NCARB Prize awarded to SCAD’s architecture program

BSI+P Studio recognized for bridging the professions of architecture and engineering to create new ideas

SAVANNAH, Ga. - The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards awarded the Savannah College of Art and Design a 2008 NCARB Prize for the Building Systems Integration and Performance Studio, BSI+P, established and led by Dr. Emad Afifi, professor of architecture and interim dean of the School of Building Arts. The Prize was announced during the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture Annual Meeting Awards Ceremony, March 28, in Houston, Texas.
The BSI+P Studio has focused on bridging the professions of architecture and engineering to create and test new ideas, mostly novel and untested in either profession. Its mission is to educate and prepare the future generation of architects for professional practice in the context of a highly demanding and environmentally conscious society.
“The NCARB Prize is a great recognition and validation of the BSI+P Studio at SCAD. We have creatively addressed systems integration in architectural design studios for years. It is about time for this work to be recognized and disseminated,” said Emad Afifi, interim dean of the School of Building Arts at SCAD.
BSI+P Studio ideas include solutions that implement cutting edge renewable energy resources such as wind, hydropower, geothermal and PV solar. Pushing the envelope of conventional wisdom, studio projects have further explored the architectural potential for such technologies in building and site design. As the green building movement grows stronger, the studio has taken a more structured shape with an approach to total building performance.

Collaboration with a professional community of architects, engineers and designers brings a multifaceted perspective to the BSI+P Studio, with an eye toward and a direct connection to practice in the real world. The studio setup and student work also provide opportunities for the professionals to shed their real-world constraints and take a fresh look at creative architecture and engineering solutions. Many students land internship positions and start their intern development programs as a direct result of their experiences in the studio.

The 2008 NCARB Prize jury is composed of members of the Council’s Practice Education Committee and six academic representatives (deans, heads or chairs) from schools with architecture programs accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board. Thirty-one entries were considered, representing 22 different colleges and universities. Six winners were selected for awards.
Participants in the SCAD BSI+P Studio include:
Lead Faculty
Emad M. Afifi, professor of architecture and interim dean of the School of Building Arts
SCAD students and alumni
Catherine Ashton, Jeff Berryman, Scott Betzold, Sonia Carias, Laura Cavichioli, Michael Dougherty, Michelle Dumont, Rocio Galindo, Carlos Ginatta, Brian Green, Elizabeth Hancock, Garrett Johnson, Johan Tristan Kinnucan III, Sun Lee, Erica Lockhart, Lorena Novoa, Adam Jordan, Eslam Khalil, Mallory Martin, Richard McAulley, Paul McKeever, Krystal Meiners, Brannard Muscroft, Alissa Ogen, Brenda Pearson, Nathan Pollard, Betty Sue Rollins, Natalia Somoza, Ashley Silvernell, Dwayne Stephens, Meghan Storm, Andrew Thompson, Scott Trowell, Roberto Vega, Brian White, David Winthrop, Caroline Yhap and Joshua Youngner.
Organizations, firms, professionals
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers
Cowart Coleman Group
Dawson Wissmach Architects
Group 9 Architects
Gunn Meyerhoff Shay Architects
Hussey, Gay, Bell & DeYoung Engineers and Architects
Lominack Kolman Smith Architects
LS3P Architects
The Spriggs Group P.C.
Saad Al-Jassar
Carrie Brookshire
John Ciccarelli
Chuck Curlin
Ben Leopard
Carl McGartlin
Emery Otruba
Tom Phoenix
Ron Runyon
Patrick Shay
Alejandro Silva
Steven Stowers
Steven Strong
Ben Suzuki
Charlie VandenBulck
The architecture program at SCAD offers Bachelor of Fine Arts, professional Master of Architecture and postprofessional Master of Architecture degrees. The five-year professional M.Arch. degree is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board, the sole agency authorized to accredit professional degree programs in architecture in the United States. According to NAAB statistics, SCAD’s five-year M.Arch. program is the largest among 15 five-year M.Arch programs in the United States.  SCAD’s architecture department is also among the 10 largest private architecture schools in the country, based on the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture’s “Guide to Architecture Schools.”
For more information visit www.scad.edu/architecture
About the college
Named one of Kaplan’s “25 cutting-edge schools with an eye toward the future,” the Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution with locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Ga., and in Lacoste, France. Undergraduate and graduate degree programs also are offered online through SCAD-eLearning. The college offers Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Architecture, Master of Arts, Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Fine Arts, and Master of Urban Design degrees. For more information about the college, visit www.scad.edu.