South Dakota lost an architectural giant last week with the passing of Ward Whitwam. As a transplant to South Dakota, I had always heard his name said in reverent tones, a leader in design for the state for as long as many could remember. In honor of his passing and a celebration of his life…
Last week, Amanda Gorman was one of many who made history. As the first national Youth Poet Laureate, Gorman, 22, was also the youngest poet to deliver the presidential inaugural poem, which she finished after the Capitol riot weeks before. See link for video and full text: Amanda Gorman, The Hill We Climb: Kottke.org I…
Shortly after President Biden’s inauguration last week, one of his first acts was to sign an executive order to rejoin the Paris Agreement. Former President Donald Trump had withdrawn the United States from the treaty in 2017, making the U.S. the first to formally leave the treaty in 2020 despite being the second leading country…
Recently our firm has been working on a local VA project that requires blast design consideration and additional physical security measures. In recent years, these types of requirements were typically for design teams working abroad or overseas or on Federal Buildings here in the US. Since the first basement bombing of the World Trade Center…
As if 2020 wasn’t bad enough, we also lost a number of creative, impactful members of the South Dakota architecture community this year. We are grateful for the time we were able to share with these fine people, and for the lasting impact their work leaves on our state. Gary Stanley, AIA Gary Stanley, 76,…
January 6th, 2021 will forever be remembered as a dark day in our American history. I stood, paced, and cried in horror as I watched the events of this day unfold on the screen in front of me. As the AIA South Dakota Advocacy committee chair, and a member of the Daughters of the American…
This post was written and submitted by Koch Hazard Architects. McVicker Plaza The Vermillion Chamber & Development Corporation needed their own office space after years of leasing around downtown. When a prominent location on a corner of Main Street became available, they leapt at the chance to create a meaningful improvement to the historic streetscape…
This post was written and submitted by TSP, Inc. Northern State University is recognized for its teacher-education degree programs, so it was natural for NSU leaders to envision the campus’ new science building as a resource not only for college students but also for the larger area’s K-12 school districts and other organizations. The design…
This post was written and submitted by CO-OP Architecture. The Britton Event Center – A Small Town Story The bustling small town of Britton, South Dakota, population 1,300, is an hour away from anywhere. When they approached our firm, the town fathers said they needed to replace Kidder Gym – an old Quonset hut structure…
Enjoy a fun take on a traditional Christmas song! Happy Holidays!