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Teri Nagel, College of Architecture
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College of Architecture 2009 Best of the Best
Erwin, Kennedy snag top accolades in end-of-semester competitions
Atlanta (May 13, 2009) — Design competitions abound in the College of Architecture, especially in the spring semester as upperclassmen compile bodies of knowledge and academic experience into singular projects. This year, Matthew C. “Matt” Erwin and Stephen Kennedy were commended by students, faculty and design professionals for their outstanding academic design achievements.
Matt Erwin, a 2009 alumnus of the Masters of Architecture program at Georgia Tech, won first place in the annual Portman Prize Competition for his entry, “Form Follows Energy / Energy Follows Form.” In the work, Erwin shows that “the symbiotic relationship that exists between buildings and photovoltaic systems can be transformed from parasitic to mutualistic by reintroducing solar data into the design process, intertwining system and structure such that structure creates energy and energy creates dynamic beauty.” In the project, Erwin proposes the transformation of an abandoned goliath, Atlanta’s City Hall East, into a dynamic focus of urban renewal. Among other points, jurors commended Erwin for the use of parametric design in the project. View a slideshow of this and other works at http://www.coa.gatech.edu/arch/gallery/2009Portman.php.
Erwin also was construction team leader on the Georgia Tech Solar Decathlon team that took sixth overall internationally, and was a member of a two-person research studio team that took first prize in the Thomas W. Ventulett III Competition for their project exploring Textile Tectonics and Wool Thread Structural Systems. [http://www.coa.gatech.edu/arch/news/dynabot_news_story.php?id=2470]
He received his undergraduate degree in structural engineering from Vanderbilt University and served in the United States Air Force, holding leadership roles in community planning and engineering.
Stephen Kennedy is the winner of Georgia Tech Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) 2009 Student Merit Award. A 2009 alumnus of the undergraduate program in Industrial Design, Kennedy “represents the new breed of designer - one able to produce results in areas outside of traditional industrial design,” according to jurors of the IDSA Southeast Student Merit Competition. His work included the re-envisioning of iconic furniture forms; enhancing sense-of-community via information exchange (recipes); musical environments enabled by social collaboration; and lighting installations intended to react to their environments.
“Stephen is a talented student and design leader,” said Kevin Shankwiler, visiting professor. “His work has demonstrated depth through exploration, thoughtfulness and sensitivity to the broader contextual aspects of design. In addition, he consistently shows the ability to translate abstract thinking into cohesive and tangible products.”
Kennedy is the outgoing president of the Georgia Tech IDSA student chapter, which reached an all-time membership record of 100 members under his leadership. Kennedy also is a member of Roji, the group of 2009 alumni who produced a documentary of Milan Design Week. Get to know Kennedy’s work at his Web site.
The Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the nation's premier research universities. Ranked seventh among U.S. News & World Report's top public universities, Georgia Tech's more than 19,000 students are enrolled in its Colleges of Architecture, Computing, Engineering, Liberal Arts, Management and Sciences. Tech is among the nation's top producers of women and African-American engineers. The Institute offers research opportunities to both undergraduate and graduate students and is home to more than 100 interdisciplinary units plus the Georgia Tech Research Institute.
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