like Kurtis Blow to implement and lead the programming and development of The Universal Hip Hop Museum, located in The Bronx.

Cathryn Zommer | Enough Pie
Cathryn is the Executive Director of Enough Pie, a non-profit organization that uses creativity to connect and empower Charleston’s Upper Peninsula community. Beginning her career on The Charlie Rose Show, Cathryn spent more than a decade in global marketing before returning home to South Carolina in 2012. A documentary filmmaker and dancer, Cathryn directs the efforts of Enough Pie through artistic installations and partnerships that form stronger community relationships and joyful civic engagement.

Matt Mardell | Colleton Museum
Matt is a native of the United Kingdom, a graduate of the University Of Portsmouth School Of Architecture and the executive director of the Colleton Museum, Farmers Market and Commercial Kitchen. With an avid interest in environmental design and sustainability, the Colleton Museum and Farmers Market model always intrigued him for its role in sustainability and in the community. Matt serves on regional boards and advisory committees for health, the arts and economic development.

Emilie Taylor Welty, AIA | Tulane School of Architecture
Emilie is a Professor of Practice and Interim Director of the Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design at the Tulane School of Architecture. A leader in the design/build field, Emilie focuses on educating students to become better designers, makers and citizens. In addition, Emilie is a partner at Colectivo, a design firm based in New Orleans and known for creating a transformative community-based built culture.

Dan Pitera, FAIA | Detroit Collaborative Design Center
Dan is the Executive Director of the Detroit Mercy School of Architecture’s Collaborative Design Center, recipient of the 2017 National AIA’s Whitney M. Young Jr. Award. Included in the 2017 Curry Stone Social Design Circle, the Detroit Collaborative Design Center’s engagement process has been included in the Smithsonian’s Cooper Hewitt Design Museum’s exhibition, “By The People.” A Harvard University Loeb Fellow, Dan is also the co-author of the book, Activist Architecture.

Trey Trahan, FAIA | 2018 “Community: By Design” Keynote Speaker
Founder and CEO of Trahan Architects, Victor is this year’s “Community: By Design” keynote speaker. Driven by a strong personal belief in conservation and philanthropy, Trey’s life work is guided by his deep commitment to the development of sustainable environments. His firm has won more than 75 national, regional and local awards and is known for their creative and innovative use of materials and intense connection history, place and culture.

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Thursday, April 19, 2018 – Day 1
*Session 1 | Michael Ford; Cathryn Zommer; Matt Mardell 10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
*Session 2 | Emilie Taylor Welty, 1.25 LUs/HSW 2:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
*Session 3 | Dan Pitera, FAIA, 1.25 LUs/HSW 3:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
*Design Celebration & Keynote: 6:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Trey Trahan, FAIA, 1.0 LU/HSW

Friday, April 20, 2018 – Day 2
*Lake City Sketching Tour with Lynn Craig, FAIA, 3 LUs 9:00 a.m. – Noon
Design-Build/Community Service Project Installation 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
ArtWalk/ArtFields Opening Ceremony 6:00 p.m.
*Session open to the public. Tickets are available at www.artfieldssc.org

ABOUT AIA SOUTH CAROLINA (AIASC)

Raising the design standard for more than 100 years, the South Carolina Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIASC) is an association dedicated to providing its members with opportunities to gain knowledge through continuing education, public health advocacy, safety and welfare, and becoming more involved in the community. For more information visit: .aiasc.org.

2018 COMMUNITY BUILT ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE

Mez Joseph

Liollio's Andy Clark & Aaron Bowman were recently guest lecturers at the National Community Built Association (CBA) Conference held in Charleston at the Clemson Design Center in the historic Cigar Factory. Their presentation, Community: by design, presented case studies from their leadership roles within AIA South Carolina & AIA Charleston, as well as Liollio case studies of how community engagement efforts have strengthened our design solutions. The presentation focused on building community through: education, dialogue, design, equity, service and practice. Attendees left inspired and excited to apply new methods to improve designs to better serve the communities we work within. Liollio is always exploring new ways to engage the community to extract their story and vision, and translate that vision into a design language.

Open for Business: The Citadel Produces Military Leaders, Yes, But Even More Pursue Civilian Careers

Mez Joseph

Construction of Bastin Hall, future home of The Citadel's business school, is set to start in June.

By Dave Munday dmunday@postandcourier.com
The Post & Courier Mar 25, 2018

The Citadel’s mission to produce ethical business leaders is paying off, as the department is in the midst of a major makeover.

The expansion includes:
• A new name. The department was renamed The Tommy and Victoria Baker School of Business last year after a major donation from Baker, a 1972 business school graduate who founded the Baker Motor Co., automotive empire.
• A new home. The department is preparing to move from Bond Hall, where it shares space with administration and biology classes, to a new building called Bastin Hall, in the fall of 2019.
• A new dean. Michael Weeks, dean of the Dunham School of Business at Houston Baptist University, a former Air Force pilot and an accomplished violinist whose specialty is strategic innovation, will take over the helm at The Citadel on July 1.
• New specialties. This year, the Citadel began offering new programs focusing on finance, entrepreneurship and the supply chain.

About one-third of the graduates from the Charleston military college go into the military; the rest pursue civilian careers. The school has produced a long list of outstanding business leaders in its 175-year history, going back to James Coker, an 1856 graduate who founded Carolina Fiber Co., Sonoco Products and Coker College in Hartsville.

Baker is one of the more visible contemporary graduates in the Charleston area. He declined to reveal the amount of his donation last year, but it’s been called the largest in the history of the business school.

Bastin Hall is named after Rick Bastin, a 1965 business school graduate whose Florida car dealerships included the largest Mercedes-Benz dealership on the East Coast.

He donated $6 million to get the building started in September 2016. Work is expected to start this summer, near the Holliday Alumni Center across from Johnson Hagood Stadium.

All cadets — whether heading for military or business careers — are drilled in the school’s core values of honor, duty and respect. That’s a selling point in today business world, according to Iordanis Karagiannidis — often called "Dr. K" around campus — the business school’s associate dean.

"I think that is a strong selling point, when you look at the news, the lack of ethics in different businesses," Karagiannidis said.

The new dean agrees.

"The primary attraction of the position for me was The Citadel's commitment to its mission of developing leaders with core values of duty, honor and respect," Weeks said. "One only needs a quick scan of the current headlines to see that our community and nation require leaders of character at every level."

Out of 551 cadets who graduated in 2017, 191 — or 34 percent — were business majors, according to a report from the school.

A number of prominent business leaders also have earned their master's degrees at The Citadel, which allowed MBA candidates to complete the program entirely online two years ago.

Liollio Architecture, in association with ikon.5 architects, is currently working with The Citadel to complete the Bastin Hall project.

The Citadel's 175th Anniversary Luncheon

Mez Joseph

The 2017-2018 academic year marks the 175 Year Anniversary of The Citadel and, in a special partnership, The Post and Courier will commemorate this incredible milestone throughout the year with a series of events. You may have already noticed a key point of this partnership: the “Today in History” highlighting significant moments in Citadel history published daily on page 2 of The Post and Courier. The Post and Courier published a commemorative special publication on Sunday, March 25, 2018. The special publication included a historical overview of the past 175 years.

As part of this celebration, The Post and Courier also hosted the 175 Year Anniversary Luncheon on March 22 following the Greater Issues speech during Corps Day. Liollio Principals, Dinos Liollio, Cherie Liollio, Jay White, and Associate Principal, Andy Clark, joined in celebrating the military college of South Carolina and their extraordinary path to 175 years of excellence last Thursday at The Citadel’s Holliday Alumni Center.. The luncheon featured speakers including Lieutenant General John W. Rosa, USAF (Ret.), and Colonel Randy Bresnik, USMC (Ret,).

Rebel Girls Charleston Event at the Children's Museum of the Lowcountry

Mez Joseph

There was a great turnout last Saturday, and all the Rebel Girls (and boys!) in the community learned about being an architect. They learned that architects use their creativity and ideas to make drawings, which they then use to construct buildings. Our Rebel Architects drew their ideas for the new Children’s Museum on cards and used their drawings to construct a tower. The kids not only learned about architecture, but helped to design their own Children’s Museum!

We are proud to be Rebel Girls because we are ambitious and creative problem solvers. Architecture is about designing the spaces that you live, work, and (most importantly) play in. At Liollio, we focus on designs that bring people together and strengthen a community.  Think about your house, your school, your library: we led the design teams that bring those projects to life. We help shape the world around us!

Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls is a book that reinvents fairy tales and inspires girls and boys with the stories of 100 extraordinary women, from Elizabeth I to Serena Williams. We’re celebrating Women’s History Month with a celebration of our own “rebel girls.” 

Liollio is proud to have been apart of such an important, fun  and extraordinary event. Thank you to all who participated!

Calling All Photographers!

Mez Joseph

“Give us Your Best Shot!" As we prepare for the grand opening of the new James Island Town Hall, the Town of James Island is launching a photo contest to help personalize this new community space. Up to a dozen photos will be selected and displayed at the new Town Hall. Images could be of landscapes, buildings, or vistas around James Island, past or present. Photos must be high quality digital images accompanied with a release to print for the public’s enjoyment. Please submit only one image per person to be considered.

Please submit your photos to Frances Simmons, Town Clerk, fsimmons@jamesislandsc.us by April 30, 2018. Winners will be recognized at the Grand Opening, coming early this summer.

Rebel Girls Celebration at Children's Museum of the Lowcountry

Mez Joseph

There was a great turnout last Saturday, and all the Rebel Girls (and boys!) in the community learned about being an architect. They learned that architects use their creativity and ideas to make drawings, which they then use to construct buildings. Our Rebel Architects drew their ideas for the new Children’s Museum on cards and used their drawings to construct a tower. The kids not only learned about architecture, but helped to design their own Children’s Museum!

We are proud to be Rebel Girls because we are ambitious and creative problem solvers. Architecture is about designing the spaces that you live, work, and (most importantly) play in. At Liollio, we focus on designs that bring people together and strengthen a community.  Think about your house, your school, your library: we led the design teams that bring those projects to life. We help shape the world around us!

Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls is a book that reinvents fairy tales and inspires girls and boys with the stories of 100 extraordinary women, from Elizabeth I to Serena Williams. We’re celebrating Women’s History Month with a celebration of our own “rebel girls.” 

Liollio is proud to have been apart of such an important, fun  and extraordinary event. Thank you to all who participated!

Growing Home | Design Institute Design Challenges

Mez Joseph

VANCOUVER COMMUNITY LIBRARY HOSTED AN EXPLORATION OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, SUSTAINABLE DESIGN & ADAPTING TO CHANGING NEEDS

By Meredith Schwartz

Librarians from around the country convened on October 20 in Washington State, at Fort Vancouver Regional Library’s (FVRL) Vancouver Community Library (VCL). The building, a 2015 LJ New Landmark Library (NLL), serves as gathering place and convener for the midsize city (population about 175,000 as of 2016) that is also the largest suburb of neighboring Portland, OR, just across the river. Designed to evolve with changing community needs, the building exemplifies the day’s themes from start to finish.

COMMUNITY CONCEPTS

The first panel, Community Engagement 360°, took a deep dive into how to engage all of a library’s many stakeholders in the process of planning a new or renovated library (something FVRL engaged in with VCL), bringing along even skeptics, and how to translate that input into the design. Panelists Jennifer Charzewski, principal at Liollio Architecture, and Dennis Humphries, principal at Humphries Poli Architects, were led by moderator Amy Lee, FVRL public services director.

The panelists suggested the first step is to start not with the existing building but with how the library wants to be seen in the community—as a leader, enabler, dreamer, or disrupter. Charzewski took the concept a step further, advising libraries to “develop a brand or identity as the result of the story of who they are and have it be inseparable from the community.”

While community conversations and focus groups are important, both noted the use of alternative methods to ensure that all voices get heard. Charzewski drew on her experience working on the St. Helena Branch Library, Beaufort County, SC, another 2015 NLL, to recommend passing out cameras for community members to take pictures of things that are important to them and holding an open mic night to collect stories (with a ringer or two in the audience to get things going). One man brought a picture of his grand­father sewing a net, a dying craft, which ultimately informed the woven nautilus feature of the final design; another told a story of community sing-a-longs, with stomping on the wood floor. When the library opened, a resident who had attended the meeting hit her cane on the floor, which was elevated so it resonated, and said, “Wow, you guys listened.”

(l.-r.): The setting was FVRL’s Vancouver Community Library; public art of verbs defining what patrons can do at the library literally lined the walls inside; where challenges were chosen. Photos by Kevin Henegan

Humphries prescribed taking locals “on an adventure to look at library and nonlibrary spaces so they don’t stick with what is familiar. Focus on what is unique to them, but think outside the box.” He also advocated documenting on Post-its “so everyone has the same voice instead of having some speakers dominate,” then reading them back so they feel heard.

Charzewski urged librarians to include their design team in the feedback-gathering process and to go where the community is, since often the power users who attend forums don’t “represent the broad spectrum of [patrons]” let alone, as Lee pointed out, community members who don’t yet use the library, a demographic Lee said FVRL tried hard to reach during the design process.

Setting up a booth at a farmer’s market and using dot voting and Sharpie markup of images from other spaces, said Charzewski, garnered a broader range of input, as did reaching out to neighborhood associations and review boards to gather info and create a sense of ownership. Other tools included giant question dice and directed storytelling—have a toolkit with a variety of options for engaging community members, she advised. She also proposed keeping the documentation to show later to politicians.

Despite the diversity of opinions gathered through such a process, Charzewski reassured attendees that common themes do rise to the top, such as “cabin in the woods” for one library she worked on and “revitalizing a blighted neighborhood,” for another. “Stories…become the guiding lights for the project.” Local materials, too, can serve as touchstones.

Humphries offered an example: the phrase “the planes and the plains” to describe what was special about a particular community arose through the public input process for a library on which he worked. A constituent made a call and was able to get the cockpit of a 737 donated to the library, and though it is in the kids section, it has become the library’s most popular feature for adults as well.

He also reminded attendees to seek local input not only about what to change but what to keep the same, particularly in cases of renovating a beloved iconic facility. For instance, he said, when renovating a building designed by ­Michael Graves, he sought to “find out what people cherished” about the existing structure—and found it was not what he expected. Humphries also urged librarians to include homeless patrons in these conversations and to remember that small ideas are as important as big ones.

1. FVRL executive director Amelia Shelley (l.) welcomed librarians. 2. Amy Lee (r.) moderated a panel on translating deep community engagement into design with Humphries Poli’s Dennis Humphries (l.) and Liollio’s Jennifer Charzewski. Photos by Kevin Henegan

An audience member asked how to resolve the disconnect between features that residents like in theory but don’t use in practice, such as whiteboards. Both architects recommended rapid prototyping. In one example Humphries cited, a library built its service desk out of plywood and kept changing it as it was used until a design that was sure to work was reached.

SUSTAINABLE SUBSTANCE

Another major theme of the day was sustainability, as befitted VCL’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Gold–certified setting. Patti Southard, program manager for the “GreenTools” building program in King County, WA, delivered a keynote on transforming our environment through regenerative design. Southard emphasized connecting environmental considerations to equity and social justice, citing King County’s strategic plan, impact review tool, training, and scorecard and its partnership with Miller Hull to develop equity training for architects. She laughingly commiserated with attendees about this new item on an already ambitious agenda: “in addition to everything else you have to do, you now have to combat fascism.” But, she said, it’s important and, in collaboration, achievable. “We’re in it together, y’all.”

She also spoke on the Living Building Challenge, saying “it’s an advocacy tool and it really is a challenge” to push past minimal damage or even zero damage goals to aim for buildings that make things better. Southard said the water and energy components of the challenge are reachable; “the biggest challenge is finding materials that are toxin free.” But, she said, we must “balance easy wins with pushing the envelope” because the role of libraries as examples for others to follow is important for the good of all.

Following Southard’s inspirational presentation, Amelia Shelley, FVRL executive director, led a panel on Smart Sustainability featuring Jeff Davis, principal, Arch Nexus, and Chris Noll, principal, Noll & Tam Architects. The primary focus was on people—specifically staff and patrons who will use the building.

1. Tech Logic’s Anthony Frey answered questions about automatic materials handling and offered a case study. 2. Panels and presentations took center stage in the Columbia Room. Photos by Kevin Henegan

Davis suggested Inhabit, a tool that trains those in the building on how their behaviors impact energy usage. There are also tools that help with energy conservation, such as lights that let staff know when to override the HVAC and open the windows. Noll emphasized the importance of training a broad range of staff, not just a few key facilities point people, saying the latter are usually “pretty forward thinking and willing to buy in; the problem comes at the back end.”

Davis also said solar panels are a good return on investment as costs are coming down and suggested focusing on the areas around the windows and where the roof meets the wall—libraries can even implement “envelope commissioning” to see how those spaces are performing.

Davis and Noll both emphasized the importance of daylighting. “Not just sticking a skylight in anywhere and calling it daylighting but thinking it through to maximize light and minimize heat” through complex modeling computer programs, said Noll. Water conservation is a tougher sell because it doesn’t save libraries much off the bottom line, he added, but at least in drought-prone places such as California, consciousness has been raised. Davis concurred. “If you think about the costs of conveying it to your building and away, those are huge costs. It gives the community a return on investment,” he said, even if it doesn’t show up in the library budget specifically. However, some green features don’t deliver a good ROI, even though they help a building qualify for LEED status. Davis recommended skipping electric car charging stations. “Nobody uses them,” he said. Noll said the same of employee showers (which count as sustainable because, in theory, they encourage employees to walk, run, or bike to work rather than drive).

1. Keynote speaker Patti Southard from Washington State’s King County GreenTools shared thoughts on regenerative design. 2. Lunch was served at Fort Vancouver’s nearby historic Red Cross Building. 3. Attendees carved out a separate space for teens during Puyallup PL’s challenge session. Photos by Kevin Henegan

ADAPTING & EVOLVING

The final panel of the day addressed how libraries can create buildings that can change with the times, how to implement change to even recently constructed buildings—and how to sell stakeholders on the necessity of such changes without fostering the perception that the original plan was a mistake. Meredith Schwartz, executive editor, LJ, moderated a panel featuring Ruth Baleiko, partner, Miller Hull Partnership; David Schnee, principal, Group 4 Architecture, Research + Planning; and David Wark, principal, Hennebery Eddy Architects.

“A building is not something you finish but something you start,” said Wark. Within a building, each system has its own life span, leading to short- and long-term alterations. In addition, he said, buildings must respond to external factors, such as the continued expansion of tech and, particularly in the Northwest, sheer population growth.

Baleiko added, “It’s not if your building will be renovated but when.” She cited Bruce Ziegman, former FVRL director, who built VCL, as saying, “This has to be a 100-year building—the most flexible chassis to change after we’ve gone.”

Specifically, Baleiko suggested fewer columns, better sight lines, and raised floors as gifts to librarians’ successors to allow easy relocation of shelving, power, and lighting. “Embrace the idea that people after you need to be nimble” and respond to users.” And what are those users likely to ask for? According to Schnee, the basics: “more power, more data, more seats.”

1. Discussing adaptable design were Hennebery Eddy Architects’ David Wark, Group 4 Architecture’s David Schnee, and Miller Hull’s Ruth Baleiko. 2. Chris Noll from Noll & Tam (l.) and Jeff Davis from Arch Nexus talked smart sustainability. 3. Charzewski shared her expertise during the speed sessions. Photos by Kevin Henegan

Community needs are constantly evolving, and by the time a new building comes to fruition, “new behaviors are starting to manifest,” Baleiko said. “That’s how the tweens [area] came about [at VCL]. We had to retool and carve out a space. The idea that any update means we failed is wrong. Change is more rapid now, and it’s a good thing.”

Schnee cited the Santa Clara Central Park Library, CA, as an example of a relatively recently remodeled library in need of an update. Its reading room, finished almost 20 years ago, featured a reference desk and periodicals collection. So, said Schnee, “we brought in drawing tables to replace the reference desk and got rid of the periodicals collections and put in a virtual reality gallery instead.”

Schnee urged attendees to “take lessons from the hospitality and retail worlds. The public expects things to change. We have to tell them there’s a price tag for that."

To adapt to the evolving needs of their own users, attendees applied the lessons of the day in breakout design sessions (see p. 38ff.) and brought their own challenges to the architects through speed sessions. For those who want to know more, join us at the next Design Institute, in Salt Lake City, April 26–27.

LibraryJournal's "Interactive Public Art & the Maker Mentality" Webcast with Liollio & 3branch

Mez Joseph

Maker spaces come in all shapes and sizes – but they can also extend outside of a physical space and exist throughout the library, with programming and design innovation. The maker mentality goes beyond a list of gadgets – by its very nature it must be open-ended, flexible, and customizable.  Approaching maker programming through this lens can help any library expand their customers’ experience – with or without a big renovation or construction project!

Join this webcast to hear Liollio and 3branch discuss how a public art program can engage library users in maker activities, ways the “maker mentality” can break out of a single space and go mobile, and furniture solutions that can be programming assets for makers.

Panelists
Jennifer Charzewski, AIA, Principal, Liollio Architecture
Joe Frueh, Vice President, 3branch

Moderator
Rebecca Jozwiak, Library Journal

Presented by: 3branch, Liollio Architecture & Library Journal

Event Date & Time: Tuesday, February 27th, 2018, 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM PT

Registration Link

Happy Holidays From Liollio!

Mez Joseph

Happy Holidays from your friends at Liollio Architecture!
Our office will be closed Friday, December 22 through Tuesday, December 26, reopening Wednesday December 27. We will also be closed Monday, January 1st for New Year’s Day.

Spotlight On: David Herrero, Associate AIA

Mez Joseph

 A native of La Ceiba, Honduras, David moved to the US to pursue an education in Architecture. After completing undergraduate studies at Clemson University he worked at the Design Division under the City of Charleston’s Planning Director, Jacob Lindsey. David joined the Liollio team earlier this year. We recently sat down for a little Q&A with our December Spotlight On feature.

How long have you lived in Charleston?
I’ve lived in Charleston on and off between college and work for close to two years.

Where did you grow up?
I grew up in La Ceiba, Honduras. La Ceiba is a small coastal city on the northern Caribbean coast of Honduras. La Ceiba has been historically connected to Southern U.S. coastal cities through maritime trade and a lot of architectural elements found in cities like Charleston or New Orleans are still present there.

Are you married? Do you have children?
No & No

What is your favorite thing in your house?
My outdoor piazza. It’s a great place to relax when the weather is nice here in Charleston. Being able to open the windows from my living room and listening to music out on the piazza is a great way to spend an afternoon at home.

What do you like to do when you have free time?
I like to play tennis whenever I get the chance. I’m also a runner and enjoy running from my place down to the battery.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?
There was a rupture of the sprinkler system at Clemson over the architecture library. A few of us were there past midnight working and found out about it. There was an inch of water on the ground by the time we got there and the ceiling tiles were starting to sag with weight. We rolled up our pants and spent the next hour taking out as many books as we could save. We managed to save a lot of irreplaceable material and got a letter from the president for it.

What building have you visited that most impressed you?
The OMA Seattle Public library has been one of my favorite buildings that I’ve gotten to see recently. I was really impressed of how the famous section diagram that we see everywhere about it actually translates to the built space.

What architect or architecture firm most influenced you as a student?
When I was in undergrad, Bjarke Ingles was reaching his heyday as a starchitect. I can’t think of any other architect that influenced our generation as much as he has.

What is your favorite country you have traveled to and why?
I’ve always have been very fond of Spain. I grew up going there over the summers to visit family and I have a lot of good memories of those summers. My dad’s hometown is a small medieval town in the center of Spain and people there still live the way people have lived for thousands of years. It was very refreshing to immerse in that lifestyle for a little bit of my time.

What is your favorite thing about working at Liollio?
I really love the work atmosphere in the office. I think the studio truly works as a team in a very supportive manner. There’s also an expectation of excellence in the work that is produced that I think is very encouraging on a daily basis.

What inspires you most?
I love to learn why things happen the way they do. I’m a history nerd and I enjoy learning about the way our work has affected the built environment and our cities. I want to be able to understand what we can do as a profession to help alleviate some of the problems we face in the world. I don’t think you can do that without first understanding what we’ve done in the past that has had unintended consequences on society.

What style of architecture most impresses you or is your favorite?
I prefer architecture that relates to our senses, not necessarily a certain style. I think there’s a time and place for most type of architecture but the really successful architecture is one that focuses on the experience of place. In an urban setting for example, this experience is achieved by the collective spaces and textures of more than one building.

What is your favorite book?
The Death & Life of Great American Cities, Jane Jacobs

What is your favorite restaurant?
I love CO on King Street.

What’s your favorite place in Charleston?
For hanging out with friends, probably Kudu Coffee, though I can’t think of many places as special as The Cistern at College of Charleston. As for nature, I love Morris Island Lighthouse and inlet.

What is your favorite food?
Thai or Vietnamese

What is your least favorite food?
I can’t handle beets.

Do you play any instruments?
I played the clarinet for a few years.

Favorite television show?
Game of Thrones (of course!)

What’s your astrological sign?
Pisces

Last movie you watched?
Star Wars: Rogue One

Where is the best place you’ve traveled to and why?
Masada/Jerusalem. It’s hard to describe what makes these places so special. There’s something about the humble appearance of the landscape and city but the knowledge that so much of human history was built in that place that makes it a very special experience. Masada is the most impressive archeological site I’ve ever seen.

What is the proudest moment of your life, thus far?
When my teammate and I were nominated for the Harlan E. Mclure Award.

What’s one thing you couldn’t live without?
Coffee

What does true leadership mean to you?
I think a true leader should be able to inspire others to do good work without having to demand good work. A leader’s own work and the way they carry themselves should set a level of excellence that others should hope to achieve.

If you could do another job for just one day, what would it be?
I would enjoy being a film director.

What would you most like to tell yourself at age 13?
To enjoy my teen years more than I did, relax and get out more.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Not to draw with a scale ruler. 

Gifford Rosenwald School on U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Mez Joseph

Hampton County Gifford Rosenwald School was approved by the South Carolina Historic Preservation Board of Review for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places on July 28, 2017. On October 4, notification was received from the SC Department of Archives and History that Gifford Rosenwald School was approved to be on the National Register. Properties on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places are the federal government’s list of historic properties worthy of preservation or protection.

Since the discovery of the school’s national importance, much support has come from the local community. Faith Temperance Deliverance Ministry, Gifford Rosenwald School Reunion Committee, Gifford Town Council, Hampton County Council, SC State Department of Archives and History and the National Parks Service have all contributed to the effort. Community organizations and businesses such as the Arnold Fields Community Endowment, Hampton County Council, Lowcountry Council of Governments, Brunson Building Supply, Liollio Architecture, Representative William K. Bowers and the office of SC Senator Tim Scott are only a few organizations, businesses and political support that made this a reality for Hampton County.

Since the school is now nationally recognized, this will hopefully open federal and state grant opportunities, as well as influence local private philanthropic organizations to contribute to the restoration and preservation of the Gifford Rosenwald School.

Donations to preserve and restore the Gifford Rosenwald School can be sent to the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, 4 Northridge Drive, Suite A, P.O. Box 23019, Hilton Head, SC, 29925 or online at https//www.cf-lowcountry.org. Select the Arnold Fields Community Endowment Fund and the Gifford Rosenwald School Project Fund or call CFL at (843)681-9100.

Source: Hampton County Guardian (10.19.2017)

Richland Library St. Andrews Grand Opening

Mez Joseph

Liollio’s Angie Brose, Mary Tran, Greg Broadwater and Jennifer Charzewski recently enjoyed the Grand Opening festivities for the Richland Library St. Andrews branch in Columbia SC.

St. Andrews Library serves a vibrant community, with diverse interests ranging from gardening to guitar club to poetry slams and a focus on technology and career advancement.

The existing 13,000 SF library was fully renovated, and a 2,000 SF addition provides an expansive community meeting room connected to the garden, a maker space, increased computer access, collaboration studios and a new Career Coaching Center. Take a 360 virtual tour at http://www.buildingyourlibrary.com/locations/st-andrews!

The garden space wrapping the exterior of the library is a beacon within the Broad River Road Corridor and contains community planting beds, activity and event spaces, and a public art installation entitled The Band Shell (Artist: Jarod Charzewski www.jarodcharzewski.com), which allows the public to upload and play their own music or spoken word performances and acts as a stage for the library site.

St. Andrews Branch is one of ten projects comprising the $59M bond referendum passed by Richland County residents. Liollio has also had the honor of working on Ballentine and Blythewood, which opened this summer, and Wheatley Branch, which is currently under construction. The Liollio team includes Providence Associates library consulting, Margaret Sullivan Studio furniture consulting, Cox & Dinkins civil engineering, Stantec landscape architecture, Chao structural engineering, and RMF Engineering for mechanical, electrical and fire protection.  Construction Dynamics, Inc. served as the General Contractor for St. Andrews Library.

See more about all the Richland Library projects at www.buildingyourlibrary.com.

Children's STEAM: Young Architects

Mez Joseph

We always love the opportunity to introduce kids to the world of architecture and design.
— Jennifer Charzewski, Principal

Liollio’s Jennifer Charzewski, Liz Corr and Mary Tran participated in the Full STEAM Ahead Program: Young Architects at the Charleston Main Library on November 14, 2017.

November is Native American Indian Heritage Month and Liollio’s program aimed to teach the young architects about architecture through vernacular housing types and the ways people built shelters with the materials from their environment. Different vernacular housing types were shown, and they discussed how groups of people respond to different climates. such as, keeping wind out and warm air inside in cold climates, using the sun for passive heating, and being naturally ventilated with breezes in hot humid climates.

The young architects then sketched a vernacular housing type for a location of their choosing and constructed a model of it. Materials such as sticks, clay and fabric were used to make Igloos, Tipis, earth huts, and many other innovative and imaginative structures.