What's New at Mathews Architecture

Mathews Architecture Leads Butler's Pantry Vignette Design team

HandMade: The Western North Carolina Craft, Architecture & Design Expo is a two-day event inviting the public to join artists, architects, builders and designers to share and learn about successful collaborations between craft artists, homeowners and industry professionals. Drawing from the tremendous craft resources that are a unique and vital part of Western North Carolina, the event will emphasize craftsmanship in architectural elements and design for both high-end and mid-range home markets.

Mathews Architecture was chosen to lead one of the 6 design teams and create a vignette of a Butler's Pantry.

The team members are Jacque Allen (furniture maker), Linda Hager (ceramics), Robert Lock (furniture maker), Martha Mitchell (glass), Allen Roderick (contractor), Derick Tickle (faux finishes), Matthew Waldrop (iron), and Lynda Metcalfe (metal).

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2009 Tower Award
We were honored to receive the 2009 Tower Award for Historic Preservation at the 2009 Design and Chapter Awards Gala of the American Institute of Architects, North Carolina Chapter (AIANC) held Saturday, August 22, in Raleigh at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. This award honors Jane G. Mathews and her staff for the historical research into and transformation of the Shook-Smathers House in Clyde, North Carolina into a unique historic House Museum. The house, built by Jacob Shook, a Revolutionary War veteran, is one of the oldest standing structures in Haywood County, dating back to 1810-1820 and believed to be the oldest frame structure still standing west of the Blue Ridge.

A video describing the Tower Award for the Shook House Restoration can be seen at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zj6iOeyFdnA

Learn more about this fascinating detective project here.

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AIA Member of the Month
Nicole Szlatenyi received the AIA Member of the Month Award in August 2009 for her "extraordinary efforts for directing the Lunch and Learn Program and the Hard Hat Tour Program" for the local section of the American Institute of Architects. She is also spearheading the firm's participation in CANstruction, in which teams of architects, engineers, and students mentored by these professionals, compete to design and build giant structures made entirely from full cans of food. At the conclusion of the exhibition, all of the food will be donated to MANNA Food Bank.

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LEED Certfications
Congratulations to Nicole Szlatenyi and Briana Zalewski (pictured below), both of whom passed the exams to become LEED Certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) through the U.S. Green Building Council in 2008. Apparently for some, it is easy being green!

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	Licensure A hearty congratulations to Jessica Larsen, with her shiny new architecture license! In case you’ve never become a licensed architect, we can tell you it’s a long, uphill battle. Jessica reports that she enjoys the view from the top!

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AIA Asheville Design Awards
Mathews Architecture was pleased to be recognized this past December at the first annual Design Awards of the Asheville Section of the American Institute of Architects. We received awards for two projects: a Restoration Honor Award for the Shook House Museum Restoration in Clyde, NC, and a Merit Award for Built Project for the Hudson Street Cottages in Asheville.

Frank Harmon, FAIA, of Raleigh, was one of two judges for the competition, saying, “We were looking for buildings that have those qualities in a distinguished way, that sustain and nurture the environment and add a sense of joy to our lives. Anybody can do a building that keeps the rain off our heads and gives us space to live and work in, but it takes an architect to elevate the experience of that building to something that's higher, that lets us know that buildings are part of nature, that are even beautiful.”