The Communication Committee is comprised of volunteers of AIA South Dakota and are dedicated to the mission of the Blueprint South Dakota blog. Our goal is to build strong South Dakota communities and to connect ideas and expertise to address challenges in our state. Through the curated content of this site, we want to find a blueprint for better cities and towns.

Building on South Dakota Universities: SDSU Raven Precision Agriculture Center

(This series was intended to highlight the new construction, renovation and upgrades to the state universities in South Dakota. Content was submitted by the architects of the projects or by the universities.) (Content submitted by EAPC Architects Engineers) The new Raven Precision Agriculture Center at South Dakota State University is ready to welcome students this…

Building on South Dakota Universities: Fun facts about the Northern State University Regional Sports Complex

(This series was intended to highlight the new construction, renovation and upgrades to the state universities in South Dakota. Content was submitted by the architects of the projects or by the universities.) (Content submitted by Northern State University) When the Northern State University Regional Sports Complex opens next month, it won’t just be the tallest…

Building on South Dakota Universities: DSU Residence Hall

(This series was intended to highlight the new construction, renovation and upgrades to the state universities in South Dakota. Content was submitted by the architects of the projects or by the universities.) (Content submitted by Architecture Incorporated) Dakota State University will be debuting a new four-story residence hall to campus this Fall. The building features…

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New leaders elected to AIA Board of Directors

Emily A. Grandstaff-Rice, FAIA, elected 2023 President-elect. Repost from AIA National Press release, June 15, 2021. AIA delegates elected Emily A. Grandstaff-Rice, FAIA, of Boston Society of Architects/AIA Massachusetts as the 2022 First Vice President/2023 President-elect; Timothy C. Hawk, FAIA, of AIA Columbus/AIA Ohio as the 2022–2023 Treasurer; and Kevin M. Holland, FAIA, of AIA…

Expanding Preservation of the 1950-1970s

Liz Almlie, Historic Preservation Specialist, South Dakota State Historical Society One of the newer challenges of historic preservation is the preservation of resources from the mid-20th century.  One of the eligibility considerations for the National Register of Historic Places is the age of the resource.  Sites newer than fifty years need to meet special considerations…

The Built Landscape of Suffrage History

Liz Almlie, Historic Preservation Specialist, SD State Historical Society South Dakota and the United States have recently marked big centennials of women’s suffrage.  A state constitutional amendment passed in November 1918 and the final ratification of the federal 19th Amendment took place in August 1920.  I was lucky enough to participate in several public history…

Cities We Love: Aberdeen

by Spencer Sommers, CO-OP Architecture The third largest city in South Dakota is Aberdeen, located near the north state border.  Incorporated in 1881, Aberdeen was known as the “Hub City of the Dakotas” due to the four railroads that crossed there. The Burlington Northern Santa Fe line still runs through the city.  Aberdeen is home…

South Dakota’s Earliest Listings in the National Register of Historic Places

Liz Almlie, Historic Preservation Specialist, SD State Historical Society Federal historic preservation work has had a 100+ year evolution with key pieces of legislation being the Antiquities Act in 1906 that created National Monuments, and the Historic Sites Act of 1935 that formalized the Historic American Buildings Survey and created National Historic Landmarks.  The legislation…

No Detail Too Small: Historic Preservation at the University of South Dakota

(Sponsored content by Fiegen Construction) When it’s done well, historic preservation on college campuses is a perfect balance between where a university has been and where it’s going. Historic buildings are keepers of culture. They bring alumni back and future students coming in. That’s the challenge of historic preservation, then. Combining what’s classic and what’s…