Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

GU Architecture Wins Award

The designers who completed the Georgetown Law Center’s Eric E. Hotung International Law Center Building and Sport and Fitness Center will be presented an architectural award next month from the Washington Building Congress.

The Congress gives the award annually craftsmanship for architectural millwork.

The buildings opened last fall and were part of the Law Center’s campus completion project, which also included a campus green and clock tower.

According to Wallace Mlyniec, associate dean and chairman of the campus completion committee, the award recognizes especially the built-in furniture, justice bench and court rail in the new mock Supreme Court courtroom as well as the cherry wood paneling found both in the mock courtroom and the John Wolff International and Comparative Law Library.

“The handsome millwork in the Hotung building reflects a master’s touch that brings a richness and warmth to the building’s interior,” Mlyniec said. “This award comes as no surprise, as the beauty and fine craftsmanship of these buildings are sure to generate many more accolades and honors.”

The general contractor, The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, nominated the project to the award competition.

According to Mlyniec, the Law Center’s new buildings are nominated for various other awards, including one for new fitness centers.

The project was under construction during two years after groundbreaking, which followed a year and a half of planning. lyniec said a committee of students, faculty and architects collaborated to design the space.

He said that this collaboration, which included students testing furniture before its purchase, “helped to make a better building.”This is how we do everything at the Law Center,” he added.

Steve Kenton, president of the Washington Building Congress, said that the Law Center’s campus completion project was one of six winners chosen from 20 projects nominated in the architectural millwork category. Kenton described the craftsmanship awards as “a very well recognized and well established program,” as this is the 49th year for which awards will be presented.

According to Kenton, the program is unique because it is the only awards program in the area which recognizes individual craftsmen. The award winning woodwork was designed by the architecture firm of Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott in association with Ellerbe Becket, and its fabrication and installation was done by Allegheny Millwork. Certificates and gifts will be presented to firms during an April 1 ceremony which will include “The President’s Own” Marine Band and Color Guard.

Mlyniec said that the biggest challenge in designing the space was “trying to combine a building of multiple uses, such as swimming pools, dining rooms, classrooms and libraries, in a way that each worked efficiently and didn’t negatively impact the others.”In the end, we were incredibly successful,” he said.

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