THANK YOU FOR CELEBRATING OUR NEW HOME AT THE REFINERY!

The Liollio team would like to thank all who attended our recent housewarming event and helped us celebrate our new home at The Refinery in Downtown Charleston. A very special thank you to our friends and neighbors at The Refinery, The Whale Craft Beer Collective & Tasting Room, who curated our beverages - and 96.3 FM OHM Radio, who crafted a custom playlist just for our event. Thank you to Lewis Barbecue for catering the delicious ‘cue and sides - and The Cake Stand Charleston for your amazing cupcakes. Last but not least, thank you to our friends sundogband, the unpredictable, high-energy variety band based out of Charleston, who brought our terrace to life with great music and vibes. We are so grateful to you all. Thank you for making our event a success!

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Happy Independence Day!

Happy 4th of July 2022 from your friends at Liollio! Wishing you a safe and happy holiday!

SPOTLIGHT ON: RAJAN MISTRY

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Spotlight On is a Liollio tradition of interviewing team members to highlight and celebrate them - and to get to know them better as individuals. After a hiatus of Spotlight On Q&A sessions, we are finally returning to form and highlighting Rajan Mistry as our July Spotlight On feature. Raj became a welcome addition to the Liollio studio in 2021 as Contract Administrator. He is a graduate of the New School of Architecture & Design in San Diego. He has a history of construction contract administration and project management from the perspective of the owner, contractor, and architect.

Where did you grow up? Ndola, Zambia – it’s a small copper-mining town close to the Congolese border, and had a great childhood there.

Are you married? Do you have children? Neither

What do you like to do for fun? I love being outside, so it would either be cycling, dog-walking, golfing or hashing.

Do you have pets? If so, tell us a bit about them. I have a Shepherd-Husky mix, named Shaki, and she is an awesome dog. She looks like a German-Shepherd but has gorgeous ice-blue eyes. She has just enough German-Shepherd in her to be obedient, and just enough Husky in her to be independent and love a good run around. Interesting fact about her; she doesn’t bark at all!

Favorite place(s) to go locally? Golf Courses & Breweries

Favorite restaurant? I don’t know if it’s my favorite restaurant, but I love going to Jamaican restaurants and go there most frequently.

Favorite food? Ethiopian and Japanese

Least favorite food? Any food that is a greasy mess and impossible to eat without destroying my beard.

Do you play any instruments? I play the guitar, sitar, and a bit of bass/piano as well.

What song is at the top of your most played list? It’s either going to be Chronixx (reggae & dancehall) or some vocal Drum ‘n Bass mixes.

Favorite musical artist or genre? House Music

Favorite television show? I don’t really watch TV – life itself is sufficiently surreal…

 Last book you read? It was probably a Harvard Business Review.

Favorite book? Bhagavad Gita

Favorite author? Jon Klassen writes awesome children’s books, and I highly recommend you investigate them and buy them all for your kids.

Favorite podcast or blog? The Peter Schiff Show – it is primarily an economics podcast, but he also discusses news stories and geopolitics.

Favorite movie or genre? I love a good laugh, so comedy is always high on my list, but it may have to be The Matrix.

Last movie you watched? It was a kids’ movie with my little niece and nephew. There were some magic dragons and I think it was called Raya.

Favorite place you have traveled to and why? Mexico – I have been to 8 Mexican states and have had a great time every visit. You get high-quality goods/services, excellent prices, and the people are all wonderful.

Favorite style of architecture? I do not have a preference. I believe that good design is independent of stylistic choice. Just like how one can have great and terrible movies or songs of a genre, so too can architecture of a style be great and terrible.

What building have you visited that most impressed or inspired you? The Salk Institute – the look and feel of the building, especially with its layout amongst the ocean and vegetation is great. The way the building systems were managed and long-term modifications planned for was extremely insightful.

What would the book or movie about your life be called? Let’s See What Happens

Who would play you in a movie about your life? Like Tyler Perry, I would love to play absolutely everyone, including myself, in the movie.

If you could be any animal, what would you be and why? I was once told by one of my primary school teachers that I was like a hummingbird. Very curious, very active and constantly moving around and engaging with things.

Are you messy or organized? Organized. There are two types of people; Leavers and Putters, and you find that out when you ask them where something is. Some people will say, “where I put it,” and some people will say, “where I left it.”

What’s your pet peeve? Mispronunciation of the word nuclear as nuculer, and the disastrous misuse of the apostrophe.

Guilty pleasure? I’m a sucker for sweet things, and every once in a while, I like to drive fast.

Tell us a random fact. Biologically, there is no such thing as a fish.

Favorite quote? “Rule #1: Work your Butt Off. Rule #2: Break the Rules.” - Arnold Schwarzenegger

If you could interview one person (dead or alive) who would it be? Peter Schiff

If you could witness any historical event, what would you want to see? I would love to see timelapses of ancient construction feats. Too many people tell me they were built by aliens, and discredit sheer manpower.

If your house was burning down, what is the one nonliving thing you would save? My laptop

What three traits characterize you? Intelligent, Playful and Wacky

What’s your astrological sign? Leo – and I would say I am very much the stereotypical Leo.

What is your personal philosophy? Generally, that things fall into place in life. Despite the rollercoaster of life, ride the waves out with a positive attitude – they are temporary – and you will keep the whole thing moving forward.

What’s one thing you couldn’t live without? Outside space

What is the greatest challenge you have had to overcome in your life thus far? I have had many difficult projects, with difficult project teams and difficult bosses. But interestingly, I love a challenge and the constraints that come along with it. It certainly increases the value in your heart when the job is over and done.

What inspires you most? Being at home, coming up with ideas on things to build and how to build them. I am always walking around my house and yard, scheming.

What accomplishment are you most proud of? There are many accomplishments that I am proud of, but none would be categorized as the one I’m most proud of. I have been told that I have beautiful handwriting, so maybe that!

What is your favorite thing about working at Liollio? Liollio has an awesome team of people; hard-working, social and with great communication. I have high hopes that we have many more years of excellent work output for this city, state and region.

What does true leadership mean to you? There are many attributes that constitute good leadership, and all of them are vitally important, but I won’t be listing them all out in this answer. Two of the most important are trust and approachability.

If you could do another job for just one day, what would it be? A crane operator or possibly some sort of earth-moving equipment. Basically a giant toy that a 3 year-old boy would play with.

What would you most like to tell yourself at age 13? I wouldn’t have anything specific to tell myself, but I would love to teach myself projection-planning.

How do you define success? Adequately planning for everything to go well, not being irritated by things not going well, and dragging things to the finish line nonetheless.

Tell us something that might surprise us about you. I write calligraphic poetry art-pieces and they are currently being featured at the Mary Martin Art Gallery on King & Broad.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received? If you show up ten minutes early, you’re already twenty minutes late.

Design Plans Unveiled for New Discovery Place Nature

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April 22, 2022 DISCOVERY PLACE NATURE

Discovery Place celebrated Earth Day by unveiling design plans for the reimagining of Discovery Place Nature situated in Charlotte’s Freedom Park. The new nature haven will be a world-class environmental education center serving the Carolinas and will feature a free public garden filled with wildlife and native plants, inviting the community to connect with and explore the wonders of our natural world.

The project is a public-private partnership between Mecklenburg County, who owns the property and facility, and Discovery Place, a nonprofit leader for science education in the U.S., which has operated the Museum since its doors opened to the Charlotte community in 1947.

“Discovery Place Nature has been an incredible community resource for decades,” said Mecklenburg County Manager Dena R. Diorio. “This is a huge step toward ensuring it remains a valuable learning resource for decades to come.”

A public-private partnership, the new Museum will be developed at the 71-year-old facility’s current location on Sterling Road adjacent to Freedom Park, providing a complete reinvention of the current Discovery Place Nature—the first nature museum in the Southeast. The Board of County Commissioners of Mecklenburg County previously approved the recommendation of County staff and Discovery Place to select the award-winning team of Liollio Architecture and Hood Design Studio to lead the planning and design of the new Discovery Place Nature.

“Mecklenburg County and Discovery Place are thrilled to have such a talented and environmentally-focused team on board to bring a new future for Discovery Place Nature to life,” said Catherine Wilson Horne, president & CEO of Discovery Place Inc. “We can’t wait to see the vision formed by Liollio and Hood, two organizations with deep Carolina roots, come to life for one of Charlotte’s most beloved and important institutions. The new design will allow us to connect with the community in an elevated way, including signature environment educational experiences and programming for all ages.”

Based in Charleston, South Carolina, Liollio Architecture has been providing thoughtful, respectful, creative design since 1956. Their work spans both the private and public sectors, providing sustainable architecture, interior design and historic preservation. Liollio has built a reputation on design through community engagement and collaboration, and their work is rooted in the particulars of place, people and landscape.

Liollio has won more than 100 design awards over the years for its work, including the 2016 American Institute of Architects South Carolina Firm Award; the Library Journal Landmark Library National Award for St. Helena Library at Penn Center; and the AIA South Atlantic Region Honor Award for Hampton Health Clinic.

“We are honored to be collaborating with Discovery Place and Mecklenburg County on the new Discovery Place Nature, which will combine Discovery Place’s capacity for innovation and education in science, nature and design with the incredible setting of Freedom Park,” said Jennifer Charzewski, Principal at Liollio Architecture. “The Liollio and Hood Design Studio team sees this as an exciting opportunity to create an engaging and creative place for residents and visitors for generations to come.”

California-based Hood Design Studio, led by Charlotte native Walter Hood, will partner with Liollio on the Discovery Place Nature project. The studio’s award-winning landscape design, public art, installation art and urbanism unveil the emergent beauty, strangeness, subjectivity and idiosyncrasies of place. They root their design work in collaboration, seeing projects thrive under the joint efforts of design teams and through engagement with constituents and local communities.

Hood Design is well-known for their work, which includes projects such as The Broad Museum Plaza in Los Angeles, the new de Young Museum gardens in San Francisco, the Cooper-Hewitt Arthur Ross Terrace and Garden in New York City and the soon-to-open International African American Museum in Charleston, SC. The firm has been the recipient of several awards, including a California Preservation Award for Bayview Opera House from the California Preservation Foundation, the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award in Landscape Design and Wall Street Journal’s Best Architecture Award for the University at Buffalo Solar Strand.

In 2021 founder Walter Hood was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in New York, which is “considered the highest form of recognition of artistic merit in the United States.”

Construction for the new Discovery Place Nature Museum is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2023.

About Discovery Place Nature

Founded in 1947 as the Children’s Nature Museum, Discovery Place Nature has been a staple in Charlotte’s education and cultural community for 75 years. The Museum conjures curiosity and activates the imagination through educational experiences that help us connect to the natural world. Guests can discover native animal species, encourage imaginative play in Fort Wild, take a family trek through the 100-year-old trees on the Paw Paw Nature Trail and explore the stars in the planetarium. For more information, visit discoveryplace.org or call 704.372.6261 x300.

About Liollio Architecture

Liollio believes creativity originates through the eyes and stories of communities based on subtle and restrained design, rooted in context, culture and collaboration. For over 63 years, Liollio has provided architecture, interior design, programming, historic preservation and master planning services. Liollio has been honored by the American Institute of Architects South Carolina Chapter as a Firm Award Recipient. Visit liollio.com for more info.

About Hood Design Studio

Hood Design Studio is tripartite practice, working across art + fabrication, design + landscape, and research + urbanism. The resulting urban spaces and their objects act as public sculpture, creating new apertures through which to see the surrounding emergent beauty, strangeness, and idiosyncrasies. The Studio’s award-winning work has been featured in publications including Dwell, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Fast Company, Architectural Digest, Places Journal, and Landscape Architecture Magazine.

IN FOCUS A/E/C: Charleston Regional Business Journal - April 18, 2022

The Post & Courier: Longtime Charleston architectural firm now under new leadership

Principals Jay White (left), Jennifer Charzewski, and Andy Clark are the new leaders at Liollio Architecture in Charleston. The firm started 65 years ago and in late 2020 moved from James Island to The Refinery on the upper peninsula.

By Warren L. Wise
Apr 9, 2022

A Charleston architectural firm that’s designed everything from welcome seniors to senior seniors has settled into a new home and is now under new leadership for the third time in its 65-year history.

Now at the helm of Liollio Architecture are principal architects Andy Clark, Jennifer Charzewski and Jay White. Each has been with the firm several years. They are taking over from longtime leaders Dinos and Cherie Liollio. The couple, both of them architects, aren’t stepping away just yet, but will remain in supporting roles to help guide the company forward.

With new leaders, its also in a new location.

Liollio Architecture now occupies a 5,000-square-foot space with a terrace overlooking an amphitheater on the second floor of The Refinery, a three-story office and retail site on Meeting Street Road. For the past three-plus decades, the firm operated near Wappoo Creek on James Island.

Liollio Architecture occupies a space on the second floor of The Refinery on Charleston’s upper peninsula. The office includes a terrace overlooking an amphitheater. The 65-year-old firm recently changed leadership.

The new leaders, who were tapped for their new roles several years ago, say the transition has been seamless and the company’s mission has not changed.

“We believe that the best designs use local history and culture as a guide,” Charzewski said. “Understanding a project’s narrative through the eyes and stories of a community creates deep connections. It brings a spirit, clarity and sense of place to our work.”

Clark agreed, saying, “We carry a strong sense of social purpose as we serve our communities through design.”

White said every project, no matter the size or scale, starts with an open dialogue with the client to create a place that becomes a source of local pride.

The firm, the recipient of several regional and national architectural accolades, was founded in 1956 in an office in Avondale by the late Demetrios Constantine Liollio, known to his friends and colleagues as “Jimmy.”

It eventually moved to a few different locations in West Ashley before settling on a site at 1812 Savannah Highway. In 1986, the company moved to James Island.

In 1976, Dinos and Cherie Liollio joined the firm, and in 1982-83, he assumed leadership. Over the next 20 years, Cherie, Tommy Schimpf and Rick Bousquet made up the leadership roster. The latter two will remain with the firm until their retirement.

Liollio Architecture moved into The Refinery on the upper Charleston peninsula in late 2020 and is now transferring leadership to three architects with the the 65-year-old firm.

Dorchester County Ashley River Park Ribbon Cutting & Grand Opening

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Dorchester County’s Ashley River Park officially opens to the public this Saturday, March 19th! The park features many amenities and recreation activities for visitors of all ages - walking trails, a fishing pier, a dog park, interactive play fountain, an event pavilion, picnic shelters, a playground, open lawns, a restroom building, an outfitters building and a gatehouse. We are honored to have been part of the design team for this exciting project and hope that it’s a great community asset for years to come! 

Ashley River Park is located near the beautiful scenic side of the Ashley River off of Bacon's Bridge Road. The park is open from dawn to dusk daily. For a complete list of Park Rules click here.

Liollio Architecture Elevates Daniel Corte to Associate

Daniel Corte, AIA, Associate

Liollio is pleased to announce the elevation of Daniel Corte, AIA, to Associate. The Liollio team celebrates Dan’s accomplishment and looks forward to his continued leadership.

Dan joined the Liollio team in 2012 and serves as a Federal Market Champion. He continues to work in Liollio’s design studio on a variety of project types, including Federal, Community, and Healthcare. Some of Dan’s recent and award-winning projects include the Charleston International Airport Terminal Redevelopment, South Carolina Parks, Recreation and Tourism Hardeeville Welcome Center, USC−Beaufort’s Hilton Head Hospitality Management Campus, City of Charleston’s Bender Street Park Event Space and Community Center, and the National Park Service U.S. Virgin Islands Lind Point Complex.

In his downtime, Dan enjoys spending time with his family, honing his DIY skills in woodworking, and spending time out on the water.

BE PART OF OUR TEAM: WE'RE HIRING!

We are seeking Project Architects & Project Designers! We’re excited to announce multiple career opportunities to join our growing downtown Charleston studio:

Project Architects
> 5 – 10 years experience in an architectural practice.
> Proficient in REVIT, Adobe Creative Suite, MS Office. Additional proficiency in Enscape, Rhino, or Grasshopper preferred.
> Comfortable in a highly collaborative setting.
> Familiarity with the design of public places preferred.
> Professional degree in architecture from an accredited university and registration required. 

Project Designers
> 0-4 years of experience in architectural practice.
> Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite and MS Office required. Additional proficiency in Revit and Enscape is preferred.
> Comfortable in a highly collaborative setting.
> Familiarity with the design of public places preferred.
> Professional degree in architecture from an accredited university.

The ideal candidates for both positions will be motivated, collaborative, creative, enthusiastic, professional, and must play well with others. We offer a competitive benefits package. If you are interested in applying, please submit your resume and cover letter to careers@liollio.com.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM YOUR FRIENDS AT LIOLLIO!

From our family to yours, Liollio Architecture wishes you and your loved ones a happy and healthy holiday season!

Liollio Awarded 4 AIA South Atlantic Region & AIA South Carolina Design Awards

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Liollio is honored to announce that the American Institute of Architects South Atlantic Region has recognized Liollio’s design of Richland Library St. Andrews and the SCPRT South Carolina Fort Mill Welcome Center with Honor Awards. The American Institute of Architects South Carolina Chapter also recognized Liollio with an Honor Award for Interior Architecture of the Charlotte Mecklenburg South County Library and a Merit Award for the design of the University of South Carolina-Beaufort’s New Hilton Head Hospitality Management Campus. Exceptional projects are the result of collaboration with visionary clients. Liollio congratulates Richland Library, the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, Mecklenburg County, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, the University of South Carolina-Beaufort, the University of South Carolina, and the Town of Hilton Head Island for four top regional awards.

“Richland Library St. Andrews was such a delight to get to review. The re-use and re-imagination of a former grocery store, the interior spaces that resulted, and two new insertions...made for a really well-thought out and lovely project.” − Jury comment

“(South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism’s Fort Mill Welcome Center) achieves noteworthy elegance on a budget-conscious public project. It’s simple form and materials are enlivened by an attention to details. The evocative use of local materials extends a tangible welcome to the State of South Carolina.” − Jury comment

“(Charlotte Mecklenburg South County Library) yields maximum impact from a tight economy of means. A few simple gestures fills the previously dark interior with warm daylight, punctuated with the skillful use of volumetric color. This project, bodily executed, reveals a conviction that interior architecture, at it’s best, is a spatial exploration.” − Jury comment

“(USC-Beaufort Hilton Head Island Hospitality Management Campus) leverages an unexpected interpretation of historical references that play out in an undeniably contemporary result in both form and materials.” − Jury comment

Dinos Liollio Honored on 2021 Architects Power List

C. Dinos Liollio, FAIA, LEED AP, Principal

An Auburn University graduate, Dinos Liollio, FAIA, received a bachelor’s degree in architecture and a Bachelor of Science in environmental design. He served as president of the American Institute of Architects Student Chapter and was awarded the Alpha Rho Chi Medal of Honor in recognition of his leadership, service and future impact to the architectural profession.

Liollio has served on national, regional and state design award juries, led many community design charrettes, and has lectured on collaboration as the vehicle to realize remarkable buildings that inspire people to think of design as a collective body of work.

His leadership has been recognized by the South Carolina Chapter and Charleston Section AIA, Urban Land Institute, Furman University Riley Leadership Institute, city of Charleston, Rotary International, the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, Charleston National Aging in Place Council and others.

Based upon his preservation background, he was awarded a 2005 Study Abroad Scholarship in Verona, Italy, with 30 other architects from around the world focusing on the conservation of stone and marble. Liollio has received more than 120 international, national, regional, state and local design awards and was chosen to be a part of the design team for Fire Station 11 that’s contiguous to the Charleston 9 Memorial site.

He served on national, regional and state design award juries, lectured at national, state and local professional and trade conferences, and was keynote speaker at the National Architectural Precast Association Design Awards. He was elected to the AIA College of Fellows and was appointed to the city of Charleston Design Review Board in 2017. He received a National American Institute of Architects Design Award for Hampton County Health Clinic in 2020.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM LIOLLIO!

From our family to yours, Liollio Architecture wishes you and your loved ones a Happy Thanksgiving!

Liollio Joins Trident United Way'S Days of Caring

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For 20 years, Trident United Way has hosted the largest single day of community service in the Tri-County area on Day of Caring thanks to employers, teams and neighbors coming together to make a difference. This year they tripled the impact by extending the Day of Caring to Days of Caring in an effort to engage more volunteers, provide more flexibility for completing projects, and deliver more impact to our Tri-County. Liollio is honored to have been part of the effort again this year! Thank you to Trident United Way and of all the volunteers for all the important work you do and for inviting us to be a part of the mission!

About Trident United Way’s Days of Caring: A 15-year tradition in the Lowcountry, Trident United Way’s Day of Caring brings together hundreds of nonprofit agencies and schools with thousands of volunteers all on one day to improve the tri-county community. TUW’s Day of Caring is the largest community service day in the area. TUW matches nonprofit agencies and schools with volunteer teams that help advance their mission and build capacity—all while fostering community engagement. Additionally, it is the catalyst for year-round volunteer engagement as teams see the impact they can make in one day when they build partnerships within the community. For more information, visit www.uwasc.org/

Liollio Architecture Welcomes New Team Members

Liollio Architecture is pleased to welcome six new team members to its studio: Ryan Bing, Jeremy Eaton, Kelsey McKenna, Tom Wales, Rajan Mistry, and Tammy Griffin.

A graduate of Colorado College with a Bachelors in Environmental Science and a Masters in Architecture from Clemson University, Ryan Bing utilizes his extensive skillset to design and create beautiful visualizations of projects at all scales.

A graduate of Texas A&M University’s College of Architecture, with a Masters from Clemson University, Jeremy Eaton is interested in community-focused design and favors a critical regionalism approach to architecture. He has a passion for making, stemming from his experience in carpentry and metal working. 

Kelsey McKenna is a graduate of Clemson University’s School of Architecture. Kelsey’s interests lie in creating community spaces that allow people the opportunity to connect with one another and nature, and her perspective blends interior design and architecture.

Project Architect Tom Wales relocated from Boston. As an Alabama native and graduate of Auburn University, Tom’s passions for historical research and analysis, paired with his background in the arts, makes him an asset to the team. 

Contract Administrator Rajan Mistry is a graduate of the New School of Architecture & Design in San Diego. He has a history of construction contract administration and project management from the perspective of the Owner, Contractor, and Architect. 

Administrative Assistant Tammy Griffin brings valuable office management and contract oversight experience. A Charleston native, Tammy previously worked as a Legal Assistant for 19 years in the Charleston area. 

Liollio Honored with 2021 AIA South Atlantic Region Aspire Design Awards

The AIA South Atlantic Region has a long-standing tradition of recognizing a broad range of architecture activity that exemplifies the values of the region and improves the quality of the built environment in the communities we serve. The SAR Design Awards program - a regional design awards covering Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina - seeks to highlight the diverse range of project types that exist within the region.

The 2021 AIA SAR Awards were recently presented, awarding 24 projects after receiving 240 submissions. Four of the 24 were Honor Awards, of which Liollio was honored with two - one for South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism’s Fort Mill Welcome Center, and the other for Richland Library St. Andrews in Columbia SC. Liollio would like to thank the AIA SAR Awards committee and jurors. Liollio would also like to congratulate all award recipients, as well as their clients, Richland Library and SCPRT!

About ASPIRE: Created by the state AIA chapters of Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, the unconventional architecture conference influences artists, architects, designers, and engineers to design the future. Aspire debuted in 2019, transforming the beautiful and vibrant city of Asheville, North Carolina, into a nexus of architecture, design, and engineering. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Aspire plans to return to Asheville NC in person in 2022. Learn more by visiting aspirexp.com

About AIA SAR: The American Institute of Architects South Atlantic Region is comprised of all of the Chapters in three states: Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina and is home to more than 5,500 members. The AIA is the voice of the architectural profession and a resource for its members in service to society. We are dedicated to driving positive change in our communities through the power of design.

Click image above to view. the full awards ceremony or visit https://youtu.be/Tt2G2Zf0q3o

Big Changes Coming to CofC’s Simons Center for the Arts

The Simons Center opened at 54 St. Philip St. in 1979 | Images via CofC

Charleston City Paper
Samantha Connors
September 7, 2021

The 42-year-old Albert Simons Center for the Arts, located at 54 St. Philip St., is getting ready for a facelift. Opened in 1979, the center was originally built to accommodate a maximum of 800 students, but with increased admissions, the Simons Center serves more than five times that number these days according to College of Charleston’s School of the Arts Dean Edward Hart.

“The Simons Center has been great, but after 40 years, it needs a little work,” he said in a press release. “Better facilities make for a better environment. Everybody wants to be in a place where it looks and feels nice, and where there’s appropriate space.”

The multimillion dollar renovation project will expand the building from 87,365 square feet to 99,000 square feet with additional classrooms and performance space.

Other new features will include larger classrooms, new seminar rooms, a two-story black-box theater, costume shop, scene shop and theater design studio, sculpture, printmaking and drawing studios, music practice rooms and more.

“This has been a long time coming and we’re delighted,” said Hart. “We are so appreciative of the College’s administration for supporting us. You know, when times are tough, very often the arts take it on the chin. And our administration has shown the foresight to really stand by us with this project, which indicates that the arts really are a priority for the College.”

Construction will begin this fall and art classes will be moved to other areas of the campus and city including the former Redux building at 136 St. Philip St., the Lightsey Center and the Calhoun Annex. Renovations are expected to be complete by spring 2023.

Liollio Architecture and HGA Design Firm are tackling the redesign of the building and plan to incorporate bright colors that allude to familiar campus features like the Towell Library’s green door and Randolph Hall’s coral colored walls.

The renovation will not only make more run for incoming students but also help the school secure its place in Charleston’s flourishing art community.

“There really isn’t an artistic institution in this town that we aren’t somehow involved with, whether it’s a direct relationship or partnership or whether it’s our graduates that are over there or our faculty members,” said Hart, referencing the college’s involvement with many major art events and venues like Spoleto Festival USA and the Charleston Gaillard Center.

“We can just go on and on, and I think it’s time for us to claim that. Charleston is an arts city and we’re at the heart of it.”

The interior will feature some familiar elements, updated

College of Charleston Arts Building Set for Multimillion-Dollar Overhaul

A rendering shows a design of what the renovated Albert Simons Center could look like from St. Philip Street. College of Charleston/Provided

By Maura Hogan mhogan@postandcourier.com
The Post and Courier
Sep 3, 2021

The College of Charleston is set to begin a multimillion-dollar renovation of the Albert Simons Center for the Arts.

It realizes a plan that was set in motion by the college years ago.

“This has been a long time coming and we’re delighted,” School of the Arts Dean Edward Hart said in a statement.

From the project’s onset, the college estimated its cost at $50 million. The arts center, which is on St. Philip Street on the college campus, will be closed for the next two years while the 42-year-old building’s renovation is completed. The renovation will upgrade classrooms and performance spaces as well as the building’s technology and infrastructure. Construction is slated to begin in late September.

The College of Charleston’s Albert Simons Center for the Arts will undergo extensive renovations. File/Brad Nettles/Staff

Designed by Liollio Architecture and HGA Design Firm, the reimagined Simons Center is conceived to be inviting to students, featuring colors inspired by iconic architectural features found on campus, such as the blue-green door of Towell Library and the coral color of Randolph Hall.

“It will look brighter and I think it will be more noticeable from the street,” he said.

The work will involve 87,365 square feet, according to Brad Weiland, senior project manager for the College of Charleston’s facilities management, with the renovated Simons Center encompassing more than 99,000 square feet.

Hart points out that while the Simons Center has served the department well since opening in 1979, it was in need of an upgrade after more than 40 years. It opened with the aim of serving up to 800 students.

A rendering shows a possible design of what the renovated lobby of the Simons Center could look like, featuring large windows and tall ceilings. College of Charleston/Provided

Today, the College of Charleston said the building, which is the main hub of the School of the Arts, accommodates five times that number.

Among the key improvements will be new seminar classrooms, updated and enlarged classroom spaces and a new two-story black box theater. The School of the Arts will also benefit from a state-of-the-art costume shop, scene shop and theater design studio; new sculpture, printmaking and drawing studios; a digital lab and gallery/multipurpose room; new music practice rooms and revamped dressing room spaces.

The renovation also includes mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems and updated technological systems.

Five locations around campus will house School of the Arts programs and departments during the renovation. These include Harbor Walk West, 136 St. Philip St. (the former site of Redux Contemporary Art Studio); the Lightsey Center, Calhoun Annex (172 Calhoun St./Chapel Theatre); and 329 King St. (corner of King and George streets).

A rendering shows a design of the main corridor inside the Albert Simons Center. College of Charleston/Provided

With the Recital Hall and the Emmett Robinson Theatre, located within the Simons Center, closed for the duration of the renovation, many School of the Arts performances will be held in the college’s Sottile Theatre as well as the Chapel Theatre.

Construction will run through 2022, and major completion of the building will take place in the spring of 2023, with an estimated opening for the fall 2023 semester, Weiland said.

With large windows, a modern façade and carefully chosen brick, Hart said the entrance is meant to subtly grab visitors’ attention as they make their way from the rear of Randolph Hall to St. Philip Street.

College of Charleston students visit the Albert Simons Center for the Arts in 2019. The building, located on St. Philips Street, soon will be getting a makeover. File/Brad Nettles/Staff

The building will also give added visual prominence to School of the Arts, and its role in the city of Charleston’s arts scene. It dovetails with new branding, centered on the tagline “The Artistic Heartbeat of Charleston.”

“There really isn’t an artistic institution in this town that we aren’t somehow involved with, whether it’s a direct relationship or partnership or whether it’s our graduates that are over there or our faculty members,” Hart said. 

The College of Charleston has deep connections with Spoleto Festival USA, Piccolo Spoleto, the Charleston Symphony, the Charleston Gaillard Center, the Preservation Society of Charleston, as well as many area theater and dance companies and art galleries.

“We can just go on and on, and I think it’s time for us to claim that. Charleston is an arts city and we’re at the heart of it,” Hart said.

With such an integral role in Charleston’s arts scene, the significant investment also bodes well for continued arts vitality in the years ahead.

“When times are tough, very often the arts take it on the chin. And our administration has shown the foresight to really stand by us with this project, which indicates that the arts really are a priority for the College,” Hart said.

Rick & Mary Lee Bastin Honored in Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for The Citadel's Bastin Hall

Bastin Hall, The Citadel's new school of business, was dedicated May 14. The design and construction was overseen by Liollio Architecture in association with ikon.5 architects. THS Constructors served as the general contractor for the project. Liollio is proud to have been part of this phenomenal and exciting project.

The new Bastin Hall building is a modern upgrade from the previous business school home. Originally constructed in 1922, Bond Hall has housed business school classrooms since the 1970s. “There’s a lot of state-of-the-art space here that we just didn’t have in our old building,” Dr. Michael Weeks, Dean said.

“I was a Mercedes dealer, and the CEO of Mercedes used to preach to us: ‘We need to amaze and delight our customers.’ Well, this building amazes and delights me, and it’s beyond my greatest dreams that it would come out this well,” said Rick Bastin, '65, joined by his wife Mary Lee, during a ceremony recognizing the couple’s efforts that made The Citadel's newest academic building a reality. READ FULL ARTICLE HERE.

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Liollio Architecture Elevates 3 Team Members to Associate

Liollio Architecture is pleased to announce the elevation of Alison Dawson, Mez Joseph, and Aaron Bowman to Associate. The Liollio team celebrates this accomplishment and looks forward to their continued leadership.

Alison Dawson, AIA, joined the Liollio team in 2012. Alison knows that change is constant and takes pride in being part of the conversations and solutions required to meet the challenges of rapidly growing areas. Her work is rooted in thoughtful investigation and understanding of client and community needs. She brings her continued passion to the team as our Preservation Champion and is a leader in the design studio. Alison’s current projects focus on community design, adaptive reuse, rehabilitation, and preservation.

Mez Joseph joined the Liollio team in 2013 and contributes over 20 years of design and marketing experience. He’s an accomplished visual craftsman and brand-enabler, with great enthusiasm for art, design, illustration, photography, typography, and brand identity. His work at Liollio includes branding, print and web collateral, illustration, presentations, publications, and project graphic design, signage, and visual communications. Mez’s work as a graphic designer in the studio supports our clients in translating their vision into reality.

Aaron Bowman, AIA, joined the Liollio team in 2016 and is the founding Chair of AIA SC’s Resilience Committee. He currently serves on the Resilience & Adaptation Advisory Group for AIA National and the AIA SC Executive Board. Aaron serves as K12 Market Champion and his work at Liollio focuses on public architecture in communities across South Carolina and the southeast region. Aaron views each project as an opportunity to engage stakeholders in the process to create more socially, economically, and environmentally resilient places.