Campus Capital Project Design Wins Georgia Chapter of American Institute of Architects Award

On April 15, the Capital Project Design won the Georgia Chapter of the American Institute of Architect’s (AIA) annual Georgia Design Excellence Award, based on selection by a panel of nationally recognized architects. FPC’s Building Committee is pleased with the AIA's validation of the quality of the work that went into the Project Design, in that the AIA’s award recognizes projects that align with their principles of excellence, one of which is “design for equitable communities.” This principle considers how a project can remove barriers and promote inclusion and social equity, especially for vulnerable communities. Rick Bizot, the Project Manager at Houser Walker Architecture (HWA), our project architect, stated, “We nominated the Capital Project for the AIA Georgia Design Award because we believe it is a powerfully transformative project for both the Church and the City of Atlanta. The Smith Building is perhaps the most emotionally resonant part of the project due to its role in supporting the Community Ministries activities of the Church.” Jiangpu Meng, HWA Project Architect, noted, “By putting the mission of radical hospitality into practice, the project serves both the Church and urban communities at large. We are excited that the project will expand the capacity of the Church’s compassionate ministries and provide more accessible services to our fellow citizens in need.” The project was selected out of more than 20 submissions and from five finalists.

FPC’s Building Committee is committed to continuing responsible stewardship of the gifts entrusted to the Church for this Project and to maintaining the original vision of the Capital Project. To these ends, the Building Committee intentionally paused the original schedule to search for a specialized contractor to lead the complex Smith Building renovations.  We are now very close to finalizing contract negotiations with a Heritage Building Group, a leading interior General Contractor. Once Heritage is in place, a revised schedule for construction will be published.  We do now anticipate that work will commence on the Smith Building this Summer and that the principal construction work on the Smith Building will be completed before year-end.