ATLANTA — Agnes Scott College’s Julia Thompson Smith Chapel has received The Brick Industry Association’s 2009 Brick in Architecture Award. This is the second architectural award the chapel has won this year.
The chapel was recognized as Best in Class in the Houses of Worship category. The chapel previously won an award for its historic design.
A jury panel of architects from around the country independently reviewed and scored each of the entries. Eight projects, including Agnes Scott’s chapel, were chosen as the best in their field. Winners were selected from all across North America.
The Best in Class winners will receive a plaque commemorating the 2009 Brick in Architecture Awards. They will also be featured in the November 2009 issue of Brick in Architecture, which will be included as an insert in the November issue of Architectural Record.
A Christian chapel welcoming to people of all faiths, the Julia Thompson Smith Chapel is the first freestanding chapel in the college’s 120-year history. It was designed by architect Maurice Jennings of Fayetteville, Ark., on a philosophy that upholds the principles of organic architecture espoused by Frank Lloyd Wright and Fay Jones, Jennings’ mentor: harmony between the building and its natural surroundings; close relationship of the individual elements of a building to each other; generous use of natural light and the honest expression of materials. The architecture firm of Maurice Jennings is the successor to Fay Jones and is known nationally for its distinctive contemporary Gothic chapels.
“We were pleased to have the opportunity to work with Agnes Scott College. The historic campus gave us an opportunity to work in brick and explore new forms and experiences,” said Walter Jennings, one of the lead architects on the chapel. “The entire project team worked together to create a contemplative and sustainable structure for the benefit of students, faculty and staff.”
Named for an Agnes Scott alumna, the Julia Thompson Smith Chapel was dedicated in spring 2008. In addition to its aesthetic beauty, the chapel is also a model for sustainability. Its large overhangs keep the sun off of the glazed walls, thus reducing heat gain. Runoff water from the roof and site is collected and can be reused by the school for irrigation.
The chapel was also one of 11 projects selected earlier this year for a 2009 Decatur Design Award for New Construction from the city of Decatur and the Decatur Historic Preservation Commission. The Decatur Design Awards were established in 1997 to honor projects that demonstrate excellence in design, historic preservation, adaptive use and residential additions and to recognize projects that promote the historic character of the city.
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Agnes Scott College educates women to think deeply, live honorably and engage the intellectual and social challenges of their times. Students are drawn to Agnes Scott by its excellent academic reputation, exceptional faculty, and metropolitan Atlanta location – offering myriad cultural and experiential learning opportunities. A diverse and growing residential community of scholars, this highly selective liberal arts and sciences college is known for its dynamic and challenging intellectual community. Encouraging students to engage the wider world through study abroad and presenting its curriculum with international context, Agnes Scott College delivers on its promise: The World for Women.