Thirteen Projects Recognized in Fay Jones School's 2025 Alumni Design Awards Competition

The Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the U of A recently honored the innovative design work of its alumni during the school's Winter Fest Reception and Alumni Recognition Ceremony, held Jan. 30 in Vol Walker Hall on the university campus. During the event, Golden Graduates and Awards for Distinction recipients also were recognized.

Designs for residential, healthcare, retail, hospitality, educational, corporate, cultural, tourism, community, civic, religious, recreational, adaptive reuse and governmental spaces, as well as master planning and landscape design projects, were among the 62 projects vying for recognition in the 2025 Fay Jones School Alumni Design Awards competition.

Entries came from Fay Jones School alumni practicing in cities around the state of Arkansas, as well as in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas. A six-member jury chose 13 projects for accolades — resulting in four Honor Awards, eight Merit Awards and one Citation Award.

"The Alumni Design Awards ceremony is a high point in the school's calendar: an opportunity to review and recognize the good work of our alumni near and far, in small projects and in large projects, across a multitude of disciplines and locales," said Peter MacKeith, dean of the school. "To see the impact of the design education our graduates received here, out in the world of built and projected constructions, is deeply inspirational to our students and meaningful to our faculty and across the entire alumni. On behalf of the school, I thank all those who submitted to the awards program and the members of our awards review committee — led by Professor Carl Matthews — and congratulate again to all of our award recipients."

Carl Matthews, professor and department head of interior architecture and design, served as jury chair for the design awards competition. Fellow jury members included faculty members Jonathan Davis, visiting assistant professor; Jinoh Park, assistant professor; and Phillip Zawarus, associate professor. Ashley Crawford and Christy Summers, members of the school's Professional Advisory Board, also served on the jury.

Honor Awards

Reese Rowland, FAIA, (B.Arch. '90), Amanda Sturgell (B.Arch. '09), Wendell Kinzler (B.Arch. '05) and David Rogers (B.Arch. '91) won an Honor Award in Architecture and Interior Design for the Pinnacle Mountain State Park Visitor Center. The design team is with Polk Stanley Wilcox in Little Rock. The Pinnacle Mountain Visitor Center uses an undulating roof canopy and a series of stone-inspired volumes arranged along the mountain's slope to form a welcoming gateway to Pinnacle Mountain and Arkansas State Parks. Inside, a light-filled lobby, exhibits and gathering spaces framed by a continuous glass wall connect visitors visually and physically to the mountain while creating an immersive experience that celebrates the park and its trails.

"The Pinnacle Mountain Visitor Center succeeds through clarity, restraint and strong sensitivity to its surroundings," the jury said. "The building stretches along the slope in a series of low, connected spaces that feel anchored to the land rather than imposed on it. The result is a quietly powerful civic place that feels inseparable from its setting."

Tanner Weeks (B.L.A. '98) and Mary Nell Miskin (B.L.A. '15) won an Honor Award in Landscape Architecture for the Pinnacle Mountain Visitor Center. The design team is with Ecological Design Group in Little Rock. The project site weaves through the mountain's natural terrain, using terraces, trails and gathering spaces to guide visitors from the base to the summit. Outdoor areas, including the Loblolly Outpost café, are carefully integrated into the slope and tree canopy, creating a seamless connection between the park and its visitors.

"With environmental awareness as the epicenter of the design intent, the Pinnacle Mountain Visitor Center landscape architecture honors the ecology and rich services provided by nature with thoughtful native plant communities blended with the rocky topography to represent the unique characteristics of this Arkansas State Park," the jury said.

Bradley J. Edwards (B.Arch. '93), Camila Salgueiro (M.Des. '25, B.Arch. '23) and Sarah Wood (B.Arch. '22) won an Honor Award in Architecture and Interior Design for Springdale Onyx Coffee Lab (SPRONYX). The design team is with Ozark Modern in Fayetteville. Onyx Springdale transforms a Mid-Century Modern bank into a multi-use café, chocolate shop and coworking space while honoring the building's original character. The design features custom glass block elements, restored terrazzo floors and walnut accents.

"This is a substantial yet refined space, fitting for Onyx's standing in the U.S. specialty coffee world," the jury said. "They respected the mid-century bank building's solid materiality while bringing in modern functionality through the glass block interventions."

Reese Rowland, FAIA, (B.Arch. '90), Craig Curzon (B.Arch. '93), Cindy Pruitt (B.Arch. '95) and David Rogers (B.Arch. '91) won an Honor Award in Architecture and Interior Design for the U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith. The team is with Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects in Little Rock. The museum uses abstract points of a marshal's badge to organize dynamic interior and exterior spaces, with zinc roofs and rusted Cor-Ten soffits bridging past and present. The interior features a Great Hall, radiating galleries and interactive exhibits that create immersive experiences that celebrate the history, duty and courage of the U.S. Marshals.

"The U.S. Marshals Museum presents a bold and disciplined architectural gesture that carries national significance without relying on nostalgia," the jury said. "The building's material contrasts convey time, endurance and transformation, allowing past and present to coexist without literal representation."

Merit Awards

Phil Purifoy (B.Arch. '87) won a Merit Award in Architecture for 360 N. Ridge Rd. Purifoy is with Fennell Purifoy Architects in Little Rock. After an EF3 tornado destroyed his home, Purifoy and his wife rebuilt the Mid-Century Modern residence to honor its clean lines, daylight-filled interiors and expressive structure. The redesigned house preserves the minimalist aesthetic while introducing vaulted ceilings, clerestory windows and a carefully articulated roof to create a light-filled, contemporary home.

"Through a very tragic event came an opportunity to innovate on the principles of Mid-Century Modern architecture with contemporary approaches while maintaining the original foundation of the home," the jury said.

Timothy W. Maddox (B.Arch. '02), Seth Spradlin (B.Arch. '15) and Emily Weaver (B.Arch. '21) won a Merit Award in Architecture for Eclipse Ridge in Newton County. The team is with DEMX Architecture in Fayetteville. This design is a sculptural weekend retreat anchored by a folded Cor-Ten steel roof and concrete base that responds to its forested hilltop site. Light-filled interiors, warm wood finishes and flowing public and private spaces balance family gathering, solitude and a connection to the Ozark landscape.

"The signature roofline formed by folded Cor-Ten steel addresses not only the vernacular agrarian structures of Arkansas but sensibly grounds the modest cabin with view corridors, solar orientation and the surrounding topography," the jury said.

Reese Rowland, FAIA, (B.Arch. '90), Wendell Kinzler (B.Arch. '05) and David Rogers (B.Arch. '91) won a Merit Award in Architecture and Interior Design for the Evermore Boathouse in Orlando, Florida. The team is with Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects in Little Rock. This project reinterprets a classic tropical form as a modern glass-and-wood pavilion, connecting the lagoon to golf while preserving the site's natural topography. Soaring, light-filled interiors and carefully detailed wood elements create dramatic, inviting spaces for weddings, events and gatherings, while framing views across the lagoon.

"The detail of 'The Veil' wrapping the main hall is quite interesting," the jury said. "It maintains that familiar gable roof motif while introducing structural variation through the wood slats and curved glulam trusses."

Walter Jennings (B.Arch. '01), Lori Yazwinski Santa-Rita (B.Arch. '05), CJ Black (B.Arch. '22), Courtney Ewin (B.Arch. '22) and Rachel German (B.Arch. '21) won a Merit Award in Architecture for Falling Leaves Pavilion. The design team is with Jennings + Santa-Rita Architects in Fayetteville. Sited at Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs, the pavilion reinterprets a forested ruin as a light, airy structure that engages visitors and frames the surrounding landscape. Rusted steel, natural wood and carefully composed structural elements celebrate craftsmanship while creating a flexible gathering space for events and moments of pause.

"The steel bents and tension cables nestled in the forest offer a strong structural interpretation of the tree's form," the jury said. "It is lovely to see our alumni thoughtfully engaging with Fay Jones' philosophy of coexisting with nature rather than opposing it."

Joe Weishaar (B.Arch. '13) won a Merit Award in Architecture and Landscape Architecture for the National World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C. Weishaar's practice is based in Avondale Estates, Georgia. This project reimagines Pershing Park by blending historic restoration with new commemorative architecture and landscape interventions. Sculptural elements, reflecting water and restored plantings create a cohesive, contemplative space that honors the service of 4.6 million Americans while connecting visitors to the park's history and context.

"The design of the National World War I Memorial embeds a powerful story of societal changes of the U.S in the early 20th century through one of the largest bronze sculptures in the Western Hemisphere while one takes a contemplative journey around the surrounding reflection pools," the jury said.

Bradley J. Edwards (B.Arch. '93), Camila Salgueiro (M.Des. '25, B.Arch. '23), Sarah Wood (B.Arch. '22) and Kayla Ho (B.Arch. '22) won a Merit Award in Architecture and Interior Design for Trout Farm ADU in Springdale. The team is with Ozark Modern in Fayetteville. This project transforms a former Ozark trout farm into a site-responsive compound, linking an ADU, well house, chicken coop and terrace through carefully composed spatial relationships. The well house anchors the precinct while framed views and thoughtfully placed buildings create a balance between introspection, engagement and connection to the surrounding landscape.

"The Trout Farm ADU is a restrained and thoughtful project shaped by patience and careful placement," the jury said. "Together, the elements form a calm domestic setting that feels intentional yet effortless."

Chris M. Baribeau (B.Arch. '03), Jason Wright (B.Arch. '04), Amanda Burcham (M.Des. '23, B.ID '14), Leanne Baribeau (B.Arch. '04), Jody Verser (B.Arch. '09) and Chris Lankford (B.Arch. '03) won a Merit Award in Interior Design for Verve St. Louis in St. Louis, Missouri. The team is with Modus Studio in Fayetteville. Verve is a 72,600-square-foot apartment community located in Midtown on the edge of the Saint Louis University campus. The development contains 79 residential units, including studio, one-, two- and four-bedroom apartments, along with numerous shared amenities that create a vibrant place to call home. An Ozarks-inspired aesthetic draws from regional character through light wood features, clean lines and calm minimalism, complemented by black-and-white accents that carry the design language from public to private spaces, including a club lounge, study booths, library and landscaped courtyard.

"The public spaces of this 79-unit student apartment building provide warm and comfortable environments to enhance student lifestyle," the jury said. "The wood details, clean lines, judicious use of pattern and varied furniture styles are well attuned to desires of contemporary students."

Timothy W. Maddox (B.Arch. '02), Ben Cruce (B.Arch. '11), Seth Spradlin (B.Arch. '15) and Jordan Lemaster (B.Arch. '04) won a Merit Award in Architecture for the Wilson Park Hub in Fayetteville. The team is with DMEX Architecture in Fayetteville. The project transforms the replacement of aging restroom facilities into a civic landmark within the city's original public park. Terraced seating, ramps and shaded overlooks foster accessibility and recreation while creating a gathering place for visitors. The hub serves as both a social anchor and a key circulation spot along one of the park's primary routes. A series of cascading platforms and retaining walls step down the sloped landscape, guiding visitors through the site while framing views toward the courts and adjacent creek and walking trails.

"The form, materials, expression and rhythm of this pavilion create an excellent centerpiece and public amenity to a much beloved city park in the heart of Fayetteville," the jury said. "The materiality strikes a balance between durability and warmth."

Citation Award

Lucy Goldman (B.I.D. '20) won a Citation Award for Interior Design for the Commerce Bank Office in Clayton, Missouri. She is with LJC Design and Engineering in St. Louis, Missouri. The new workplace spans two floors and redefines the modern office by blending sophistication, functionality and connection to nature. The design emphasizes openness and interaction through a series of shared spaces that frame views of the Clayton skyline and the building's garden terrace. By balancing comfort with professionalism, the workplace supports a dynamic employee experience while reinforcing the brand's identity.

"The precise detailing and execution of wood ceiling features and millwork elevate this sophisticated modern workplace," the jury said. "A richly textured approach to materials and lighting provides an excellent backdrop to feature the client's art collection."