Gresham Smith Named a Top Firm for Emerging Professionals, Receives Merit Award from AIA Tennessee
Gresham Smith is proud to announce that, for the second year in a row, the firm was named one of the Top Emerging Professional Friendly Firms of 2020 by the American Institute of Architects Tennessee chapter (AIA Tennessee), a program that recognizes firms that consistently demonstrate dedication to the professional, personal and leadership development of their Emerging Professionals (EPs). Additionally, Gresham Smith’s design for UP Health System – Marquette, a Duke LifePoint hospital, was honored with an Award of Merit. The emerging professionals and project team accepted the awards at AIA Tennessee’s virtual awards ceremony on September 11.
“At Gresham Smith, we understand the success of our projects stems from the success of our people, which is why we’re invested in helping our employees feel challenged and fulfilled professionally and personally,” said Al Pramuk, Chairman and CEO at Gresham Smith. “Our award-winning project is a testament to our design professionals’ deep understanding of client and patient needs and commitment to developing creative solutions that support better health outcomes. I am proud of them for having received this industry recognition and look forward to the ways we will continue creating purposeful architecture and engineering design solutions that improve community vitality.”
Understanding that emerging professionals are critical to the vitality and growth of the architecture profession, Gresham Smith provides a variety of architecture-specific training and development programs for the more than 100 EPs at the firm. In addition to firmwide personal development and professional growth Gresham Smith also provides opportunities for community and industry involvement. The firm was recognized for its programs to support emerging architects, which include monthly Architect Registration Exam (ARE) mentor meetings, regular ARE study groups, and dedicated days for celebrating EPs who have obtained professional licensure.
UP Health System – Marquette is located in one of the snowiest cities in the United States. The 229-bed, 565,000-square-foot replacement hospital campus was designed with several qualities in mind: organizational efficiency, the unique climate and Marquette’s historic past. Built adjacent to the central business district on a brownfield site, the patient tower provides views of the Great Lakes and overlooks the ore dock – a beautiful remnant the city’s history as a mining town. The building was sited to optimize energy consumption and addresses prevailing winter winds by preventing snow drifts in high-traffic areas. The exterior design marries modern materials with local rhythms and color, balancing the region’s organic beauty with Duke LifePoint’s desire for a facility that reflects the cutting-edge, technology-driven care provided inside. The interior features a calming palette, ample daylight, and intuitive wayfinding to put both patients and visitors at ease.
AIA Tennessee’s annual Design Awards program honors work designed by chapter members and brings public attention to outstanding examples of architecture. With juries composed of highly-qualified professionals offering diverse perspectives and expertise, all submissions are reviewed in the context of the project team’s goals and evaluated for thoughtfully designed resolution of those goals.