Kent State Architecture Building Final Four Announced + MORE!

Fresh from a press release email:

Kent State Names 4 Architecture teams as

Finalists for New Building

The selection process for an architect for the new CAED building is now on the road to the final four!  From the original 37 teams the process has been thorough with over 7400 pages of material reviewed in order to move to eight semi-finalist interviewees.  Four of these eight have been chosen to proceed to the competition phase of the process.  They are:  

Bialosky + Partners Architects, LLC with Architecture Research Office

Richard L. Bowen + Associates, Inc. with Weiss/Manfredi

The Collaborative, Inc in association with Miller Hull Partnership, LLC

Westlake Reed Leskosky, Ltd

 

Each of the four teams will prepare a concept that incorporates function/image, sustainable synthesis and detailed cost data.  After having some interaction with the College of Architecture and Environmental Design, they will present how they would involve faculty, staff and students in their design process.   

Teams will present their ideas to the selection committee Thursday, January 17, 2013.  That evening they will introduce their schemes to the Kent State Community in Cartwright Hall between 7:00 and 9:00 PM.  Mark your calendars as this will be open to the public.  Materials will then be displayed in the Library for a period of time with feedback opportunities.  

-January 17th will be the big unveil of what is probably one of the most eagerly hoped for commissions in Northeast Ohio, the design of what Kent State University promises to be a signature (of sorts) new building for the College of Architecture and Environmental Design. The pressure is on, for many of the local firms are heavily staffed with graduates of the program who hope to prove to the public the abilities their Alma mater have granted them as well as finally providing a functional, useful and less horrible study environment for all the future students of the KSU CAED program.

I admit I am looking forward to seeing the proposals, but am equally fearful.  I hope the building is more "studio" then "iconic".  A good studio space will be useful as long as cooperative and collaborative group learning is taking place.  An iconic building can look dated surprisingly quickly.