Magnolia Avenue Campus
It has been praised in World Architecture News. It has received architectural design awards and awards of excellence. And now, the Magnolia Avenue Campus of Pellissippi State Community College has been earned an Orchid Award by Keep Knoxville Beautiful.
The recognition by Keep Knoxville Beautiful, an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, was announced at the organization’s 30th Annual Orchid Beautification Awards, which took place on Oct. 27 at the Foundry.
Pellissippi State Community College’s Magnolia Avenue Campus was recently a recipient of Keep Knoxville Beautiful’s Orchid Award.
Commercial properties in Knoxville are nominated for the award by the public and a nominating committee. A panel of independent judges then selects the winners. The judging panel can include architects, commercial builders, community leaders, historic preservationists, landscape architects and real estate industry professionals. Keep Knoxville Beautiful’s “Orchids and Onions” program was established in 1979.
Pellissippi State’s Magnolia Avenue Campus has garnered multiple awards since the main building was renovated by Knoxville-based BarberMcMurry architects. In 2009, the project was honored with the American Institute of Architects’ East Tennessee Young Architects Merit Award.
Chad Boetger, AIA, vice president and director of design for BarberMcMurry, received the highest designation available in the Young Architects category for his solution to upgrade the existing building’s exterior and landscaping.
In 2010, the campus was one of 14 among 113 nominees to be recognized in the AIA’s Gulf States Region Design Award competition. The site also garnered accolades last year from World Architecture News, which deemed the renovations as giving the facility “an impactful new identity.” And the campus was the 2010 recipient of a local Metropolitan Planning Commission Excellence Award.
The design of the Magnolia Avenue Campus was developed collaboratively between Pellissippi State and BarberMcMurry architects. Upgrades include replacement windows facing the street and a new main entry canopy that showcases staggered zinc metal panels, along with backlit polycarbonate panels. Additional exterior changes include new campus signage, a bus drop-off and extensive landscaping along Magnolia Avenue.
Last week, the central building of the campus was named the Joe Armstrong Building. It was dedicated in honor of state Rep. Joe E. Armstrong. A lifelong resident of the 15th legislative district of Knoxville, Armstrong was recognized by Pellissippi State for his service to the college, to the community and to the citizens of Tennessee.
For additional information about Pellissippi State, call (865) 694-6400 or visit www.pstcc.edu.