Designed in 1917 by South Carolina's first African American architect and built by his students, this former dormitory remains a prominent cultural icon on an historically black, public university campus. When the decision was made to repurpose it as the main administration building, however, it had been profoundly neglected for a decade and much had been lost or irreparably damaged. Through archival research and conversations with older alumni, by cobbling together remaining building elements, and by simplifying the new architectural program, the design team was able to rehabilitate the building and restore the original architect's straightforward, elegant vision, for posterity.
Location
Orangeburg, SC
Services
Higher Education, classrooms-administration, renovation, Historic Preservation & Adaptive Reuse
Completion
2009
Client
South Carolina State University
Cost
$9.5 Million
Size
27,000 SF
Awards
2016 AIA South Atlantic Region Honor Award
2013 South Carolina Historic Preservation Honor Award
2013 AIASC Honor Award for Historic Preservation
2010 AIASC Citation
2010 AIA Columbia Merit Award