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Elizabeth Wingerd joins the interior design team

In October 2021, Elizabeth Wingerd joined the SS&A team as an interior designer. Here, she collaborates with her colleagues in the development of furniture, fixtures, and equipment schematics. Elizabeth is a graduate of Abilene Christian University in Abilene, TX and holds a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design as well as an associate degree in Architecture. She is a LEED Green Associate and an American Society of Interior Designers Allied member.

During her last year of college, Elizabeth interned as an interior designer at CADCO Architects-Engineers in Abilene, TX. Before joining SS&A, she was a full-time interior design intern at Archetype Design Group in Leawood, KS. Elizabeth is passionate about healthcare design and enjoys the varied intricacies and problem-solving associated with her work.

Welcome to the team, Elizabeth!

Founder Moreland Smith and Tuskegee Chapel

During the 75th anniversary of SS&A’s founding, the firm would like to highlight the impact of one of its founding architects and a significant historical project.

Sherlock, Smith & Adams’ founder Moreland G. Smith, joined the Tuskegee Institute Board of Trustees in 1957 and was appointed the chairman of the Buildings and Grounds Committee in 1958. October 14th, 1958, the Grounds Committee approved John A. Welch’s modern sketch of the Tuskegee Chapel that had burned during a fire on January 23, 1957. Welch was the founder of the local African American architecture firm Fry & Welch and served as the Architectural Department Head at Tuskegee from 1935 to 1940.

During the spring of 1959, Smith introduced Paul Rudolph, Dean of Yale’s Department of Architecture, to the Board of Trustees at Tuskegee. Rudolph presented the guiding master plan of Tuskegee Institute that incorporated the new Chapel developed by Welch and the Booker T. Washington Monument at the central heart of Tuskegee’s campus. Rudolph alongside Welch, Smith, and others such as architects and landscape architects Douglas Haskell, David Williston, and Minoru Yamasaki made up the Master Plan Advisory Committee. Although Smith’s tenure on the Board and Grounds Committee ended in 1960, he continued to support the efforts of the Chapel reconstruction through his relations with former Tuskegee President Luther Foster and black architects John A. Welch and Paul Rudolph.

The Chapel’s groundbreaking occurred on March 18, 1967, nearly 10 years after it burned, and cost the school nearly $2 million. Numerous delays came about due to the varying angled heights, steel framing, and floor plan geometry. The building itself has multiple angles with sloping walls and no 90-degree intersections, which required special expertise and attention from the mason contractor. The irregular masonry added to the overall monolithic character of the building along with the brick corbels, balcony, skylights, stained glass windows, and cascading stairs along the terrace.

Smith’s involvement and support of the master plan and Chapel at Tuskegee Institute occurred during the Civil Rights era in Alabama. Although admirable, his involvement on the campus and in the Civil Rights Bus Boycott caused him and his family many obstacles as residents in the Montgomery area. The former Alabama Governor George Wallace blocked Sherlock, Smith & Adams from new projects and credit lines from local banks. Moreland Smith’s family was also excluded from society due to his hiring of black architects and encouragement of acceptance into American Institute of Architecture (AIA) membership. Ultimately, Smith and his family relocated to the Atlanta area in1965 and sold his interest in Sherlock, Smith & Adams, although the firm still proudly bears his name.

In Atlanta, Smith became a staff member of the Southern Regional Council and did architectural consulting. He later received an award from Atlanta architects in 1987 and was recognized as an AIA Fellow.

SS&A celebrates the contributions of our founders. Each year we support and encourage our team members as they take time to serve in various roles and organizations to make a positive impact on our community and our profession.

SS&A Design Collective would like to thank Tuskegee University faculty for providing relevant articles pertaining to Moreland Smith’s involvement in the Chapel’s construction.

SS&A welcomes Tracey Creek to our Interior Design Department!

Tracey graduated from the University of Alabama. She holds a NCIDQ Certification. After graduation Tracey joined the Interior Design Department of the University of Alabama where she managed many projects for the University. After moving south to the Montgomery area, Tracey worked for a local architect designing kidney dialysis units.

With her interest in healthcare design, she sought a position with SS&A. We welcome her and look forward to her contributions to our projects with her past experience.

Intern Spotlight: Austin Lovvorn

Our next SS&A Intern Spotlight is Austin Lovvorn, an Electrical Engineering Intern and University of Alabama in Birmingham graduate who joined the team in May of 2018.

As an Electrical Engineering Intern, Austin designs power distribution systems for buildings, lighting and lighting control systems. Austin has gained valuable knowledge about power system design, lighting design, renewable energy and sustainable design. He is particularly interested in Engineering Calculations, including lighting calculations, power load-flow calculations and electrical coordination calculations. Austin has enjoyed the responsibility given to him during his internship and the freedom of coming up with his designs.

Austin started his internship with the expectation of gaining a foundation in practical engineering design that was not available in a classroom. Due to his determination during this internship, Austin is now on a path to have his Professional Engineering License in about a year.

We are proud of Austin’s accomplishments so far and are excited to see what is next for him. Thank you for being an SS&A intern, Austin!

Intern Spotlight: Justin Davis

We’re kicking off our SS&A Intern Spotlight with Justin Davis, an Architectural College Intern from Auburn University.

Justin interviewed with SS&A at an Auburn University Architectural Internship Fair and started working full-time with us as a Summer Intern in 2019 and has continued to work part-time during the school year. Justin was initially drawn to SS&A’s focus on DOD and medical projects and hoped to learn practical skills, such as construction methods and proper documentation.

As an Architecture Intern, Justin helps with picking up red-lines, construction details on design documents, and 3D modeling and graphics for presentations. Justin has learned professional construction details and methods and has gained valuable experience in Revit. Drawn to a career in architecture by his interest in art and design, Justin likes the transition from conceptual design to practical design.

We love having Justin as an SS&A intern and watching his skills flourish. Thank you for your hard work, Justin!

SS&A’s Charlot Receives National Guard Patriot Award

Travis Krimmel, SS&A Architect and a Company Commander in the Alabama National Guard, recently recognized the support of his supervisor, Shavon Charlot, by presenting her with the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Patriot Award.

The Patriot Award is given to individual supervisors and “reflects the efforts made to support a guardsman and reservist through a wide-range of measures including flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment, caring for families, and granting leaves of absence if needed.”

“Shavon hired me as a Project Architect knowing that I was in the National Guard,” Travis wrote in the award nomination. “She has been extremely supportive of both careers. She has been flexible with me during COVID, with my drill and training dates constantly changing. Shavon has even given me days off after long drill weekends to give me time to rest and recover. She has supported my Guard career 100 percent without ever hesitating.”

“I was completely surprised when Travis presented me with this award, but also very honored,” said Charlot, who is Vice President and Director of Architecture at SS&A. “I appreciate the hard work that Travis does, both for SS&A and for his Guard unit. Supporting his Guard duties is something that I have never questioned, and I am happy to help him succeed in both of his careers.”

Community Partner Celebration

We celebrated with our community partner, the Family Sunshine Center in Montgomery, AL. The Family Sunshine Center (FSC) provides crucial services for victims of family violence, stalking, sexual assault, and human trafficking. Service sites are located in Autauga, Butler, Chilton, Crenshaw, Dallas, Elmore, Lowndes, Montgomery, Perry, and Wilcox counties. SS&A has been fortunate enough to partner with the Family Sunshine Center for over 40 years.

As part of our partnership, SS&A donated two company cars to the FSC, which will, in turn, gift to two of its clients who need transportation. We’re proud to be able to associate with such a dedicated organization.

Photo: Tay Knight, Executive Director of FSC, Bob Snider, President of SS&A, Brittany Lunsford, Business & HR Director of FSC and Shavon Charlot, Vice President of SS&A.

Sherlock, Smith & Adams Celebrates 75th Anniversary now as SS&A Design Collective

Montgomery, Alabama—Architectural design and engineering firm Sherlock, Smith & Adams, Inc., has announced its rebranding as SS&A. As the firm celebrates 75 years of serving clients with global reach, SS&A is also unveiling a new look, logo and website.

The new branding emphasizes the power of “And”. The ampersand in SS&A stands for the teamwork and collaboration of the firm’s design professionals together with client groups, working as one. The firm’s comprehensive architecture and planning services also exemplify the power of “And” for clients, providing everything they need in one place. The new gold color symbolizes a high standard of excellence.

The power of “And” extends to multimillion dollar projects in niche industries, including medical and dental healthcare, and state-of-the-art laboratory facilities for the U.S. Armed Forces in widespread locales. The minds and methodologies behind these buildings are headquartered here in Montgomery, Alabama, with offices in Auburn and Knoxville, Tennessee.

“As we’ve grown in diverse ways, with projects across the globe, it was time for our brand to better reflect our adaptive approach to a bright future,” said Bob Snider, SS&A President and Board Chairman. “While we’ve evolved, what won’t change is our core, consultative approach and commitment to quality.”

“We’re excited to introduce our new look and all-new website, coming online this week,” Snider continued. “This beautiful new site will showcase our many projects and the people whose teamwork has made them possible. The power of ‘And’ will lead the way in 2021 and beyond.”

ABOUT SS&A DESIGN COLLECTIVE

Established in 1946, SS&A (Sherlock, Smith & Adams, Inc.) Design Collective has designed, planned and engineered architectural projects across the globe. Providing comprehensive, consultative services to a wide variety of clients, the firm’s success and longevity stems from the power of “And.” Our team of professionals works collaboratively with clients with a deliberate, adaptive approach to the future. For more information call 334.263.6481 or visit ssainc.com.