Opening in fall 2010, the New Residence Hall at East Campus will be the University of Georgia's first residence hall to be LEED certified. Located adjacent to East Campus Village, the residence hall will be the fourth building to comprise the Reed Community, providing traditional double and single rooms with private bath accommodations geared toward non-first year, undergraduate students.

The New Residence Hall at East Campus will be a signature space that offers convenience to services in the heart of East Campus while promoting environmental responsibility. By adopting "green" building strategies that save money and minimize impact on the environment, the Department of University Housing demonstrates its desire to be a good steward of the present and a builder for the future.

Most importantly, the New Residence Hall at East Campus will support the academic and personal growth of residents, provide a place where programs, classes and events are hosted, and become a home-away-from-home for 555 students.

The University began construction on Ridgecrest South in January 2008, and it opened to incoming students on August 7.

The building, which looms over Ridgecrest East and West, holds 962 beds. It is the second largest dormitory after Tutwiler Hall, which holds 966 beds.

Tim Leopard, assistant vice president of construction, said that the rooms have a similar look to the other Ridgecrest dorms. The rooms are four-bedroom suites, with two residents sharing a bathroom. There is a kitchenette and a shared living room.

According to Housing and Residential Communities, the suites will feature kitchens with full refrigerators and microwave ovens, and the dining area will be furnished with a cafe table and two chairs.

The living room will feature window blinds, a TV stand, a side table and modular chairs that can be arranged to suit residents' needs. Each bedroom will have a height adjustable loft bed, desk, chair, dresser, and a closet.

Alicia Browne, spokeswoman for Housing and Residential Communities, said the building has two towers. The South Tower will be the home of the three new living-learning communities: the French House, the Arts on Campus Community and the Emerging Scholars Community. The North Tower includes both honors and non-honors housing. Currently, Ridgecrest South is fully booked, Browne said.

Leopard said the construction crews have had good weather and nothing major has slowed down the progress of the construction. As of now, there are no other talks of building another dorm in the near future, Leopard said.

Reprinted from Meredith College publication

As the first students to live in Meredith College’s new apartments moved in on August 1, they were greeted with a sign that revealed the building’s official name.

“Welcome to The Oaks” read the sign that hung from the balcony of the three-story building. More than 200 students will call The Oaks home this year.

Junior Kristy Herrmann is happy that she’ll be able to live in The Oaks for two years. The convenience of not having to move between academic years was a big draw for her.

“I’m excited about being able to be on campus and to stay connected at Meredith College during the school year and in the summer,” Herrmann said.

Herrmann and her neighbors, Elizabeth Lamb, ’10, and Anna Lamb, ’10, were already planning dinner parties. Both of the Lamb sisters said the new apartments felt “bright and homey.”

"It feels almost like we’re living in a house, but we’re on campus so we’re at home at Meredith,” Elizabeth Lamb said.

The new apartments are open only to juniors and seniors. Resident Catie Hitzigrath, ’10, said she chose to live in The Oaks because she was “looking for a transition into adulthood … living here is kind of a halfway point between being on my own and being in the dorms.”

Units in The Oaks are completely furnished, with living, dining and bedroom furniture, and appliances including washers and dryers. The apartment building consists of 48 units each containing four bedrooms and two bathrooms, and 30 units containing two bedrooms and two bathrooms. All bedrooms are designed for single occupancy.

The Oaks apartments are the first new residence facility to be built at Meredith since the early 1970s.

In celebration of apartment move in day, Meredith’s Alumnae Association were on hand to greet the new residents with a gift of special Meredith cups filled with candy.

“I am really jealous because I would have enjoyed living here so much,” said Alumnae Association member Leigh Ann Alford, ’08.

Nicole McGuinness, ’08, another member of the welcoming committee, agreed.

“As an alum, I am happy for the positive changes and direction Meredith is heading in, but I’m still jealous that I didn’t get to enjoy the luxury of living in an on campus apartment.”

Construction began in Spring 2008 on the apartment project. The Design/Build team was Choate Construction Company, HADP Architecture(architects) and BJAC (architects and interior).

Campus community members will have an opportunity to see how the students have decorated their new homes on September 11.

http://www.meredith.edu/nutshell/sept09/apartments.htm

Reprinted from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, September 13, 2009

The heavy equipment parked along one of Decatur’s main streets will soon tear into the city’s biggest public housing project.

Allen Wilson Terrace along Commerce Drive has sheltered some of Decatur’s poorest residents since 1941. City housing officials say they’ve done their best to maintain the buildings but that now must be replaced.

The destruction of old public housing is nothing new. For years, the Atlanta Housing Authority has garnered national attention for its policy of razing old projects and replacing them with higher-end private condos. Many of the old tenants were dispersed into neighborhoods across metro Atlanta using Section 8 vouchers, in an effort to eliminate concentrations of poverty.

But Decatur is bucking that trend. The little city — it’s only four square miles — has promised a home in the rebuilt project for every tenant.

“Why should we take families who have limited incomes and force them out of a situation that truly meets their needs?” said Paul Pierce, the executive director of the Decatur Housing Authority.

He plans to replace the cramped two-story brick units with larger buildings that will house the same number of people on less land. The reconfiguration, with new three- and four-story structures, will open space on about a third of the site for a private condo development. The private portion will contain some subsidized worker housing but will mostly offer units that sell — or rent — at market rate, Pierce said.

Allen Wilson Terrace, named for a minister, houses 200 families. When it is rebuilt, there will be public housing for 190. About a fifth of the campus has been vacated. Tenants were given a choice of waiting out the construction in vacant units elsewhere in Decatur or leaving for good with Section 8 vouchers. About 40 families chose to leave.

Linda Lewis decided to stay. Her family moved to Allen Wilson Terrace when she was 11. Now, at 57, she said the place is special to her.

Unlike the notorious East Lake Meadows project in nearby Atlanta, which was so dangerous before it was razed that tenants called it “little Vietnam,” Allen Wilson is safe, Lewis said.

She sat on her front porch Thursday afternoon with the 3-year-old son of her sister’s friend. The boy played with a toy fire engine while she reminisced.

Lewis, who cleans offices in Decatur, said the housing authority has tried to maintain her unit, installing new cabinets, sinks and floors. But she said it is an old building.

“It’s sad that this is going down,” she said, “but it’s not sad because they’re doing something better.”

Another tenant, Stephanie Pride, complained about cockroaches and mold in her unit. “Anybody who walks into my apartment, that’s all they smell,” she said. Yet she will not leave.

The housing project is within a block of a MARTA station, so she can ride the train to her job at a grocery store deli. And she knows her 9-year-old daughter is safe while she works because the city runs a recreational program after school next door.

“The schools are great for my kid, it’s convenient for me to get to work and they have all these programs for us,” Pride said.

Decatur can ignore the trend set by Atlanta because of its compact layout and its high-end demographic, said John O’Callaghan, the president and CEO of the Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership.

Many of the projects in Atlanta were “projects of despair” — isolated from services and located near poor quality schools, he said. But the Decatur project is within walking distance of just about anything one could need — food, shopping, transit and even firefighters, he said. Plus, the local affluence creates employment opportunities for residents of modest means, he said.

“There are jobs there. There are amazing schools there. They are surrounded by residents with dollars for goods and services,” said O’Callaghan, whose group advocates for affordable housing and economically diverse neighborhoods.

Many of the Atlanta projects that were razed were rebuilt with a smaller number of public housing units, he said. The public housing was displaced by market rate private housing, but in many cases, he said, the old tenants wanted to leave because the locations were so bad.

In that case, he said, it made sense to bring in new, upscale residents and boost the local economy.

“Decatur’s a different market,” he said. “You’re fighting gentrification, you’re fighting forces that start to drive poor people out.”

http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/decatur-replacing-old-public-136750.html

Stewart Aiken, Bill Brown, and Charles Poropatic join David Harper and Robert Bitterli in becoming LEED Accredited Professionals.

LEED Accredited Professionals have demonstrated a thorough understanding of green building practices and principles and the LEED) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design®) Rating System administered by the United State Green Building Council. As HADP Architecture is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and a strong advocate of sustainable design, we incorporate green building principles in all our designs. This accreditation helps to measure and legitimize what we are already doing, as well as developing standards for high-performance, sustainable buildings. 

HADP congratulates Mr. Aiken, Mr. Brown and Mr. Poropatic on their commitment and perseverance to add LEED Accreditation to their considerable qualifications and experience.

Armstrong Atlantic State University is moving towards construction on Windward Commons. Bonds have been sold and the closing held to construct the first dedicated freshmen residence hall.

Beginning Fall 2010, incoming freshmen who live beyond the commuting distance will be required to live on campus. The new residence hall will consist of 567 beds and construction is to be complete in Summer 2010.

Substantial completion has been reached on Brittany Place Townhomes in Port Arthur, Texas. A 96 unit townhome development with a community building is being constructed using Disaster Relief funds obtained after Hurricane Rita irreparably damaged the previous apartment building.

Each unit will boast garages, and a two or three story townhome design. Construction is expected to be complete in Summer 2009.  Designed for LEED certification, the project is a mutual effort by the Texas Department of Housing, the Port Arthur Housing Authority, and Odyssey Residential.

Residence hall on south campus to be done by fall 2010

Reprinted from The Huntsville Times - April 17, 2009

A new student residence hall for the University of Alabama in Huntsville moved closer Thursday when a key committee gave the green light to sign a building contract.

The new 400-bed hall planned for the south campus near a new parking deck will be ready for students in the fall of 2010, said Mike Finnegan, UAH vice president of facilities and operations.

UAH now requires all freshmen outside a 30-mile radius to live on campus. When the new hall is completed, all freshmen and sophomores will be required to live on campus.

Finnegan briefed the building committee of the University of Alabama System board of trustees in Huntsville Thursday afternoon. The committee sent the requested authority to the full trustee board for its expected approval today.

The UA board is meeting on the UAH campus this week in one of its regularly scheduled "institutional" meetings at each of the three UA system campuses.

UAH President Dr. David Williams will present an annual report on UAH to the full board at the Bevill Center on campus this morning.

"We need more space," Finnegan told the building committee. "All of our residential space is full."

Finnegan asked for - and the committee approved - what he acknowledged was somewhat unorthodox contract approval. If the full board agrees today, UAH will be able to seek bids and sign a contract without coming back for bid approval as long as the work doesn't exceed the current estimate of about $25.4 million.

The committee was told by officials of all three of its campuses Thursday that bids are coming in lower than estimated because of the slumping construction economy.

The $25 million will fund site work and construction of the hall's first phase. A second phase of 300 more beds will come later if demand grows as expected.

The new residence hall will include multipurpose rooms, classrooms, computer rooms, a laundry and student activity space. When this first phase is finished, UAH will have 1,675 beds on campus.

HADP Architecture and Hardin Construction have been selected to design and build the latest phase of housing at the University of Houston. The Wheeler District Freshman Housing Phase I will provide accommodations for an additional 1,168 students.  The project consists of two-bedroom, double occupancy, shared-bath units with related amenities, support staff, and resident staff/resident assistant apartments.

Amenities will include a reception area/lobby, central and floor lounges, computer room, laundry room(s), multi-purpose classrooms, fitness area(s), living-learning center with two staff offices, floor kitchenettes, and vending areas.  Support spaces include housekeeping and custodial closets, mail center, storage/maintenance rooms, IT and building systems closets, trash room and chute, elevators and equipment room. Adjacent exterior spaces will be designed to encourage outdoor activities featuring landscaping, seating and site lighting.  Site paving will create and reinforce strong pedestrian/bicycle connections with the campus.

The project will be the first phase of two similarly-sized residence halls to be located along Wheeler Avenue at the southern edge of the UH campus. Construction will begin in June 2009 and expected completion is August 2010. Phase 2 will begin construction in June 2010.

HADP Architecture, in association with SKT Architects, was recently selected by the Huntsville Housing Authority to design the new construction of an 85 unit, state of the art, mid-rise affordable housing living facility for seniors. The work includes construction of a four story mid-rise elevator structure with approximately 85 residential units designed for senior living, community spaces for gathering, kitchenettes, computers, physical exercises, small leasable space, medical exam room, management office, and toilet rooms. Support areas will include a maintenance work room, trash room, mechanical and electrical rooms, storage rooms, laundry room, and utility closets and related site work with landscaping.

As a first step in changing the perception of public housing throughout the city of Huntsville, the new senior living building will have balconies outside each room, a park-like campus with benches and tables, and will provide several areas that encourage social interaction. Gateway Place will occupy a portion of the existing Councill Court, a 1950s-era public housing project. A partial demolition of 56 apartments on the east side of Councill Court will make way for the new facility.

HADP Architecture, in association with SKT Architects, has been selected to design the latest phase of new student housing and a new dining facility on the campus of the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAHuntsville).

Currently the university has four residence halls housing 1215 students. The new student housing will provide accommodations for an additional 400 upperclassmen in suite arrangements. Amenities will include a common area meeting room with theater facilities, covered bicycle parking, a large multipurpose room, computer lab, wireless internet, a game room, a common kitchen on each floor, laundry facilities, vending and offices for campus housing staff. Also, the building will be designed to achieve LEED certification. The new dining facility will include service for 350 people. Potential construction starts June 2009 with a planned opening for Fall 2010.

The University of Alabama in Huntsville is a doctoral-granting, research-intensive university established in 1950 as part of the University of Alabama System, which also includes the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of Alabama located in Tuscaloosa. The university has a 360-acre campus in Huntsville, Alabama. Enrollment is approximately 7,100.

HADP Architecture, Inc. announces that Kim Goos, AIA has joined the firm as part of the Aviation Practice Group. Mr. Goos, a graduate of Louisiana State University, brings to the firm a nearly 30 year career that has been focused primarily on aviation design. Projects have ranged from various improvements to the construction of new major airport facilities. Mr. Goos has been heavily involved in the redevelopment and expansion of the Orlando International Airport where he served as the Project Architect for over 13 million square feet of new construction. Other major projects have been the expansion of the Jacksonville International Airport and the Savannah International Airport. He has also worked on a variety of aviation related projects internationally. Mr. Goos will be based out of the Atlanta office.

HADP Architecture, Inc. announces that Michael Davis, RA has joined the firm as part of the newly created Healthcare Practice Group. Mr. Davis is a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, and has been involved in the design and construction industry for over 30 years. A majority of those years have been involved in the field of health care design with projects ranging from large replacement hospitals to medium scaled additions, renovations, free standing offices, clinics, diagnostic and treatment facilities to small remodeling projects.  In addition, Mr. Davis has several years experience in the design and management of elderly care facilities ranging from nursing homes to assisted living facilities to independent living facilities. Mr. Davis will be based out of the Fort Myers and Coral Gables offices.

HADP Architecture was recently awarded the latest phase of new student housing on the campus of Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Georgia.  

Current on-campus housing is available for 856 students. The new student housing will provide semi-private suite-style living for 520 students consisting of primarily 2 and 4-bedroom units. Proposed interior amenities include: central laundry room, TV lounge for each floor, game room, music practice room, multipurpose room for classes and programs, four offices, and a central kitchen on the first floor. Exterior amenities proposed include green spaces to encourage student activities and an outdoor basketball court. Also, the building will be designed according to coastal/hurricane wind zone code compliance. The building materials and color schemes will be chosen to blend with the existing campus architecture. 

Established in 1935, the 268-acre campas serves more than 7,000 students. HADP also completed the 560-bed Compass Point Apartments, Phase I & II in 2002 and 2003.

Drew Taylor, Senior Staff Reporter, The Crimson White

With the concrete work at Ridgecrest South nearing completion in the next couple months, the University will be starting different work with the ongoing project, including different amenities.

'It's great!'

Freshmen check into the new University Village Suites on Wednesday.

Reprinted from Marietta Daily Journal  - August 14, 2008

"I think I'll probably stay on campus as much as possible," she said. "Plus, this is where everything is."

HADP Architecture has been selected to appear in the 2008 Athletic Business' 21st Annual Architectural Showcase. Read more about the project at http://www.architecturalshowcase.com/galleries/project.aspx?id=188

A large number of Federal agencies have adopted LEED (Leadership in Energy Environment and Design) developed by the USGBC (United States Green Building Council) as the model for building for their properties. While LEED had been around since 2000, these recent actions by multiple Federal agencies have set off a firestorm of state governments, school boards, universities and private clients who now want LEED Certified buildings.

The Affordable Housing Practice Group of HADP Architecture has been awarded several new contracts:

• The Tampa Housing Authority in Florida, one of the largest and most successful Authorities, is now under contract with HADP. The Housing Authority has undertaken the most comprehensive plan in the City’s history to improve the physical conditions of its units and to expand the number of affordable housing units. HADP Architecture was awarded a contract to provide services on an indefinite quantity, task order basis.
• The Orlando Housing Authority in Florida awarded an indefinite quantity contract for services on a variety of acquisition, rehabilitation and new construction projects. Work to be performed is in conjunction with acquisition, inspection, capital improvement, construction, and development projects.
• The Mississippi Regional Housing Authority VI in Jackson, Mississippi awarded an A/E Services Contract to the firm. MRHA6 covers West Central Mississippi. The counties involved are Hinds, Yazoo, Holmes, Warren, Claiborne, Copiah, Simpson, and Rankin.
• HADP is under an indefinite quantity contract to provide the Housing Authority of Winston-Salem, North Carolina Architectural and Engineering services. Services will be performed on a number of projects to include: mixed-use, commercial, single family housing, multi-family housing mixed income developments, infrastructure, and building systems.
• Durham Housing Authority in North Carolina awarded the firm contracts to provide architectural services for the rehabilitation of Edgemont Elms and Woodridge Commons Multi-Family Rental Housing Developments.
• For Tarpon Springs Housing Authority, HADP will assist in land planning and design of a new split-site development of up to seventy-eight units in Tarpon Springs, Florida. Work will include revitalization, new construction, landscaping, incorporating Green Building elements, a pedestrian friendly design, community safety design, and ample green space and parking.

HADP Architecture, Inc. announces that it has restructured its practice to focus the firm's efforts on its lead core markets of student housing, higher education, K-12 education, affordable housing, senior living, aviation and general practice. The change is the outcome of numerous workshops and meetings after the firm enlisted the services of ZweigWhite management consultants to assist in improving company operations.

Over the past months, HADP has made significant progress in improving and strengthening the operational side of the business, while continuing to deliver the highest quality service. With the restructuring complete, HADP will be able to continue to grow the business against the dramatic potential of the current market and economy. The firm has made a total commitment to excellence in all areas.

In its commitment to improving the quality of life through architecture and design, HADP Architecture has elected David Harper to serve as its President and C.E.O. Stewart Aiken will serve as its Chairman. The current seven Practice Groups will be led by the following: Charles Poropatic - On Campus Student Housing; Richard Aiken - Affordable Housing; Bill Brown - Higher Education; Bill Brown (interim) - K-12 Education; Stewart Aiken - Senior Living; David Harper (interim) - Aviation; and Stewart Aiken - General Practice.

Long on experience, with great technical ability and stellar employees, the company will share a service-oriented culture built on a tradition of service excellence. The new Practice Group-focused HADP will enhance the firm's financial strength, improve our ability to attract prospects, and allow us to build our leadership advantage. The management of HADP envisions the firm to be poised for all future goals and directions as HADP Architecture is committed to make whatever changes necessary to make the firm highly successful for now and the future.

HADP Architecture was recently awarded two projects as part of the downtown expansion of a mixed-used development to expand the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) in Savannah, Georgia. 

This urban-style development, located at 1025 W. Gwinnett Street, will house SCAD's new 4-acre student housing complex, Gwinnett Village, which will consist of four buildings and a 17,000-square-foot athletic facility. The housing complex is part of a 22-acre parcel that also is expected to have a commercial component. The student housing buildings will be four stories high consisting of 384 beds. The first floor of each building is reserved for parking. The concrete parking structure will contain 160 spaces. 

The Recreation and Athletic Center is comprised of a total of 15,000 square feet. The two-story recreation center will contain a basketball court, café, weight room and aerobics area. The single story basketball area (75’x100’) will be designed as a prefab metal building. The café, weight room and aerobics room will be part of the two-story concrete and metal construction designed with a storefront exterior.  

Both projects will be up for bid in June with their opening scheduled for Fall Semester 2009. HADP Architecture has worked closely with SCAD over the past decade completing several projects on their campus throughout Savannah, Georgia. Founded in 1978, Savannah College of Art & Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution with locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Georiga, and Lacoste, France. The college is closely engaged with the city of Savannah and the preservation of its rich heritage.

HADP Architecture is pleased to announce the re-launch of the website of its partner company, Ivy Group Consultants. Led by Robert J. Bitterli, Ivy Group Consultants provides forensic consulting, construction claims analysis and expert witness services relating to building envelope design and other design and construction defects.

HADP Architecture, Inc. and SHW Group, LLP successfully teamed to win the University Apartments project at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. The University Apartments project is an exciting opportunity for Texas A&M to provide campus style housing for single, married, families and international graduate students. This project brings the challenge of designing housing that competes with non-campus housing on price while providing a sense of community and campus. The project includes 252 living units in three-story garden style apartment buildings plus parking for 296 vehicles and all utility infrastructure and road extensions necessary to support the work.

At a total of 234,300 gross square feet, the apartments include 126 single units and 126 double units in eleven buildings. Utilities will be all electric and include cable television, fiber optics and high speed ethernet/wireless internet connections. Each apartment will also have a washer/dryer connection. Work is set to begin Spring 2008.

HADP wins High Profile Project to Revitalize the Complex used the house the Olympic Athletes for the 1996 Olympics

HADP Architecture, Inc. is serving as the Facility Assessment and Design Architect for the Georgia Institute of Technology North Avenue Apartments. Georgia Tech acquired the North Avenue Apartments, previously known as the Georgia State University Village, for use as residence halls this past summer.

The North Avenue Apartments, a highly visible part of Atlanta's skyline for over a decade, encompasses four high-rise residential halls and supporting facilities located on approximately eight acres. The complex was completed in 1995 to provide housing for athletes for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games.

The residential halls house up to 2,000 students. Parking facilities consist of 783 spaces. Included in the complex are street-level retail outlets, offices and meeting spaces, central utilities plants, courtyards, and associated infrastructure. The project also includes conversion of a gymnasium into a dining facility. The total project size is approximately 1.4 million gross square feet.

HADP Architecture was selected as the firm responsible for all aspects of the project. The HADP team includes Collins Cooper Carusi Architects, Ivy Group Consultants, Walter P Moore structural engineers, Jordan & Skala M/E/P engineers, plus urban planners, civil engineers, facility inventory specialists and parking consultants.

Established in 1885, Georgia Institute of Technology, one of the nation's top research universities, is part of the University System of Georgia. The Georgia Tech campus occupies 400 acres in the heart of the city of Atlanta.

"I just wanted to say a big ‘Thank You!’ to you for the essential part you played in creating Tuscana Ristorante, our new ‘drop dead gorgeous’ restaurant!"

Tuscana Ristorante, Southeastern University’s newest dining facility, was recently completed by HADP Architecture. The new 25,000-square-foot, $7 million campus restaurant opened August 18, in time for the 2007-2008 academic year.

The restaurant features a marché-style setup – island serving stations spread throughout – in order to keep up with student growth at the University. The restaurant seats 750 people and replaces the old, 400-seat dining hall. Another 70 people can dine on the patio. In addition to having more space for general dining, the new facility contains 200 seats of banquet space. The one-story, steel and concrete block-construction facility has a Mediterranean design that meshes with the existing buildings on campus. The design includes a ceiling that reaches 20 feet.

Southeastern University is a coeducational, Christian, liberal arts university in Lakeland, Florida. In 2001, HADP completed Aventura Hall, a 528-bed student housing facility on the campus.

HADP Architecture recently completed Barnard Village for the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia and the students have already moved in. Located at 3121 Barnard Street, Barnard Village offers single-floor apartment-style living with private bedrooms for 288 students. The trio of three-story, coeducational buildings features two baths, a full kitchen and furnishings, along with a clubhouse, laundry machines and meeting areas.

The building complex is modeled after Boundary Village, completed by HADP in 2002. Situated in the Savannah Historic District, the project had to meet strict architectural guidelines.

Savannah College of Art and Design is the nation’s fastest growing art school and the college is closely engaged with the city of Savannah and the preservation of its rich heritage.

HADP Architecture has been tasked with building the New Ridgecrest Residential Community for the University of Alabama. The project will be topped out in full concrete construction, 930+ beds, 1,000+ space parking deck and a project budget of more than $64 million. Special features of the Ridgecrest Community include traditional Georgian Style Architecture and Urban Plazas. The grand opening is scheduled for the Fall Semester 2009.

Established in 1831, the University of Alabama is the flagship campus of the University of Alabama System.

On May 19, the city of New Port Richey, Florida held its grand opening of the city’s new $14 million Recreation and Aquatics Center. The project, the largest and most expensive in the city’s history, was finished weeks ahead of schedule and well under budget. The new 37,000 square foot complex replaces a 37-year-old recreation center. It includes a children’s pool, diving well with two boards, 25-meter lap pool with a small ramp for disabled swimmers and a 25-foot spiral slide into a plunge pool. Multipurpose rooms, two full gymnasiums, locker rooms, a 2,000 square foot fitness center and administrative offices will round out the center. The center also doubles as a hurricane shelter, capable of sustaining 175-mph winds and providing space for more than 400 people.

HADP Architecture, Inc. was awarded the On-Campus Student Apartments Project on the Meredith College Campus with the goal of improving the number of upperclass women present on the campus by providing a more normative and upscale environment. Meredith College is the largest Private Women's College in the Southeast. The project encompasses the design and construction of apartment-style residential units to accommodate 252 Meredith College upper class women. The building is sited with beautiful panoramic vistas of study gardens, trellises and natural landscapes. This project is intended to be Gold LEED Certified.

Charterd in 1891, Meredith College is the largest women's college in the southeastern United States.