Contact: Alison Matthews

Starkville, Mississippi—A comprehensive student team project at Mississippi State University’s College of Architecture, Art, and Design helps seniors reflect the kind of professional client projects they can expect as graduates in their fields.

The annual Brasfield & Gorrie LLC Student Design Competition is an interdisciplinary competition in which teams of MSU Architecture, Architectural Science, and Interior Design students simulate real-world design processes.

The challenge “aims to engage individual disciplines in collective design and construction solutions” and “incorporates principles of sustainability, innovation and LEED construction”.

In this year’s assignment, students were asked to design and create a renovation and construction plan for an existing MSU building with the purpose of utilizing the space for a new Master of Fine Arts at the University of Historic Preservation. Ten teams recently gave their final presentation to a Brasfield & Gorrie representative and his MSU faculty.

Angi Elsea Bourgeois, Dean of CAAD, said that the projects that students work on intensely at the beginning of their fourth year align with one of the university’s main goals: collaboration.

“These industries are becoming more and more integrated and our clients are now demanding integrated product delivery. It’s also a great business model for moving forward with projects, where design and construction professionals work together from day one to achieve the best results,” said Bourgeois.

Brasfield & Gorrie is a Birmingham, Alabama-based construction company that provides general contracting, engineering and construction management services to a wide range of clients. Bourgeois said the company has been a long-time partner of his MSU university and has provided important guidance as changing industry trends call for updating teaching methodologies.

“Brasfield & Gorrie told us about the importance of working together, where each industry has traditionally been more isolated,” Bourgeois said. She explained that student design competitions are a practical way to prepare students for best practices, and that Brasfield & Gorrie employees listen to final presentations, provide feedback, and select competition winners. .

Here are the members of the winning team (by country of origin):

Clinton — Caroline Prazer, Architect

Colombia—Heath Greenlee, Architectural Scientist

DIAMONDHEAD—Sydney McMann, interior design

Franklin, Tennessee — Ethan Harvey, Architect

MADISON—Connor Bailey, Architectural Science

SHANNON—Anna Kathryn Watson, Interior Design

Somerville, Tennessee — Emily Young, Interior Design

Spring, Texas – Patrick Hagerty, Architectural Science

Starkville — Lucas Elder, architect.and Sonsireth Di Geronimo, interior design

Tuscumbia, Alabama—John Morrow, Architectural Science

Members of the honorable mention team (by country of origin) are:

Clinton—Raden Burris, Architectural Science

Demopolis, Alabama — Tyler Pipkins, Architect

GREENWOOD—Elizabeth Gallagher, Architectural Construction Science

HAZLEHURST – Rachel Boseman, Interior Design

Jackson, Tennessee – Matt Spurgeon, Architectural Science

Louisville—Jake Herrington, Architect

MADISON—Claire Iupe, interior design

Navarre, FL—Matthew White, Architectural Science

RED BANKS—Aidan Taylor, interior design

Tuscaloosa, Alabama—Jack Minges, Architectural Science

For more information on MSU’s College of Architecture, Art and Design, visit www.caad.msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university and is available online at www.msstate.edu.